Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
"Yep, I'm around." I step off the elevator. I play like I don't care, but damn, how is Brooks so protective of me in one area but not another?
I suppose this one actually touches his life. What if he has some attachment to her? It might not be sexual or whatever, but there must be some kind if he’s letting her get away with what she did. I hear her say something under her breath that I don’t catch.
“Did you say something?” I know I should keep my mouth shut, but she’s pushing it.
“Yeah, I did.” She lifts her chin, letting me know she’s taking her gloves off. I kind of want to hear what she has to say and why she doesn’t care for me. “Everyone knows what kind of person you are now.”
“And that is?”
“A slut.” Well, damn. I guess she’s been on TikTok. “Did you even think about how this might make Chef Brooks appear to the public? What impact your doings could have on his reputation? You obviously tricked him into sleeping with you. Men can be so stupid and only think with their dicks.”
Wow, we actually agree on one thing.
The last I checked, which was yesterday, all the comments in the negative were about me. Are they going after Brooks now too? I should look at his reviews. That's how a lot of people go after businesses. Shit, I hadn't thought about that. Has some of the tide turned?
"How's it going for you? Were you able to trick Brooks into sleeping with you?" I poke at her, knowing it will ruffle her feathers.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Gabby gives me a smug smirk. One that I would love to wipe off her face.
"I already know." Brooks can be a touch crazy, but I have learned he's not a liar. In fact, he is extremely blunt.
"You don't know shit," she snips back at me.
"Clearly, you don't know shit either." This conversation is over. "Nice running into you again. My Lyft is here." I walk past her. “See you around,” I say before I exit the building.
I hurriedly walk to the car, checking the details and then getting in. The last thing I need right now is for Brooks to come home, which might happen if Gabby is going to go run and tell on me. I need to get to the café and get this over with before he can show up.
It’s not long before I’m being dropped off at Lily’s, a small café in a quieter part of town. Once inside, I spot Sara at a small table in the corner. I take a deep breath and head in her direction. A whirlwind of emotions comes over me. We’d been friends for years.
Sara is staring down at her phone, scrolling away with a happy smile on her face. Glad to see she’s not all torn up about any of this. My mom was never a fan of Sara's. She and I have only ever had one fight before this, and that had been over her sleeping with a married man. That should have been a giant flag for me.
I was so pissed when I found out. Sara had gotten defensive at first but then had a breakdown, saying he manipulated her and she wanted to be better. I now see this might be who she is.
"Hey," I say, making Sara's head pop up. That smile she had falls away, and an expression of sadness takes over. Tears even fill her eyes.
"Hey." She starts to stand.
"Don't." I motion with my hand for her to stay while pulling out the chair with my other to sit down across from her. "I'm here, so what's up?" I get right to it.
"I've missed you."
"Oh please." I roll my eyes. "You haven't spoken to me since I found Felipe balls-deep in you." Her shoulders drop. Sara should have been an actress. I think her bratty tale snapped me out of whatever fog her friendship had on me. "And did you set that up? I mean, you knew I was coming over."
"Slater, you have to—"
"Don't try to sell me your bullshit." Sara's eyes narrow for a half second before she quickly hides what is truly behind the veneer of who she really is. “You knew I was coming over. You wanted to hurt me.”
“It’s not that I wanted to hurt you.”
“I don’t believe you. Now tell me why you wanted to meet up, or I’m leaving. Be straight with me.” Sara’s mouth forms into a line. I wait.
“You didn’t even like him.”
“If you liked him, why didn’t you say that? You were always pushing us together. You introduced us!” Sara folds her arms over her chest. “If you told me that you wanted him, I would have backed away.” Actually, I don’t think I would have needed to back up. It was Feilipe and her always initiating contact with me.