Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“It’s not, just talk.”
Petal sighed. “He was different.” She took a sip of the hot tea and hated the taste. Wrinkling her nose, she walked back to the counter and handed Rosalie her tea. The other woman ignored the drink, more focused on her.
“Different? The guy’s name is Dirty.”
“He was a complete gentleman. Whenever I wanted to walk on the main deck of the cruise ship, or whatever you want to call it, he was there, holding my hand.” She couldn’t help smiling. “When it was cold, he was there to offer me his leather cut. It’s stupid, I know, but he would smile at me, and it seemed like every bad thing would disappear. I knew Colt had sent him. I wasn’t a complete idiot, but I don’t know, there were times I got the sense he actually wanted to be there to be with me. Stupid, huh?”
“Not stupid,” Rosalie said. “Not stupid at all.”
“Anyway, we came home and reality set in, and with that, a whole load of other bullshit, and my dream guy wasn’t quite so dreamy.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Technically, it was. Colt wanted you out of the way or distracted so he could work on me.”
“And yet, you’re having his baby and you love him.”
“It’s complicated.”
“You know what I’ve come to realize?” Petal asked.
“What?”
“Real life and love are complicated. Always have been and always will be. Relationships are a mess. Books, television, movies, where they make believe everything can work out.” Petal shrugged.
There was silence and Petal stared down into her mug of hot tea. It was such a disgusting brew, but there was nothing else to drink. She felt close to tears. Memories of her and Dirty, alone, where no one knew what was happening, or what they were doing. They seemed like a lifetime ago now, but they weren’t too long ago.
She couldn’t believe how different her life had changed in the past year. Her parents had their shit together. She was considering going to college, or at least night school to take some business classes. She co-owned the diner with Rosalie, and Gabrielle was gone. Her best friend was pregnant, and when she once wanted to party at an MC, they had become part of her world. All within a year and perhaps a half.
“You know, he asks about you,” Rosalie said, making her jerk her head up to look at her best friend.
“What?”
“Dirty. When he sees me or Colt, and it has been a few days since he has come to the diner, he asks about you,” Rosalie said. “I don’t think he is quite as … unfeeling for you as you might think.”
Petal shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“What would you do if he loved you?” Rosalie asked.
“Stop, okay, he doesn’t love me. He never has. I was just a job to him, and besides, this was supposed to be a conversation about me finding someone else, right? Dirty is not a man I want to think about.”
“You won’t forgive him?”
“Let’s just focus on work.” She moved toward her best friend and they finished going through the books.
“Tanya starts work on Monday,” Rosalie said. “Are you sure she will be a good fit?”
“She was the woman that smacked Al for touching her ass. I think she is going to be a perfect fit.” She didn’t tell Rosalie that a certain biker friend also wanted their new employee. She had a feeling Myth was going to be pissed at her, but Tanya asked her for the job, not the other way around.
She rubbed her temples and tried to make sense of everything. With the books done, she wrapped them up and took them to the back of the office, locking them into the safe that had been installed. Once she checked all the windows, and everything in the kitchen was turned off, she headed out to the main diner and found Rosalie typing away on her cell phone.
“Colt’s going to be late. Can you take me home?”
“Sure.” Petal yawned and they left the diner. She’d not been sleeping well the past couple of nights. Walking to the car, she held open the passenger side and Rosalie glared at her. “Don’t start with me. You’re pregnant and you’ve been on your feet all day, don’t start with me.”
“I should smack your ass,” Rosalie said.
“Sounds kinky.”
Petal couldn’t help but get a flash of memory of Dirty, putting her over his knee as she screamed and laughed at the same time he swatted her naked butt. Again, another lifetime ago.
Climbing behind the wheel, she put the car into drive, and took off, heading toward Colt’s home. She was so tired that as she pulled up outside of Colt’s, she knew she was going to have to slap her face to make it home.
“Don’t think I don’t see how tired you are. Park the car and get your ass inside. You have a change of clothes. Don’t argue with me on this.”