Page 11 of Tactically Acquired

“Not at all,” he quickly agreed.

“Nope, never,” I said, peeling out of OPS. “I never complain. I put my head down and do the job. That’s what’s expected of me. And at the end of the day, I go home and make myself a nice fucking meal. Sometimes, I even get to eat it. But then you fuckers come along and destroy that by eating the meal I want to eat. Do you know what that’s like?”

“It must suck,” he answered.

“It does. It really fucking does. All I wanted this morning was one fucking omelet. I crafted that baby so perfectly. I bet she melted like fucking butter.”

“She did,” he agreed.

I whipped my head to face him and glared. “Did I fucking tell you to brag?”

He swallowed hard, shaking his head.

“So, I’m going to the store and getting the things I need to make a fucking omelet and I’m going to enjoy it. You got a problem with that?”

“Not at all.”

“And when I’m done, I’m gonna clean up my kitchen and you’re not gonna say a fucking word about it. Are you?”

He shook his head rapidly from side to side.

Huffing, I pulled into the grocery store parking lot and shifted into park. “Now, I’m gonna go in there and you’re gonna keep your damn mouth shut about what I get. You’re not gonna try to get your own food or beg me to get something for you. Are we clear?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

I nodded when I was sure he understood me, then I shoved the door open and got out, grinning to myself the whole fucking time.

I placed the peppers in the bag and tied it at the top, ignoring the way Thumper sighed heavily. He could fucking wait. I knew he didn’t want to shop with me, but he got in my truck. After picking out the best onions, I moved on to the meat. I saw his eyes widen as he checked out the best cuts. I could already imagine him coming over to my house and pleading with me to make him a steak.

It wasn’t going to happen.

From now on, I was only cooking for myself.

“Hot girl, nine o’clock,” he hissed.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and shrugged. She was alright, but nothing worth getting worked up over.

“Seriously? She’s not good enough for you?”

“She’s alright.”

“Alright? She’s fucking hot!”

I slowly turned and raised an eyebrow at him. “And just what do you think Bree would say if she heard you talking like that? Especially after she just pushed out your kid.”

His eyes glittered with hatred. Yeah, I was going there, and he could lump it. But this was what it was like for me. I was one of the last single guys at the company, so I got to take my shots whenever I could. They harassed me enough as it was.

“You know, I don’t say shit to you. If anything, I try to help you out.”

“By hooking me up with someone in a grocery store?”

“Why not? Half the guys at the company met someone at the grocery store.”

I snorted in amusement at that, but then stopped to think about it. Edu had met Harper at the grocery store. That was all I could really come up with.

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