me and steps from the hallway, blocking me from view. “What’s up, Chan?” His tone straddles an odd note between gruff and polite. “You here for your old man?”
“Hey!” She whirls to face him and smiles. It’s one of her beautiful, breathtaking grins that score her a free bus trip whenever she “forgets” her fare. “No… I just wanted to say thank you for what you did the other night, helping Hannah.” She leans against the counter in a way that makes her curves pop against the thin fabric of her shirt. “Let me buy you dinner later?”
“Um…” Rafe rakes a hand through his hair. Even from here, I can sense where his gaze drifts—where every man in her radius looks. Her hips. Her breasts. Her curves. “I have shit to take care of later. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh…” Mara frowns but recovers with another smile. “Okay. See you around.”
She slinks from the store, drawing glances from a random man walking by. My heart pangs at her posture, though, and how she walks with her head down and shoulders slumping in disappointment.
“She’s gone,” Rafe calls.
I creep from the hall to find him still watching her go. Irritation sears through my chest, startling me. Do I have any reason to even be upset? No.
After all, he set down the rules of the game well before last night.
“You know what the fuck that was about, rabbit?” he demands, his tone suspicious.
I push past him, shoving my way out the front door. “You’re right,” I tell him as I step out into the morning air. “You are an asshole.”
Chapter Fifteen
The shop is still closed, and Mr. Zhang isn’t inside when I enter it. I’m left alone with my thoughts and forced to replay the events of last night over and over again.
Work is my only salvation. I finish documenting and shelving new inventory, letting the tasks consume my focus. After, I file the insurance paperwork to finally work on replacing the window. Then I clean the shop from top to bottom without even taking a lunch break. Once I’m done, I clean it again…
It’s like time is racing up to me, and it’s time to leave before I know it. Too soon. My cell phone is still off in my bag, and whenever I think of going home, my breathing hitches. I can’t. Not yet.
Food seems to be the only thing worth dragging me from the shop in the end. I head toward a familiar restaurant with my head low, jumping at any figure who resembles Branden. My only consolation is that he hates this part of town enough to avoid it, even if searching for me.
Or so I hope.
Still, I nearly run inside the restaurant the second it comes into view. Inside is a pleasant dining room with red walls decorated with elegant accents of gold.
“Hannah?” Mara stands behind the hostess counter, though wearing a far more modest black dress than her outfit from earlier. “Finally come to take me up on that free food?” She winks. “Have a seat, and I’ll join you.”
I take a booth at the back, and minutes later, she saunters over with a plate piled high with assorted veggies and rice.
“It’s on the house,” she declares, sitting across from me. “Where have you been? I tried texting you.”
I pause with a forkful of food near my mouth. “My phone is…dead,” I say. “My charger broke.”
“Oh, that sucks.” She sighs, leaning back against her end of the booth. “I was just looking for reassurance, anyway.”
I choke down a bit of rice. “Reassurance?”
She eyes me warily, biting her lower lip until she can’t contain herself any longer. “Am I fat? Ugly? Anything that might not attract a total douchebag on the first try?”
“What?” I fumble with my fork, dropping it. Diving under the table for it gives me the chance to hide my expression. I struggle to regain control of my lips, forming a neutral line. When I do, I haul myself upright, but Mara isn’t even looking at me.
“I am, aren’t I?” she declares with utter horror. “I’m a total cow.”
“Of course, you’re not! What are you even talking about?”
“Rafe!” She slumps forward, pouting. “I went to his shop in my fuck-me jeans. Don’t judge me,” she adds, shooting me a plaintive glance. “But he didn’t even bite. No ass grab or nothing!”
“Maybe he was tired?” I blurt. “I mean, if you went early… Besides, why do you even want a guy like that? You’re too good for