Tequila Rose by Willow Winters (any book recommendations .TXT) 📗

She nods, peers at Griffin and goes back inside without another word.

She knows I have someone else coming. I told her when she offered to take the menus since we weren’t eating.

With a click of the side button, 11:53 stares back at me on the phone. Quarter to noon is when we were supposed to meet … eight minutes past. Maybe she’s inside.

Griffin must know that I’m checking out the inside to see if she’s there and not out here, because he comments, “Inside seating doesn’t open until noon on the dot.”

His voice is flat as is the expression he gives me.

“Just relax.” Griffin’s advice is mixed with the sound of a new beer thudding on the table in front of me. The waitress doesn’t say a word and the only bit of her I see is her back as she rushes over to the table of the three women who sat at the table next to us.

She must know them well, judging by how she bends down with both palms on the table and the three women lean in.

It’s getting easier to recognize some people around town. It really is a small place, which is crazy considering the location. If this town was on the East Coast, it’d be packed.

I watch the first woman readjust the cloth napkin on her lap although she still seems attentive to whatever is being talked about. One of the women drops her mouth open to a perfect O with her eyes wide as another woman smacks the table and the whispers get louder.

I admit something that’s been bugging me since the pier. “I’m not going to lie, a very big piece of me wants to know what people say about Magnolia.”

My attention falls back to Griffin. With nothing but a single crease down the center of his forehead, his expression is discerning.

“What?”

“I already looked into that,” he tells me. “If there’s something you want to know …” With his palm upturned and lying flat on the table, he waits.

“What’d they say about her being single? She is available, right?” I question him again. I know he said she was before and he’s already nodding, confirming that she is.

“She’s single. She went through a rough time right when she came back from college.”

“But it’s not because of me, right? You would have told me that.”

Although it seems like he’s holding back, he shakes his head and tells me, “She’s a young girl who went through a hard time. Her father died; there was scandal with that. She told you that on the boat.”

Feeling like an insecure prick, I take a swig of my beer. “It just feels like rejection. That’s what this all feels like.”

“Look, just get to know her. You like her. She likes you. The other stuff, no matter how big or small ... Talk to her. Ask her how late she’s running if you want to know so bad.”

Just as Griffin mutters under his breath, “It’s not like you don’t know where your phone is,” the little gate to the patio opens with a creak, hushing everything else in my head.

There she is, in a yellow sundress that flows around her curves as the breeze blows by again.

Her eyes catch mine instantly and I force a smile to my lips. I don’t realize I haven’t breathed until Griffin stands, blocking my view of her.

As they exchange niceties, I get my shit together. What the hell is this woman doing to me?

“Was just heading out,” he tells her and then raises his voice to add, “Have a nice lunch date, you two.” His grin is wide as he heads out and Magnolia takes a seat in his former chair which he already pulled out for her.

“Hey beautiful,” I say and the worried look on her beautiful face fades.

Brushing the locks away from her face, she lets out a small sigh and apologizes. “I had a meeting with my boss about an event coming up. I’m so sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine,” I tell her and even shrug like I wasn’t sitting here worried.

“I don’t make a habit of being late,” she says sweetly and focuses on the menu when the waitress gets to our table.

“You want your usual?” the waitress questions Magnolia and it takes her a long moment to shake her head. “I think just an iced tea and shrimp and spinach salad.”

With a nod and a scribble in her pad, the waitress gives me her attention. I don’t even know what I ordered, I just say the special. I knew half an hour ago what it was, though. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

“How’d the meeting go?” I start with small talk, but all I can think about is that kiss on the pier. I really thought I had her after that kiss.

A stirring in my jeans makes me shift in my seat. Fuck, I know I wanted her after that kiss. I still do.

“It went well, just a lot of prep for an event because the guest list is so large.”

“It’s for a gala?” She already told me all about it this past weekend on the boat. I just don’t get what happened between then and now. I remember Griffin’s suggestion to ask her whatever’s on my mind. Just to talk to her. But apparently I’m chickenshit.

“Yup,” she says with a nod and the waitress appears from out of nowhere again, iced tea in hand which Magnolia accepts. She sips from the straw while holding it and then stirs a bit of sugar in it.

“Hey listen,” I start, and shift again in the uncomfortable-ass chair, which is now way too fucking small for me. That’s all I get out as the words slam themselves into the back of