Page 81 of Dirty Like Jude
That night, he made me feel like the only woman in the world. The only woman who’d ever mattered tohim.
For the first time in my life, I knew I was in love. In that moment, I had no doubt. If Jude Grayson had asked me right then,Will you marry me, darlin’?I would’ve literally screamed with joy and told himHELLS TO THEYES.
But I wasyoung.
I thought I knew a lot more about men, and the world in general, than Idid.
And apparently, I thought he felt a lot more for me than hedid.
Afterwards, he drove me home on his bike and kissed megoodnight.
And I waited for him to call me. I really thought he wouldcall.
The next day. Or the day afterthat.
So Iwaited.
And Iwaited.
I waited for him, but he nevercalled.
Chapter Fourteen
Jude
The way I saw it,Roni Webber wasn’t necessarily a flowers type of girl. But she was definitely a grand gestures type of girl. And when I walked into the girly, frilly teahouse where she was having lunch with Jessa, Katie, and Katie’s best friend, Devi, carrying a giant bouquet of lilies and roses and whatever other shit the florist threw in there, it was definitely a grandgesture.
Especially for a woman I wasn’t even in a relationshipwith.
I knew I had to make up for missing our date last night. I wasn’t brushing Roni off, but who knew what the fuck she might be thinking rightnow.
After the business at the dump, I’d ended up crashing at Con’s overnight. Drove back into the city this morning and picked up my car. I’d texted Roni on my way to Jesse’s, but I knew that wasn’t gonna cut it. She hadn’t even texted meback.
Bane told me where to find her, so as soon as the band was settled at the studio and I could take off for a bit, I showed up where she was, flowers inhand.
Turned out I was the only man in the room, and I was still wearing my Kings cut. Which, in retrospect, I maybe should’ve left in the car. It was so second nature to me, I sometimes forgot I was wearing it, but the world never let meforget.
As I walked through the room, between the little tables with the fancy tablecloths and all the girly tea cups and tiny sandwiches and whatever, the way every woman in the place looked at me… eyes widening as they looked me over—or tried not to—I couldn’t even say for sure if they were terrified or turnedon.
Sometimes it was hard totell.
When the girls at Roni’s table saw me, the reactions were easier to read. I knew these women. Katie looked confused, like maybe I didn’t know where the fuck I was and she might need to offer directions. Jessa looked surprised, but then kinda not surprised. Devi said, “Now there’s a man looking to impress,” lookingimpressed.
“There’s a man looking to get laid,” Roni corrected her, crossing her arms under her chest and sitting back. She wore one of those softer-than-an-angel’s-ass sweaters of hers, light pink, with a hint of cleavage. Smoky makeup on her eyes, her black hair half-wavy andloose.
I seriously would’ve considered fucking her right there on the table if Katie and Jessa weren’t there to get a front row view of it—and I wouldn’t get an earful from Jesse and Brody about itlater.
Anyway. Roni accepted the flowers. She even agreed to let me pick her up later, fordinner.
“If you’re one millisecond late, I’ll be unavailable for the next millennium,” she informedme.
“Understood.”
She lay the flowers on the table. “Too bad you broke my onlyvase.”
Well, shit. Kinda forgot aboutthat.
“I have one you can borrow,” Jessaoffered.
