Chapter Twenty-Seven
Corey
If she hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes, Corey wouldn’t have believed it was possible. Linc and the bartender, who really was as hot as the guys said she was, were making out in the corner. Hard-core making out—like they should get a room, and fast. As soon as the five of them had walked into the bar, the perky blonde bartender made a beeline for Linc. They flirted for all of two minutes and now they were mugging down in the corner. Guess it really was a superpower.
Corey regarded the shifter sitting next to her. “Aww, Keller, don’t pout. Look, that waitress over there is trying to catch your eye. She looks easy enough.”
“She’s trying to catch my eye because she hates me. I already banged her.” Keller managed a sheepish frown.
Corey backhanded his arm. “Is that why I have yet to get my damn hamburger? Keller, is there a waitress here that you haven’t humped and dumped? I’m hungry.”
“Uh?” Keller was actively looking around, trying to find a waitress for her. “That one. She’s new, I haven’t slept with her yet.” Corey followed his gaze. The girl was pretty, lean muscles and long blonde hair. She looked all fresh and young. Obviously, this was the first bar she’d ever worked in.
Keller flagged the waitress down, and she actually smiled at them. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes,” Corey jumped in. “I’m starving. I ordered a burger a few minutes ago, but my friend here has nailed every waitress in this establishment. They hate him, so I haven’t gotten my food. Is there any way that you could check on it for me?” She clasped her hands in front of her, begging.
The young girl laughed and pointed at Keller with her pencil. “Ah, this must be Keller. I’ve been warned about him. I’ll go check on that order for you.”
Keller watched her walk away, and when she was out of earshot he turned to Corey, glaring. “What the fuck was that, Coop? She’s gorgeous. And now she thinks I’m a whore.”
“You are a whore. And this is the only bar in town. We can’t have every waitress here wanting to spit in our food. Please don’t try to sleep with her. Please. I love their burgers.” She put one arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Ppppplease.”
“Fine. I’ll leave that one untouched.” He laid his head on top of hers and was rewarded with a slap to the back of it. “Dammit, Dom. Calm down. I can’t fuck the bartender, I can’t flirt with our waitress, I can’t hug my buddy’s girl. Tonight sucks donkey dick. I’m going to play pool with Baze.”
Corey broke her embrace with Keller and turned her whole body toward her man. He’d been playing darts for a while. “Who won?”
“Me. I always win. Hey, you wanna go do it in the bathroom?”
“Oh could we, Dom? That sounds so romantic and wonderful. Can we make it really fast too?” she said with an overly sweet sugary Southern accent.
Dom chuckled at her sarcasm as he grabbed her thighs and spread them apart, making room for him between her legs. He leaned down until his hands rested on the bar behind her. He dipped his head and was about to kiss her when she shoved at his chest to stop him. “Dom, we are in public. We can’t make out. It’ll get spread around campus. Control yourself, babe, we’ll leave soon.”
“You’re right. Sorry, I got carried away.” He laid a discreet hand on the outside of her thigh. “I’m going to go play pool with the guys. I can’t be here and not touch you. I’m too pent-up from earlier.”
Corey narrowed her eyes, irritated. “Seriously? I have to sit here all alone because you can’t control your dick?”
“Corey, please don’t say words like dick right now. My jeans are incredibly uncomfortable and hearing that word come out of your mouth isn’t helping. I’ll send Baze back over here to keep your company.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Baze? No. Send me Keller or Linc. Baze doesn’t like to talk just to talk.”
“Fine. I’ll send Keller. Although, after you cock-blocked him with the waitress, he might not let you talk either.”
The new waitress picked that moment to bring a large tray of food over. “Here is your food, ma’am. And the food the others guys ordered? Should I leave it here as well?”
“Sure, they’ll be back eventually. Actually, uh, would you mind sitting with me? They left me all alone. Plus, I’m constantly surrounded by males. It’d be nice to talk to a girl.” Corey knew she probably sounded weird and desperate, but she didn’t care. She needed a female friend and since no one had slept with this one yet, she was the perfect candidate.
“Uh, yeah sure, I’m due for a break.”
“I’m Corey Cooper.” Cory held her hand out to the waitress.
