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I have never been one to turn my back on a friend in need, nor did I cower from assholes, awkward situations, and on rare occasions…I may get a little too much enjoyment out of them.
I was that friend. The one who had your back whether you were wrong or right. Though if your ass was wrong, I was going to tell you over and over. It was a miracle I had anyone in my life, but these crazy kids loved me as I was.
So it’s absolutely no surprise that when Cindy wanted breakfast at Henrietta’s, I was already prepared. We walked from the shops to the small hometown cafe in a matter of minutes. I was ready for a stack of pancakes, a fresh hot-out-of-the-oven spinach bacon frittata, and a glass of freshly squeezed OJ. Damn, my mouth was watering.
I reached up, making sure I wasn’t actually drooling, before stepping through the open door. Cindy and I were linked at the elbow, laughing as we waltzed in like we owned the place. Nich sat in a booth a couple of tables down from Stefan. Man, what a weasel. He really thought he could intimidate Cindy by staying around. Or maybe he was so delusional that he thought she would come running back to him? Yeah, I thought door number two was his wish.
I had a feeling, he was so far out of left field that even if he’d built his own ballfield, he’d still not have a chance. Plus, Cindy and Spencer were a thing now. If the smell of sex and sweat hadn't clued me into that just a bit ago, the looks on their faces when I’d come in would have. They looked guiltier than a sinner on Sunday morning.
“Hey, handsome!” I made my words a little louder than I needed as Nich stood.
I saw the crinkle at the corner of his eye before he pulled me to him for a kiss. “Behave,” he murmured against my lips.
“I am. I could have gone over there and dumped his drink over his head.” I laughed softly when Nich mumbled something under his breath. We sat, me sliding in beside Nich. “How is your shift?”
“Over now. Got off ten minutes ago.” He looked tired. I leaned into his shoulder to rest my head there. His arm came around me. I sighed. God, I loved this feeling.
“You two are just so stinking cute, I could barf,” Cindy teased.
“Don’t let me get started on you, you tart. I wasn’t the one bumping uglies in my kitchen with the front door unlocked.” I tossed a straw at her, laughing.
“How much coffee have you had today?” Nich asked.
The seriousness in his voice had me turning. “Um…well, you see…I don’t know. I had the Johnson order, the Carter-Stanton shower treats, and then of course my normal stuff this morning so… Yeah. Lacey brought me triple shots from Starbies, and then I had some of my own coffee. I don’t make it as good as they do though.”
“Good god,” Cindy laughed, her mirth making me happy.
I loved seeing her happy.
“You’re going to crash hard, baby. Why would you do that to yourself?” Nich squeezed my thigh.
He had a point. I wasn’t a big coffee drinker, however there were those times in a week that the caffeine/sugar combo was all that was going to allow me to get up and moving. The eventual crash was worth it. I’d actually sleep really well afterwards. It was a win-win in my book.
“Do you need to close up early? I can help you clean up since Lacey’s already gone. My place isn’t that messy yet, and I’ll have Sam in this afternoon," Cindy offered.
“No, thank you, though. I’ll be okay. I still have work to do and, really, as long as I am on the go, I’m good. It’ll be when I get home that I may not make it in the door or to the bed.” Shaking my head, I shrugged. “The things I do to make money.”
“Spending one night on a pole would be easier,” Cindy said so nonchalantly that I almost missed it.
“You’d know. Should I just take your next shift?”
The sudden bark of laughter from our table had more than one set of eyes raking over us. Cindy and I were all but laying over the table, our bodies heaving while Spencer and Nich fought to keep their control. Why they put up with us really was a mystery.
“Why are you two like this? Damn, can’t take you anywhere.” Nich gave us no time to try and answer his question that wasn’t a question. “Selina, can we get a breakfast special, a stack of pancakes, extra syrup on the side, a spinach and bacon frittata, and two OJ’s, please?”
“Sure thing, Deputy. And for you two?”
They ordered while I wiped my face. My eyes were leaking from laughing. That’s how you know when it’s a good, soul deep laugh.
“So, are we waiting on the dipshit to do something, or are we just ignoring him?” Spencer was looking down at Cindy. She shrugged.
“We are waiting,” I cut over Nich. He’d pushed me into the booth so that I would have to climb over him and the table to get out if I wanted to go clock the pissant.
“We are going to eat our breakfast and ignore him. Otherwise, it's harassment, which is illegal, Dana.”
He’d just called me out. I looked up, scowling. “Listen, Mr. Deputy Man, I am not harassing anyone. That maggot has been at our shops, trying to get to my bestie with the intention of making her feel bad. To hurt her. You better be glad I’m not over there making his face part of the table. Capisce?”
I watched, fascinated as his pupils dilated. He turned slightly, leaning all the way into my personal space. His cologne and the smell of man assaulted my senses, making me a little love drunk. My tongue darted out, wetting my bottom lip as my heartbeat doubled.
