“One girl, multiple guys,” the twins says in unison, and Micah holds up his phone with an image of Ouran High School Host Club on the screen. Come to think of it … Micah and Tobias remind me of the twins from the anime.
“Like … an orgy?” Spencer asks, taking the phone and squinting at the screen.
“Can be. Mostly not,” I say, tucking my hands into the pockets of my dress and trying to act all casual, just one of the guys and all that. “It's a romantic relationship with one girl and at least three guys. Sometimes the books have sex in them, sometimes not. Sometimes they have orgies.”
“Is this a hint?” Spencer asks, looking at the McCarthy twins with a dark expression on his face.
“We don't share,” the twins retort, crossing their arms over their chests. They're both wearing tight red shirts that make their moss green eyes seem so much brighter, and wearing matching frowns. “Except with each other.”
“Didn't used to be the rule,” Spencer mumbles, and Tobias' eyes go wide while Micah clenches his jaw.
“If I hadn't spent all week grieving your death, I'd send you to the grave myself.” Micah turns away and disappears into the manga—Japanese comic books—section of the store.
I'm dying to know what, exactly, that comment meant, but it's probably best not to poke at it. Instead, I move over to sit next to Church on one of the stools at the counter, and pretend like I'm not a little bit sore.
“I hear it gets easier over time,” Church says, tapping his fingers on the counter as Jeff moves around behind it and sighs, passing over two paper menus with cute, gold filigree near the top.
“What?” I ask, studying the page and trying not to drool at all the sweet-tooth options. I just had a sundae, and I want more sugar? Pretty sure I have an addiction.
“Fucking,” he says, smiling so brightly that his eyes crinkle up. He tosses the paper back at Jeff. “We'll take two iced mochas, a cream puff, and whatever Charlotte wants.”
I'm still choking over his previous comment as Jeff hands me a glass of water, and I suck it down.
“Lemon tart, please,” I manage to get out as he nods and moves away without a word, a far cry from the talkative flirt he was the last time I came here. “Did you seriously just say what I think you said?”
Church parks an elbow on the counter and then rests his chin in his hand.
“Cream puff? Yes, I happen to like them.”
“You know that's not what I meant,” I grind out, but he just slides his amber eyes my direction, and I squirm. But then the squirming makes my lady parts sore, and I go still, the only sign of my displeasure a dark frown. “Do you have a sister or something? You know a lot about periods, and apparently soreness after sex.”
“I have five sisters,” Church says, his voice eloquent and crisp, despite the fact that his face is buried in his hand. “They like to share.”
“I see.” I pause as Ranger comes over and sits beside me, watching as Jeff slides the lemon tart and cream puff our direction.
“Do you think you could take care of your tab today?” he asks me, turning to retrieve the iced mochas next. “My parents weren't happy about me letting some random girl rack up such a high bill.”
Huh.
I see how it is.
“I'll be taking care of her tab,” Church says, reaching into the pocket of his slacks and pulling out a wallet. He tosses his credit card onto the counter, still smiling that big, blinding smile of his. “Tell your parents I say hi.”
“Go to hell, Montague,” Jeff says, producing an old-fashioned carbon paper tablet. The top sheet has my name on it, and the list of books I bought last time I was here. He tears it off and hands it over to Church before starting a new one, writing down the mochas, the cream puff, and the lemon tart.
“Add a French soda on there before you ring it up,” Ranger says, voice low and dark. If I were Jeff, I'd be terrified to have him looking at me that way. Jeff frowns hard, but keeps writing anyway.
“You could really use a POS system in here. Remind me again why you don't have one?”
I stifle a small chuckle. Usually when I use the term POS, I mean piece of shit. Pretty sure in this case it stands for point of sale. Still funny though.
“I'm not here to discuss business with you. You're a customer, that's it.” Jeff rings up the purchases, and then hands Church a receipt to sign, his face hard. Once Church passes the receipt back, Jeff turns to look at me. “I like you, Charlotte. So I feel it's only fair to tell you to stay away from these guys. They might seem okay, but their families will eat you up and spit you out. Ask any business owner on this street that isn't a well-kept Montague pet like Merinda. Well, the few that are left anyway.” Jeff turns away to make Ranger's drink, and I frown.
