Dropping into a chair as she set about fiddling with the machine that’d count my bills, I stretched my legs and rubbed my jaw roughly. My mind wandered, and my gaze unfocused until the squiggles in the carpet disappeared.
Despite dinner last night, I couldn’t help but feel something big was happening. That clawing sensation in my gut had only intensified the past week, and having a keg like Rook just one wrong glance from exploding didn’t help the situation. My younger cousin did nothing but sleep and wallow until last night, and that was perfectly fine but . . .
Something, somehow, was gonna happen. I didn’t know what or who it involved, but the foreboding eating away at me was rarely wrong. Like that old saying goes, when you know, you know.
“Alrighty, everything seems to be in order. Let’s get your receipt, and I’ll confirm the deposit.” The manager spoke up, breaking into my thoughts, and I glanced at the clock on the wall in surprise. Standing up, I smiled politely before she gestured me out of the office, packing up and bringing my cash to the safe embedded in the wall. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her, struggling to keep my mind in the present.
Maybe asking Nicole out wasn’t a good idea? What if she didn’t show? Why else would she intentionally fuck up my order? Sure, it could’ve been a simple ‘thank you’ but she was oozing vibes that I wanted to reach out and grab.
I guess I’ll just have to see. I picked the coffee shop because it was right across the street from the bank, and I had to make a drop anyway. In relative silence, I followed the manager back to the registers for my receipt. For a brief moment, my mind cleared, reading the pages intently and nodding more to myself than her. “Thank you. Have a nice day.”
“You too, and thank you for choosing Provo Regional Credit Union.” Shouldering my backpack, I headed out of the bank to twirl my keys absently. I had nothing to do now. I never had anything to do but pickup drugs, drop off drugs, and the bankroll. Restlessness shot down my legs as I crossed the street, and I lifted my gaze to the high rises holding back a sigh.
Thinking back on my past, I knew why I left Canada. In my experience, it’d been a shithole, but so many others loved it there. Don’t know why the fuck I moved to Utah, though. I should’ve been looking for some excitement, and instead, I’d moved to the second most boring place on the planet. But, when Spyder’s uncle died, my uncle needed someone down here to help facilitate transactions. Or, in other words, teach Spyder not to fuck up.
Spyder was my friend. I’d put my life on the line for him or anyone in our club, but God damn, did he live in a boring ass place. Shit, the nearest titty bar is how far off? Hours, not minutes, hours.
“Hey!” Pausing at the shout, my gaze flew to the left, and Nicole waved her arm with a huge, beaming smile on her face. She wore a cute little sundress that barely held back her tits and showed off her slim waist. The rust color was pretty on her, too. It really made her blue eyes pop, shining brighter than I’d remembered. My gut tightened as she flounced down the sidewalk. “Hey, hi. I’m on time, right?”
“You really showed up.” Bemusement lilted my tone, and Nicole’s blush raced down her neck and across the exposed swell of her breasts. She rocked back on dark brown ankle boots, and I scanned her shrewdly before a flash caught my eye. Reaching to grab her hand, I examined the modest rock on her finger skeptically. “You didn’t let that asshole bully you into it, did you?”
“Oh, no . . .” Gingerly extracting her fingers from mine, Nicole flushed brightly even as fondness sparkled in her eyes. “I love this ring. My mom gave Jackie hers, and this one is a close replica. My grandmother left me this ring, told me and everyone in my family the man who married me would be the one to ‘bestow’ it upon me as she’d say. This ring . . . it’s so damn important to me, and I’m not letting a man take it from me ever again.”
“Did he ask for it back?” She shook her head dismissively, brushing back her long, curly, blonde locks to reveal a slather of paint at the crook of her neck. It’s still wet. Tensing when I thumbed the spot, she covered it hastily. “Missed a spot. Are you a painter?”
“I’m trying to be, but, obviously, I don’t make enough to pay the bills yet. I was working on my sister’s wedding present. She gets back in two weeks f—” Nicole cut herself off, her blush deepening as sheepishness tinged her expression. She’s obviously the type who overshares without even thinking about it, and fuck if I didn’t think it was damn near the cutest thing ever. “Um, so . . . what about you? You never told me your name. I thought that maybe I shouldn’t show up today because it’s kinda weird not to know your name and go on a date.”
“Bruiser. And yeah, it’s my real name.” Big, blue eyes widened at my admission, and I arched a brow quizzically. “I’m Canadian.”
“Bruiser . . .” My name rolled off her tongue huskily, and goosebumps blanketed my arms under my jacket as her voice shot straight to my cock. Nicole sucked in a breath, her breasts straining against her dress, and I clenched my hands
