Page 118 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

That was fair. Memphis did witness my unsuccessful struggle with birthday streamers.

Chuck pulled Memphis up the counter. “Did Gio do that to you?”

Really? He needed to let this go. “If Gio hit me, I’d look a lot worse than this. Have you seen the size of that man?”

Memphis’s brow arched. “So, we’re referring to him as a man now?”

“Listen smart guy, Gio is still an asshole. He’s just an understandable asshole. Besides, I got to feed a skanky hoe toilet water, so…” I slapped the top down on a sugar container. “it’s all good now.”

Chuck’s brows pulled together. “What does that even mean?”

Memphis held up his hand and shook his head, “we don’t want to know.”

“See,” I pointed at Memphis. “He gets me.”

“It’s true,” Memphis nodded. “I’m fluent in Novaese.”

Novaese I liked that.

Chuck looked at Memphis, then at me, and back at Memphis. “I’ll never understand you two.”

“That’s why we’re the ninth wonder of the world.” There was Easter Island, the pyramids and us. “Don’t you have practice or something Mr. Jock man?”

“There’s no practice today. So…” he lifted up their entwined fingers and kissed the back of Memphis’s hand. “I’m taking my man out on a date.”

There was so much wrong with that statement, like the fact that he referred to Memphis as a man. “And you decided to bring him here? Not a very good date choice, Chuck.”

Memphis rolled his eyes. “He wanted to check on you.”

Awe, wasn’t that sweet. “Get out.”

“Really?” Memphis held up his hands. “Where’s the love?”

“This is love, Memphis. You don’t want to eat here. I don’t want to eat here. These people,” I waved my finger at the two full booths, “shouldn’t be eating here.”

“Hey,” Daryl called from the kitchen window. “I’m an excellent cook.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure Daryl. Whatever you say.”

He was an excellent cook for people who liked a side of nicotine with their food.

“Look Nova, I’m worried about you.” Chuck braced his elbow on the counter and leaned in. “You don’t know what guys like Gio are capable of.”

I was well aware of what Gio was capable of. “Well, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

He cocked a brow at the bruises on my face.

“This isn’t what it looks like.” It kind of was, just not the person he thought. “And trust me, the other guy looks a lot worse.”

“Yeah she does,” Daryl sang from the kitchen.

At least I had one cheerleader.

“Now go,” I shooed them with my hands, “and enjoy your date… but don’t tell me anything about it. I don’t need those images in my head.”

“Alright,” Chuck sighed. “We’ll go. But remember, we’re here for you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

---