Page 148 of Crow
Stu laughed. “You’re not gonna tell me shit, are you?”
“Nah.”
An older man and woman came into the pool hall and took a seat at the bar.
“A couple of customers just came in. I’ll catch up to you later.”
“Sounds good. Let me know what you find out from Benny.”
Crow placed the cell under the counter and then went over to the couple and took their order.
The afternoon crawled by, and when the chime above the door rang, he was more than stoked to see Angie walk in.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said as he came from behind the bar. “I’m happy to see you.” He kissed her possessively and then helped her up on the barstool. “What brings you here?”
“You.” She ran a finger down the side of his face. “And I need a drink because everyone in my office is driving me fucking insane.”
Laughing, he walked back behind the bar. “I know just the cure for that.” He put a bowl of mixed nuts in front of her. “These go great with a vodka martini.”
Angie’s eyes widened. “I can’t have something that strong. I have to go back to work. I was thinking something light like a wine spritzer, light on the wine, and heavy on the club soda. Oh, and two orange slices, no,threeorange slices.”
“Anything else?” An amused smile swept across his lips.
“That’ll do. Joey is back to being a big baby.”
“I didn’t know that.” He chuckled.
“It’s tough working with people who drive you up a wall. He’s still mad that you and I are together. He doesn’t think you’ll be cool with us going to a friends night out.”
The merriment inside him withered up. “He’s right; I’m not cool with it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. If he wants to join us, I’m okay with that, but the two of you alone? No fuckin’ way.”
“Don’t you trust me?” She put the straw between her lips and sipped.
“I do. I don’t trust him. The pansy-ass excuse he’s giving for being pissed at you doesn’t hold water. Joey’s pissed because he’s got a thing for you. He’s lucky I don’t go over there now and bash his fuckin’ face in.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Do you want to go out with him alone?” The thought of her with any other man for whatever reason burned Crow’s gut and left a sour taste in his mouth.
“Of course not. I was only telling you what he’d said to me. You’re the only man I want. I consider you my boyfriend, my lover, and my friend.”
“Next time he starts shit, tell him I’ll come over and explain it to him.”
She laughed. “That should end all conversations about me dating an outlaw. And Damon is just weird. He hasn’t said more than two words to me in weeks. Even when he showed up at the search, he didn’t talk to me. He gets stranger every day.”
“Did he talk to you before?”
“Kinda. What I mean is Damon doesn’t have conversations with Joey or me. He only gives his opinion, complains, or makes snide remarks to everyone, even Peter sometimes. I can’t wait to get out of there. It’ll be perfect if that social worker spot pans out. First of all, I’d have my own office with a secretary, and I’d be helping clients rather than getting them in trouble.”
“You’ll get it.” He leaned over the bar and met her lips halfway.
“Your cell phone is ringing,” she said, pulling away.
“Bad fuckin’ timing.”
