He had come in last night with his buddies and the two girls again. She saw them walk in but this time Krista was hanging on T. The redhead was staying close to Bogs, and Stone was the last one to walk in. He stopped at the door and she watched him scan the entire diner before walking over to his table. She was in the kitchen peeking out the service window. He wouldn’t be able to see her unless he walked behind the counter. She leaned forward to see their table. He sat at the end with Bogs next to him and T across. He continued to glance around. He stopped when Krista, who was sitting next to T, reached out and grabbed his hand. He yanked it away and said something to her that had her recoiling in her seat. She couldn’t hear him but from the look on his face it wasn’t nice.
She turned away and walked toward the swinging doors but Pearl stopped her.
“Go,” she said.
“What?” Sadie replied. “I can’t leave you alone.”
“Yes, you can. Tracey will be in soon, I can handle it.” She shooed her back.
She turned to argue with her. “Bernie will freak if he finds out.” He would be livid to find out Pearl was here by herself. For obvious reasons, she was his favorite.
“Let me handle Bern. I owe you, remember?” She paused and Sadie stared back. Yeah, she remembered.
“Now go and leave through the back,” she said as she walked through the door to the floor. She headed to the back and did what she was told. She had another successful escape from Stone. But she knew eventually he’d catch up with her.
*
Sadie loved food but hated food shopping. She tried to stay on a budget and cut coupons to save money. She learned early on how to budget. While they always had food in the house, there wasn’t much. Her mom didn’t buy name brands. They never had treats unless she craved them. Even then, her mom ate most of them. By the time she was ten, she was in charge of picking up the groceries. That was not an easy task. She was given fifty dollars every two weeks for food. Somehow, she made it work.
She grabbed her cart as she walked into Henry’s Market. She stopped for apples and bananas—cheap and healthy. She also picked up lettuce and cucumbers. She’d learned to make salad a meal. As she passed by the meat counter, her stomach growled. The man behind the counter smiled. He must have heard it. She smiled back and quickly maneuvered her cart down the next aisle and abruptly stopped.
There was a guy bent at the knees looking intently at cereals. Stone, who had made it his mission to make her want him and then walk away. He managed to make humiliating her a new sport.
But now she was ten feet away and had no one to cover her or any place to hide. Her life was an endless amount of curveballs. Backing up her cart and turning around would cause too much noise. She could try to slide by him without notice. She walked slowly toward him, keeping her head down. A few more steps and she’d pass him. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. He grabbed a box and turned around. Now they were directly facing each other. She pushed her cart forward. She’d just ignore him. But he stepped in her path and she stopped. She looked up at his beautiful amused face. She scowled back at him. She refused to fall for his bullshit again.
“Hey, babe,” he said easily. Someone shoot me now. Or better yet, shoot him.
“Can you please move?”
“You’re not even going to say hi?” He was doing that hot guy smirk thing again. She had never been a violent person. However, the cocky look she was getting from him made her want to slap him.
“Hi,” she replied in a monotone voice. “Can you please move?”
“Sure, I can move. But I like my view from right here so I think I’ll stay.” He looked at her chest and his eyes scanned further down. He was checking her out. His eyes rose back up her body and hesitated on her breasts again before making it up to her face. Now he had a huge smile on his face.
“Have you been avoiding me, Sadie?” He taunted her as he leaned into her.
She immediately stepped back. “Please move,” she gritted out through clenched teeth.
He ignored her. He raised his finger to his head and tapped. “Ever since that night in the parking lot, I can’t seem to get you alone, Sadie. Why is that?” he asked in a calm voice.
She glared at him. “Move!”
His smirk turned into a grin and he edged closer to her. “I think you’re afraid to be alone with me, Sadie. Is that it? Afraid I’ll get you panting and moaning, get your panties soaked, and have to leave you hanging again?” His voice lowered and he seductively inquired, “Tell me something, are you wet now, babe?”
“Move!”
“Make me!” he goaded.
“You are the biggest asshole I have ever met!” Her voice was loud and irate while her body burned with hatred.
He started to laugh. “Babe…”
Before he could finish, a beautiful brunette came up from behind him and said cheerfully, “Ha…I got the last one. Victory!”
She raised a box of something over her head as if it were the Hope Diamond. She was smiling at Stone before turning her gaze to Sadie. Damn. She’d never had a thing for girls but Sadie was secure enough to admit that this girl was