“It’s nice to meet you, Corey, I’m Molly Page.” She shook Corey’s extended hand.
“So, Molly, since you haven’t slept with Keller, you must be new in town?”
“I am. I’ve been here for about a week. My aunt lives here. She retired and opened a yoga studio. I have been doing yoga my whole life so I came here to help her. We don’t have that many students yet, so I took a job waiting tables to pay my bills.”
“You got one more. I love yoga. I’ll join your studio first thing tomorrow.”
“Really? Oh that’s great, thank you.”
“Are you kidding? Thank you. I’ve missed it so much since I left home. I’m not disciplined enough to practice by myself. I need someone standing over me telling me what to do.”
“Where was home?”
Corey swallowed a large bite of food before answering. “Louisiana. How about you?”
“I’m from southern California. But my aunt has always lived here, and we are close so I’ve been visiting Haxton as long as I can remember. It’s my home away from home. What brought you to Colorado?”
“Work. And a bad breakup. I needed a change of scenery so I took a job at St. Leasing. I’m the guidance counselor. I work at an all-boys’ boarding school, and as you can see”—Corey gestured with her burger to the guys gathered around a pool table—“I’ve only made male friends since I’ve been here.”
“Well then, consider me your first female friend in Colorado.” Molly smiled at Corey. “And as your friend, I’m going to tell you that you have ketchup on your chin.” She handed her a napkin.
Corey laughed. “Thanks. So the waitresses warned you about Keller?”
“Keller and some guy named Linc. Apparently they’ve all slept with both, but they seem pissed at Keller and enamored with whoever Linc is.”
“Did I hear my name?” Linc walked up, apparently tired of dry humping the bartender.
Here we go. “Molly, this is Linc, Linc, this is Molly Page. She moved here from southern California.”
“Oh yeah? Where in SoCal? I grew up in Carlsbad.”
“Laguna.”
“A little up the coast from me.” Linc studied her, interest in his eyes. “Could I get your number? Maybe I could show you around town?”
“Thanks, but I’ve had family here my whole life, I know my way around. Probably better than you do.” Molly grinned at him and Corey liked her even more. “My aunt opened a yoga studio in town.”
Linc didn’t let up. “Dinner? Drinks? You could introduce me to yoga?”
Molly put her hand on Corey’s shoulder. “Corey is coming to the studio tomorrow for class. If you’re interested, you should come with her.”
Corey was watching the two of them like they were a tennis match. Linc’s skills with the ladies seemed to be tanking pretty quick. Molly didn’t seem to want anything to do with the guy. “Okay, uh, yeah maybe I’ll come by with Corey.”
“Food. All I’ve eaten today were cupcakes.” Keller sat down next to Corey and was positioned to take a big bite when he stopped and put his burger back down. “Uh, who brought this out? Was it the redhead? She really wants to punish me, I don’t trust her.”
Molly laughed. “Actually I trashed your burger and made you a new one myself. Spit-free.”
“Oh wow, that’s so nice. Thank you.” He took a massive bite of his untarnished burger, moaning at how good it was.
“I need to get back to work. Corey, it was wonderful to meet you, I’ll see you tomorrow morning? Our first class is a sunrise yoga, at seven o’clock.”
“Yep, I’ll be there at seven sharp.”
“What? Seven in the fucking a.m.? I’m not going to yoga at seven no matter how hot the instructor is.”
Molly stopped and turned back around. “What was that?”
“Oh uh, I was, uh, saying that I probably wouldn’t be making class tomorrow after all.” Linc stammered his way through, and Corey almost choked on a fry.
“I’ll go,” Keller offered around a mouth full of beef.
“You will?” Corey looked over at him, surprised.
“Yeah, I like sunrise yoga. I’ll go with you, no worries.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow morning.” Corey watched as Molly smiled at Keller, staring at him for a few seconds before turning her back on them.
“Since when do you do yoga, Kell?” Linc was now tearing into his steak, which looked more like half a cow.
“My mom was really into yoga. She went every morning without fail. When I was in trouble, she woke me up and made me go with her. I actually grew to enjoy it. Plus, watching chicks do yoga, if it’s the right chick, is hot. Cat/cow and happy baby, those are the best.”
