Page 5 of Property of Grifter
I frown at her, not understanding what she’s saying.“That’s funny?”I ask a question of my own.
“Um, you weren’t using a song as a cheesy pickup line?”
“I guess not, since I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I respond with a grin.“Although, I am here because I want to take you out, so you can consider this a pickup, but I’m not feeding you any lines other than I want you.”
“Miss Cutter, here’s the other supplies.What would you like us to do next?”A couple kids come stand beside us.There’s a boy and a girl.The male is holding a box that seems to be overflowing.The female is talking.It doesn’t escape my attention that they both move to stand close to Georgia—as if to protect her from me.Very interesting.
“This will work guys.How about you get back to shading and outlining the areas you’re drawing.I’d like to get it all done today—even the clear coat.That way we’re ready to start painting Saturday.”
“You work on the weekend?”I ask her with a frown.
“I work every day but Sunday,” she says.
“Well, that’s going to make it difficult,” I grumble.
“Make what difficult?”she asks, her nose crinkling adorably.
“Us spending time together,” I explain.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen anyway,” she responds, and suddenly the way she’s scrunching up her nose isn’t as cute.
“Why’s that?”I ask, not letting her see my annoyance.
“I don’t date,” she says.
The men behind me laugh.I just grin.“That works for me.I don’t date either.”
Now, she’s the one that looks confused.I find that I’m having fun in this cat and mouse game I’ve started with her.It’s probably more entertaining than it should be.
“Where do you live, Georgia?”
My grin deepens when her eyes dilate so much that I have to wonder if it’s painful.Shock is written all over her.The men chuckle behind me.I ignore it, but as her gaze darts to them I can see hurt leak into her features.That’s a look that I don’t like on her.
“What’s your name?”she asks.She stares at me, and I can literally see her retreat back into herself, her face a mask of indifference.
“Griff,” I respond, still studying her.
“Well, Griff, you better get to your friends.They look impatient to go in and get something to eat.I have work to do.”
She turns around, effectively dismissing me.I continue to watch her as she talks to the two kids.
“Looks like you got shot down, Prez,” Cowboy says with a smirk.Asshole.Just when I was starting to like the son of a bitch.
I flip him off, not bothering to turn around and look at the S-O-B.Their laughter gets louder, but I hear them walking away to go inside.I study Georgia a little longer.She doesn’t bother looking at me, although I can tell she knows I’m still here.I exhale, more than a little annoyed.I’ve never been dismissed by a woman before.I sure as fuck don’t like it from this particular woman.If she thinks I’m going to give up on her, she needs to think again.I’m not giving up.Her playing hard to get just makes me more determined.For now, I’ll let her have her way.What I want to do to her right now, isn’t something I should try with kids around.That’s the only thing saving her right now.She can’t hide from me.I heard the kids use her last name.I’ll track her down.Georgia Cutter isnotgetting away from me.
No fucking way.
4GEORGIA
I groanas I sit up in bed.The sun is already glaring through the worn green curtains hanging in my bedroom window.I scratch my head, wishing I could sleep another hour.It took me forever to go to sleep last night.I kept thinking about that man, Griff, that I met.He was so hot.Still, I knew he was just playing with me and the way his friends kept laughing and staring at me made me feel raw and exposed.I know they were just toying with me, playing some kind of twisted game.I’m not the kind of girl men like that look twice at.That’s also a good thing.I have no place in their world and don’t want to be in it anyways.I get up and head to the hall bathroom to brush my teeth and try to look a little human before I go to find my grandmother.I don’t want to scare her to death and right now, I’m pretty sure if she saw me, I would.My hair feels like a giant bird’s nest.The thing about blonde, curly hair is that the frizz can get out of control.It’s going to take forever to tame this morning.
It only takes me about ten minutes to wash my face, shove my overabundance of hair into a messy bun on top of my head, throw on some deodorant and brush my teeth.I’ll worry about the rest after I feed me and Nana.It’s going to take too much effort to get dressed before sustenance.Besides Nana is more than familiar with my crazy cat lady pajama top and matching bootie shorts.They’re black with a million cats all over them and I don’t know why, because I’m a dog person, but Ilovethese pajamas.
I shuffle out of the bathroom in search of my grandmother.It doesn’t surprise me that she’s already parked in her recliner like a queen on her throne, fuzzy robe cinched tight, remote in hand.The TV’s playing some old dating show—which is not surprising.My Nana loves all things Chuck Woolery.I have no idea why.I don’t question her anymore either.Last time I did, all she could talk about was the fact that she wanted to lick him like a postage stamp and cover her body in his special sauce.That’s the moment I ran from the room with my fingers shoved in my ears screaming at her to hush.
I lean over to kiss her cheek.“There are newer shows on there, Nana,” I murmur.“Didn’t that go off the air before color television was invented?”
She swats me with the back of her hand, making a tsking sound.“Don’t be smart, Georgie.There was color television.The seventies were the best years—not to mention we had the best music, too.Plus, back then, men were men and took care of their women.Now-a-days, women have little to no help.It’s sad.Plus, we were freer!In my day, women didn’t have to wear bras or shave their hoo-hahs.We just existed, natural and free.”
