Four Letter Word

I really didn’t want to move.

I also really liked having a job, and I needed this one considering the awful luck I was having finding an x-ray position locally.

Before I could be spotted and possibly fired, I slid off Brian’s lap and stood, spun around to face the booth, smoothed out the tiny apron I was wearing, then pulled out my ticket book and clicked open my pen.

“Good afternoon, sir. My name is Sydney and I’ll be your waitress today. Our specials are lobster linguini and the smokehouse burger. They are both super yummy. I eat them all the time.”

I smiled pleasantly and professionally at Brian, who was leaning back casually in the booth with one hand resting on the table.

He grinned beautifully.

I fought off the urge to molest him with my lips and fingers.

“Afternoon, kids,” Tori greeted, stepping up beside me.

She smiled at Brian and wrapped her arm around my waist.

“Potential, you had my best girl floating on cloud nine this morning. I kinda love you for that.”

I love you, too, I thought, so loudly I swore the words broke out through my ears and floated around me in little hope-filled bubbles where he could read them.

Brian looked to me and kept his eyes on my face. It appeared the words hadn’t slipped free.

I breathed a little easier and continued loving him quietly.

Tori gave me a squeeze. I turned to look at her.

“Schedule is up. Nate has you off on Tuesday, then on Sunday. He said depending on Kali, he might not need you on Saturday but to be prepared. She might not have a sitter that day.”

“Okay,” I replied, smiling.

That meant I could possibly have two days off in a row but I wouldn’t count on that. Normally if Kali wasn’t sure about a sitter, it meant she wouldn’t have one.

“You working with me any of those days?” I asked, sounding hopeful.

Tori nodded.

“All but Thursday. I’m on Tuesday.”

“Cool,” I replied.

Tori smiled, opened her mouth, and began echoing back a “cool,” but lost it when her eyes lifted and focused in on something behind me, then narrowed to tiny slits of fury at the same time as her mouth snapped shut and her lips curled in distaste.

Her “cool” came out sounding more like “crud.”

I turned my head and saw Jamie standing behind me.

Crud indeed.

His hair was damp and salt-water messy, and he was wearing tinted aviators.

Indoors.

Idiot.

I was still mad at him for screwing up his chances with Tori, especially after finding out exactly what happened this morning.

She walked in on him engaged in a threesome.

I almost threw up in my mouth hearing that. And even though I wanted to root for the best friend of my boy, I was having a hard time seeing any good side of Jamie to root for now that I knew he passed up an opportunity with my best friend to have a foursome.

Anyone who passed up spending any time with Tori was an idiot in my book. She was the best.

Jamie removed his sunglasses and tucked them in the front of his light gray tee, which I supposed was acceptable timing to remove sunglasses after entering a building, but I wasn’t admitting that, considering what I now knew, and went ahead thinking he was stupid for wearing them inside.

“Sunshine,” he greeted me, barely looking at me before he found Tori at my back. His hand lifted in question. “What the hell, Legs? You turn invisible or something last night? I looked all over for you.”

I turned to look at Tori.

She still had her eyes narrowed, but now had her hands on her hips and was leaning her weight on her right foot, looking sassy.

“Well, I’m not sure why you thought I’d be up some girl’s snatch, since that seemed to be the only place you were lookin’,” she tipped forward and hissed quietly, respectful of patrons but still delivering her cut with venom.

“Say again?” Jamie asked at my back.

“You heard me,” Tori replied with boredom.

“Yeah, I heard you, babe, but what I’m asking is for you to repeat it.” He stepped closer, forcing me to step back so I wouldn’t be squished between the two of them. “You come lookin’ for me?” he pressed.

I swore I heard hope in his voice.

Tori tilted her head back and held his eyes. Her shoulders lowered and the fingers at her hips eased their tension.

She was losing her fire. I could see it, but she wouldn’t let that on.

“I’d never come looking for you,” she whispered, then rolled up on her toes to add, “Not. Ever.”

“Right,” Jamie muttered. “You came lookin’ for me. That’s what this is about.”

“Nope. Sorry.”

“You did.”

“Didn’t.”

“Then how come you know I was buried in pussy?”

“Lucky guess,” Tori snapped. “It was between that or your own ass. I had a fifty-fifty shot.”

Jamie smiled and crossed his arms over his chest.

“That’s cute, Legs. Real cute, and I gotta be honest. I’m digging you being jealous.”

Tori scoffed.

“I am not jealous.”

“You are.”

“Am not.”

“Are.”

“God, are you that conceited? Seriously? Not everyone wants you, Jamie.”

He bent down, getting closer and forcing Tori to rock back onto her heels.

“You do,” he said, his voice dipping lower. “You’re hard up, babe. As bad as me. Admit it. How long’d you stand there watching last night, wishing you were one of them?”