Corey shook her head and backhanded his leg.
“Will everyone please stop hitting me?”
“Better not let Dom hear you talk about how hot watching girls do yoga is or he won’t let you go with Corey.” Linc spit some food out trying to talk around it.
“He will because he won’t want to get up that early to go with me, and he won’t like me going alone.” Corey passed Linc a napkin. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. Maybe those bad manners are why Molly shot you down.”
Keller’s eyes got big. “What? Lincoln Sumner got shot down? Tell me it’s true.”
“It’s true. He asked for Molly’s number and she straight up denied him.” Corey took a long gulp of beer to wash down her massive burger. Good thing she was going to yoga in the morning, she had consumed a million calories.
“She didn’t deny me. She’s playing hard to get.” Linc managed to keep all the food in his mouth that time.
“Shot down on your birthday. That’s a shame, my man.” Keller shrugged. “But hey, at least you still get to take the bartender home.”
Dom and Baze came over and joined them, and they all ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Keller shouted, louder than necessary and out of nowhere, “Hey, did y’all hear Linc got shot down?”
Corey started laughing as Linc reached behind her and popped Keller in the head.
Keller’s nostrils flared. “Seriously, guys, stop hitting me. I’m about to get pissed.”
“Who turned him down?” Dom asked.
“The new waitress slash yoga instructor, Molly Page.” Corey stole an onion ring off Dom’s plate. She’d ordered fries but his rings looked to-die-for.
Dom moved his plate out of her reach. “If you wanted onion rings, you should have ordered them. Wolves don’t share.”
“This wolf better learn.” Corey jabbed him in the ribs and took another one.
Dom gasped when he saw her peel the onion away and toss it to the side, eating only the fried batter. “What are you doing?”
“I only like the batter. I hate onions.” Corey dipped the batter in ketchup and popped it in her mouth. The horrified look on Dom’s face was priceless. “Calm down, babe, it’s an onion ring.”
“Linc never gets shot down.” Baze took another bite of his grilled chicken. Corey eyed his plate, feeling like a gluttonous pig for eating so poorly when he hadn’t.
“He did tonight,” Corey confirmed. “He asked for her number and she said nope. Keller and I are going to sunrise yoga in the morning, anyone else want to come?”
“Sure, sweetheart, I’ll go with you.” Dom put his hand on her thigh. “What time does it start?”
“Seven.”
“In the fucking a.m.? Nope. Not gonna happen, sorry, baby.”
She giggled at his response. “I said sunrise yoga, what time did you think it was going to start?”
“I don’t know, nine? I thought sunrise was an exaggeration. Keller, you’ll really go with her?” Dom looked down the bar at his friend.
Keller nodded. “Sure. I’ll go.”
All of a sudden they were surrounded by waitresses singing happy birthday. One of them was holding a huge cake with more candles than necessary for Linc’s thirty-three years. After the singing was done Corey whispered to Dom, “Did y’all get him a cake?”
He chuckled. “Not a chance. Told you he was a hit with women, even ones he’s screwed over. They keep coming back for more.”
After the last beer was drunk (Linc) and the last piece of cake was eaten (Keller), they paid their tabs and headed out. Corey waved bye to Molly, and Linc grabbed his bartender so she could give him a ride home. When they got back to Corey’s house and to their cars, Dom quickly grabbed her and started to head for the front door.
“I feel like going for a run.” Keller stretched his arms over his head.
“Yeah? I could use a run,” Baze answered. “Hardy, you in?”
“Nah, you guys go ahead.” Dom kept up his brisk pace, pulling her toward the front porch. “Stay in the woods though. The dean has a few parents visiting the campus this week.”
“Ooooooo. Are y’all going to shift? I want to watch.” Corey stopped short, causing Dom to yank on her arm before he stopped too.
“Corey, please, baby, you’re killing me. You can see them shift later. They need to go into the woods to do it anyway.”
“Fine.” Corey hung her head and let Dom take her hand once again. “Y’all have a good time. Don’t kill any rabbits behind my house though, it’s a mood killer for Dom.” She waved bye and headed into the house with her wolf close behind.