Page 10 of Trouble
While Jack and I weren’t as close as we once were, I didn’t wish him any harm. To hear he’d been in an accident hit hard. Coming off a motorbike at close to two hundred kilometers wouldn’t have a good outcome. It sounded like he’d escaped relatively lightly with a few broken bones.
“Shit. That’s not good.”
“No. I heard he might come back here for a while to recuperate.”
Great. Exactly what I needed. My oldest rival coming home so everyone could fawn over him.
“It’ll be good to catch up with him,” I said through somewhat gritted teeth.
“The four of us back together again. You, me, Jack and Andre.”
Andre.
In the discussion about Jack’s accident, I’d almost forgotten about Lyla. Or at least I would have done if her panties weren’t burning a hole in my pocket. “When’s Dre starting his new job at the Country Club?”
I hated the place. It was full of rich arseholes with more money than manners. However, whenever their cars needed fixing and they came to me, I told myself their money paid my rent and allowed me to pursue my hobby.
Thoughts of the MG came into my head. Was Lyla serious when she said she’d found one? I guessed the only way I’d find out was if I went with her to collect it.
Who was I kidding? I was going with her whatever happened, there was no ‘if’ about it.
“Soon. I think he’s hoping to get Lyla a position there too.”
At the mention of Lyla’s name, I snapped back to the present. Her working at the Country Club? “What? Why?”
“You know how protective Dre is of his sister. He thinks she’s wasting her life bumming around and she should settle down. Maybe he thinks she’ll meet someone decent at the Club.” Wes laughed.
I knew exactly how protective Dre was of Lyla. In fact, I remembered a time in high school when he found out some loser was spreading rumors about her putting it out on a first date. I also remembered the beating he gave the guy. Thinking about it made me shudder. If that’s what he could do to a virtual stranger who was messing with his sister, I didn’t want to think about what he’d do to one of his best friends.
Bro code.
Surreptitiously, I checked the time. It had been about two hours since I’d seen Lyla. It was already too long. I wanted to see her again. My dick stirred in my jeans.
“I bumped into her and Ianthe last week.” The lie slipped out easily. “She didn’t mention anything about the Country Club.”
“Ha, I don’t think Andre’s told her yet. Bar tending there may not be high on her list of dream jobs.”
The MG Midget could be one of her dream jobs, but I wasn’t able to tell Wes. He’d want to know how I knew, and I wasn’t prepared for the backlash that would come with it. I couldn’t tell him I was in love with Lyla and she’d initiated something that evening… and we were probably spending the weekend together. I didn’t want him to tell me what I was doing was wrong and that I should stay away from her.
My phone flashed with a message and instantly I could see it was from Lyla. I flipped the device, so the screen was face down on the table, desperate for Wes not to see. If I told him the truth and begged him to keep it a secret, he’d never agree.
“You really should think about asking Adriana out again. We can double date.” My best friend waved her back over, pointing to his empty glass.
“Maybe I should,” I agreed, vaguely.
I knew I had no intention of doing so. I needed to figure out what this thing was with Lyla. One way or the other.
