Page 36 of Crave

“Why are you always so concerned with that? Like you could ever get a guy like me to date you.” I ignore the middle finger he throws my way and step inside the restaurant to find Sandy has already arrived.

She has her back turned to us, but I’d recognize that backside anywhere. She’s in cropped denim capris, but the bottom of her pants are pink. She has on a matching pink top. I can see the profile of her breasts from here.

“I thought you told me Sandy canceled.” JD’s words are accusatory and his eyes probe my face. Sandy must have heard his voice because she turns. She’s wearing another one of those floral headbands, making her look like a goddess. She smiles when she sees me, right before she turns her confused gaze on JD. “What the fuck are you up to, Jake?”

She walks over and leans in for a hug, but instead, I grab her hand and give it an awkward shake. She tilts her head to the side, completely confused about what’s going on.

“You remember JD?” I push him towards her, and being the guy that he is, he leans down and kisses her cheek in greeting. She smiles at him, but she’s still confused about his presence. “Remember how my mother said you and JD would be perfect for each other? Well, no time like the present.” Even to my own ears, I sound like an asshole. The three of us stand there. Sandy looks from me to JD. I know she’s trying to make sense of what I just said. I can feel the confusion oozing out of her. I can feel JD tense and seethe beside me, but after about half a minute, Sandy no longer looks confused.

“But I thought this was a—” I cut her off before she can complete her sentence.

“Come this way. I arranged for a secluded table. And since I’m playing cupid, this date is completely on me. Have whatever you want.” Since this is another one of the restaurants our family owns, we follow the host to the private, corner table I requested.

“Aren’t you generous?” Sandy has a sarcastic edge to her voice as she sputters those words. JD quickly goes to her side of the table, pulling out her chair for her and pushing her in once she sits down.

“Is this for three, sir? The reservation was for two?”

“I won’t be staying,” I tell him, waving him off. I grab a chair from one of the nearby empty tables and sit down.

Once the host leaves, JD turns his angry glare back on me.

“Jake, what the hell are you doing?” he stage whispers.

“You told me last night that you thought she was beautiful. You’re single. She’s single. Why not?” I make this awkward gesture between JD and Sandy.

Sandy turns her brown eyes to me. I don’t shy away from her anger. I take it as my penance for playing around with her emotions. We stare at each other, her gaze filled with acrimony and mine void of any emotion. The second her anger turns to something else, I regret my actions. Her eyes fill with tears, but she quickly turns her face away from me. I sit there like an idiot as she takes a deep breath to collect herself before she turns back around.

She turns her body towards JD and fixes a fake smile on her face, all signs of tears gone from her eyes.

“You know what, JD?” Sandy says, the smile does not quite reach her eyes, but her voice is void of any lingering anger. Her quick change of attitude is like an unexpected punch in the gut. “Why not, is right. I remember Mrs. Clark going on and on about her fourth son.” She leans over and rests her hand on top of his. “Let’s share a meal and see where this goes.”

My nostrils flare at her words. I lift my hand in order to pry hers off of his, but I’m reminded that this is what I want.

JD lifts up her hand, kisses her knuckles, and intertwines their fingers together.

“I can never say no to a woman like you. Do you know how beautiful you are, Dee? May I call you Dee?”

“So polite. You may, JD. You may, indeed.” I’m relieved when she removes her hand from his, but my anger is reignited when she caresses his shoulder, pretending to remove some imaginary lint. I try to calm my racing heart when that same hand moves across his chest. “Do you like lobster?”

“I love it.”

“Me too. I can’t remember the last time I had it. I don’t like to get my hands dirty.” She rubs his shoulder while she gives him a playful pout.

“Let’s get some, but you have to let me feed it to you. I can think of plenty of other things I’d rather have you do with your hands.” He takes her hand off his shoulder and kisses it, giving Sandy that same grin that gets him laid whenever he wants.

“Deal.”

JD turns his eyes on me, a smug look on his face, before turning back to Sandy. He puts a piece of hair behind her ear, holding her gaze. “Like I was saying, do you know how beautiful you are? How good you look in pink?” Their fingers intertwine again.

“Do you like pink, JD?” The double entendre is not lost on me.

“I do,” he says wolfishly.

“I have lots of pink. After we eat, I’m going to take you back to my place and show youallof my pink.” She elongates the word all and emphasizes the K in pink. I stand up so fast the chair I was sitting on falls backwards, causing a loud bang in the middle of the crowded restaurant. Several heads turn our way.

“Oh, are you still here, Jake? I thought you had left,” Sandy says. “Bye.”

“Later, Jake,” JD says, just as dismissively. Defeated for the second time today, I walk out and head straight for my car, but find myself unable to drive out of the parking lot.

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