Page 143 of Curvy Girl Summer

I placed the menu down. “For now.”

“I’ll get the wings, the onion rings, and mozzarella sticks. And I mean it, if you want anything else, order it. Please.”

“Long Island,” Ahmad said, setting the drink in front of Ty. The glass clanked against the table a little more forcefully than necessary. The wedding band caught my eye as he placed my drink in front of me. I felt a wave of emotion come over me as I made eye contact. “Malibu sunrise.”

My stomach knotted, but I didn’t look away. I squared my shoulders. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, man, thanks,” Ty responded. “Can we get two waters, too? And extra napkins?”

Running his hand over his beard, Ahmad paused momentarily.

“Yeah, I’ll let your waiter know.”

I heard a bit of an edge in his voice. Grabbing my drink, I smiled into my glass as I took a sip.

He stalked off, and our waiter came back a couple of minutes later. We placed our order and then allowed the conversation to flow as naturally as it had over the last couple of days.

Glancing up, I caught Ahmad staring at me from behind the bar. My stomach flipped as our eyes locked. He was making a drink, but his attention was on me. Tearing my eyes away from him, I refocused on my date.

“—and that’s how I ended up moving from Texas,” Ty concluded.

I nodded as if I hadn’t been distracted by another man. “Do you miss it?” I wondered, with a quick glimpse to the bar again.

Ahmad was smiling at a group of women. They were laughing excessively and flirtatiously as he made their drinks. But there was something different about him. He seemed rigid and tense. When his eyes met mine again, I saw something flash in them that I hadn’t seen before.

Is that anger? Irritation? Jealousy? Regret?

I took a sip of my drink as I watched the way his face hardened, and his mouth stretched into a tight line.

Good.

“You want another drink?” Ty asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I nodded. “Sure.”

He ordered another round of drinks when our food came.

Even though the crowd continued to grow throughout the night, there always seemed to be a clear line of vision between Ahmad and me. I felt him watching me as I ate and talked with my date. I felt his eyes boring into me as I laughed at Ty’s jokes. I felt the intensity of his stare as I listened to Ty’s stories. And I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the pent-up sexual energy coursing through my veins, but the fact that I was getting under Ahmad’s skin made me feel all gushy inside. It wasn’t just petty satisfaction anymore; it was something much deeper.

I shifted in my seat in an attempt to dull the ache.

“I’m going to run to the restroom,” I yelled across the table. Covering my mouth, I hoped there wasn’t something in my teeth.

“Want me to order you another drink?” Ty asked.

I rose to my feet. “Another water, please.”

“Your wish is my command.” He winked before picking up a wing.

I laughed lightly before maneuvering my way through the crowd. I tried not to look toward the bar, but as soon as I did, Ahmad’s narrowed eyes were zeroed in on me. I smiled and then continued my way to the back hall where the bathrooms were located.

The first door on the right was the men’s room, and the door to the left didn’t have a sign. But the door at the end of the hall saidWOMEN’S ROOM, and surprisingly, there wasn’t a line.

Spoke too soon,I silently commented as I opened the door to see seven women waiting for stalls.

I stepped back out and decided to wait in the hall and not in the restroom.

I froze when I saw who was coming down the hallway.

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