Chapter 0037
I was sick of being treated poorly. These girls probably didn’t deserve my threats, but even if I wasn’t going to press charges, I wanted to at least scare them into being semi-decent people one day.
Caleb, on the other hand, deserved nothing but pain and misery.
“Don’t be such a Karen!” The second girl said, rolling her eyes as she popped her hip. My anger rose as I watched her look Alex up and down.
“What did you just call me?”
“You. Are. A. Karen. You’re going to call the cops on a couple of kids for throwing a smoothing on you. Just take a shower and grow up. It’s no big.” She said with an attitude that made me want to forcibly drag her out of my store and throw her ass onto the sidewalk, but I kept myself in check.
She had car keys dangling from her hand, so she was old enough to drive but still looked younger than eighteen. If I laid a single hand on her, I would be in for a world of trouble.
“That’s not even what it means to be a Karen!” I said, before shaking my head, confused about why I let them suck me into an argument. Reaching into my pocket for my cell phone, I gasped, freezing when the second smoothie hit my chest.
The two girls laughed hysterically as they ran out of my store, and I watched their backs with shock as they took off down the
street.
“Don’t call the cops. I’ll handle it.” Alex said, reaching around me to grab a tissue from the box on the counter before handing it to me as if one tiny tissue would do anything against at least twenty ounces of blended frozen fruit.
“I don’t need you to handle anything for me.” I snapped as I wiped the tissue over my eyes, undoubtedly smearing my mascara.
“Bailee,” Alex sighed, but I didn’t have it in me to fight him right now. All I wanted was to lock up my shop for the day and get everything cleaned up so my store wouldn’t smell like rotten fruit in the morning.
“Alex,” I said, “I can’t do this right now.”
“I know,” He said, lifting his hand and using the knuckle of his index finger to wipe the smoothie from my cheek, gently touching the corner of my mouth as he did so.
The warmth of his finger as it slid over my lips made them part, and I took in a quick pull of air in surprise. His touch made my mind quiet, and I couldn’t move or think as he stepped closer.
“I came here to ask you something,” Alex said, and I swallowed hard before feeling a glob of smoothie drip from my jaw, and I pulled away, clearing my throat.
“Now’s not a good time.”
“I can wait.” He said, turning to grab the dirty clothes off the rack. “I’ll have these cleaned tonight and back by the morning.”
I knew he wouldn’t be doing it himself. He would just be paying someone else to clean them, but I had never had anyone besides Ben offer to do something like that for me without me having to ask.
It was unexpected and sweet.
“No, just ask me now.” I insisted, hoping that if I gave him the answer he was looking for, he would back off and leave me alone.
“Okay,” He said, hanging the dresses over one arm before meeting my stare. “There is a charity event coming up, a benefit dinner for the food bank, and I was wondering if you would be my plus one.”.
My eyes widened, and I almost laughed.
1/2
After everything that happened between us, he thought I would be his date.
Alex,” I started, but he cut me off.
“Just consider it. I know you probably won’t want to go because Caleb will be there, but it is for a good cause…” Alex said, but I stopped listening as soon as he said Caleb would be there.
Even if the dinner meant nothing with Alex, it would piss Caleb off, and I wanted to see him crumble. Twice now, he had seen me with Alex, and both times, he had freaked out.
If I could get him to lash out in front of the press and if I’m lucky, his peers, his perfect little image would start to crumble.
“I’m in.”
