Page 52 of Mister Curb Appeal
“Don’t bother,” Lexi spits. “The time for talking was a year ago, but you didn’t even have the gall to face me. Who does that?”
“I wasn’t in my right frame of mind!” She continues to protest and it gets on my nerves the way she keeps trying to justify what she did to her best friend.
Lexi is quick to retort back, “Clearly! You not only followed me here from work, which is super stalkery by the way, but then you tried to hit on my boyfriend while you’re waiting for me to finish my phone call!”
“I told you, I didn’t know he was your boyfriend!”
“You seem pretty intent on the guys I choose to be with!” Lexi fires back. “Where is he, by the way? You called him an asshole just before, don’t tell me there’s trouble in paradise already?”
Julia’s face falls, and tears actually start to well in her eyes. Oh wow, has Lexi finally hit a nerve? “You’ll be pleased to know it didn’t last. And I regret everything that happened. I miss our friendship, Lex. I didn’t mean to do what I did.”
Lexi shakes her head in disbelief, I tug on her hand to indicate we need to leave. I’ve heard just about enough, so I can’t begin to imagine how Lexi must be feeling. I grab my wine glass.
“You need to stop,” I say in Julia’s direction. “Leave Lexi alone, you’ve done enough damage.”
“Exactly what he said,” Lexi seethes, reaching to the bar and grabbing the stem of her glass, and I think she is ready to walk away with me, but she turns back to her ex-friend and before I know what’s happening, she throws the wine in Julia’s face. Pink Moscato instantly coats her, and she shrieks in horror. Lexi gives a satisfied sniff and places the glass back on the counter. “You make me sick!”
“OHMYGOD!” Julia cries, the wine dripping down her face as she leaps up from the stool and flails her arms around, trying to find a napkin. “Was that really necessary?”
“Yes, it really was. I never got to say how I truly felt, and you’re a bitch,” Lexi says simply. “With ex-friends like you, who needs enemies?”
“Let that be a lesson to you.” My voice is deep and growly as I point a finger in Julia’s direction. Yes, I’m fucking angry now, too.
I tug Lexi’s hand as we turn to find the exit.
“What you just did is harassment and assault!” she calls after us. Every patron in the place turns to look our way, at least, the ones that weren’t looking before now. “I’ll report this to management! You’ll never step foot in here again!”
“You do that,” I holler back with a snide smirk I’ve been dying to use since she confronted me when I first walked up tothe bar. “Tell Lennon, the owner and manager, that I said hi. We go way back.”
He’s an old friend of the family since Dad sold him the building when I was in diapers. He won’t do shit.
I take a gulp of my wine as we walk briskly to the entry doors. I see no point in wasting it, but it’s more like a guzzle now than a slow sip over tapas with my girl like I thought we’d have. When I’m done, I leave it on a spare table as I push the entry door open and we step outside, the cool air blanketing us.
Lex is quiet beside me, she’s understandably upset. What a fucking confrontation to have.
“Lex, I’m so sorry,” I start, we’re around the corner now and out of the view of anyone in the bar. But when I look down at her, she’s blinking up at me, those juicy lips pressed together, then they pop. “I shouldn’t have done that,” she whispers.
“Umm, yes you should.”
“That was reckless and stupid and way off my good ju-ju grid.”
I try not to laugh because it’s no laughing matter. But my princess is a little woo-woo at times, and I love it. “I think reckless and stupid are the best ways to describe your ex-best friend’s personality. I think your ju-ju is gonna be just fine.”
A tiny laugh bubbles from out of her and that softens my racing heart immediately. “That’s so true. I can’t believe the nerve of her, though.”
“Me either. And following you. What a weirdo.”
“Rick tried to call me not too long ago, I wonder if it was because they broke up.”
“The guy sounds like a real asshole. Pity they couldn’t make it work, they seem perfect for each other.” My hand holds her hip, the other caresses her cheek in a gentle stroke, I bend to kiss her and she smiles into my lips. “Why don’t you kiss me like you did in the bar?”
“That was to prove a point to that pouty little bitch trying to chat you up.”
“Remind me to never get on your bad side.”
A true laugh escapes her, and it makes me feel somewhat better I was able to extract one from her after that exchange. She reaches up on her toes once more, her neck long and her lips slightly parted. I close the distance fast, not that there’s much between us, and as soon as our mouths meet, the passion ignites again, and I feel it all the way down to my fucking toes.
“I need to get you home and into that tinsel,” I pant, prizing my lips from hers and pulling her into me so she can feel my hardness. Every damned time she touches me, my cock thinks there’s a party happening.
