Blitz (Blast Brothers #3) - Sabrina Stark Page 0,75
mean how'd they end up there? According to Bryce, Emory invited him like two days after they met. She called it a surprise vacation." I shook my head. "But the only person surprised was me. And the worst part was, Emory and I were friends at the time."
"You and her?" Chase gave me a dubious look. "I'm not seeing it."
"Okay, well, I guess you could say we were more like frenemies, carrying on the family tradition and all."
"So there's a tradition, huh?"
"Is there ever," I said. "Her mom and my mom were also frenemies. And they still are." I leaned further across the table. "Do you know, my dad dated Ginger for a while?"
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah," I said. "And the way I hear it, Ginger and my dad had one heck of a breakup. They were still in high school, but apparently, things got pretty ugly."
Chase gave a slow nod, as if he finally understood. "So your dad left Ginger for your mom, huh?"
I drew back. "No. Of course not."
"Hey, I'm just asking."
"I know. And I’m just saying, my mom's not like that. And neither is my dad."
Across the table, Chase looked almost amused. "Good to know."
"Sorry." I winced. "I guess I'm a little defensive, but the whole thing has been going on forever. And here's the crazy thing. My mom and dad didn't even start dating until after their high school graduation. By then, Ginger was engaged to somebody else – husband number-one by the way."
"The first of three, right?"
I was surprised that he knew this, until I recalled Emory in the commercial kitchen, making some snide remark about Ginger shopping for husband number-four.
"Right," I said. "And even though Ginger was already engaged, she wasn't happy when my mom and dad got together." I rolled my eyes. "She was even less happy when they got married."
"And you know this, how?"
"Trust me," I laughed. "Everyone knows everything."
Chase gave me a long, penetrating look. "Want to know what I know?"
"What?"
He leaned toward me as if preparing to share a secret. But the secret never came, because before he could say a single word, a different voice, this one all-female, practically hissed, "Nice dress."
With a start, I turned to look. And right there, hovering beside our table, was someone I knew all too well – not because I'd seen her in person, but because I'd seen her face on the cover of a book.
Yes.
That book.
Chapter 51
Mina
At the sight of her, my stomach lurched. Unless I was mistaken, I was staring up into the hard gaze of Angelique Delmonico – Chase's ex-girlfriend.
She was blonde and very beautiful with long, thick hair and a perfect curvaceous body, poured into a silver cocktail dress that was ten times fancier than what I was wearing.
From my seated position, I stared up at her, marveling at how different she looked in person.
On the book cover, she'd been smiling warmly for the camera. But she wasn't smiling now, and there was no warmth in her expression as she eyed me like she'd just caught me naked with a farm animal.
With a little sneer, she said, "So, are you gonna give it back, or what?"
I stared in stupefied silence. Give what back?
The dress?
Oh, God. That had to be what she meant. My mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Already, Chase was on his feet. In a dangerously low voice, he told her, "Leave her alone, alright?"
Even though he'd said it quietly, people around us were openly staring. I was staring too as my head filled with questions for which I had no answers.
What should I do?
What should I say?
I had no idea.
As I watched, Angelique whirled to Chase and demanded, "So who's she? Your latest slut?"
I gasped, and I wasn't the only one.
But Chase didn't gasp. With a cold smile, he said, "If that's who I hang with, what does that make you?"
She drew back. "Did you just call me a slut?"
He gave a casual shrug. "Hey, if the dress fits."
Oh, my God. I looked down at the little black dress, the one I'd borrowed against my better judgment. As I did, I had to ask myself a very disturbing question.
Did he just call me a slut?
Slowly, I got to my feet. As I did, Angelique turned to me and demanded, "Give it back."
I swallowed. "Give what back?"
"You know what," she sneered. "My dress."
Chase spoke up. "Except it's not yours, is it? You were paid fair and square – and double what it was worth."