Page 24 of Property of Riptide
“Ever been here before?” he asks as he pulls into the parking lot of a local steak house.
“No,” I answer, unlatching my seatbelt. “I didn’t travel a lot so I mostly stuck to my hometown. We have a restaurant similar to this though.”
“Rio suggested it. Told me it’s one of Issy’s favorite places to eat when they hit the town. According to him, they serve nothing but Angus beef. Shit, I’m sorry, Van. I didn’t even think to ask if you would like something like this.”
“I eat meat, Riptide,” I convey. “I’m big on protein. I just watch the amount of fat I consume when I eat it. I have to keep the ole ticker as healthy as possible. It lessens my chances of getting my mom’s heart disease.”
“Sounds reasonable,” he says, smiling at me. “I’ll get your door.”
“Okay,” I whisper as he swings his legs out, jumps from the seat, closes the door, and rounds the hood. I give myself a little pep talk because my heart hasn’t fluttered for a man since Gage. I feel out of my element here.
As he lifts me up and out of the truck, his hands wrap around my waist and a prickling sensation travels through me. It’s as if histouch zaps my entire skeletal and nervous system. I’m not sure what that means, but I can’t wait to find out.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Riptide
The hostess flirts with me a bit too much which puts my teeth on edge. It’s fucking disrespectful, and if I wasn’t trying to impress Van, I’d give this woman a piece of my mind. Instead, I ignore her which seems to piss her off further because she becomes short with us when she speaks and she all but slams our menus onto the table before sauntering away.
“Wonder what her problem is?” Van harrumphs, narrowing her eyes in contemplation at the hostesses retreating back.
“I think she’s in heat,” I respond, snorting.
“Wonderful,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “She should be high fiving me instead of giving me dirty looks and being rude.”
I was already fighting my anger but knowing that her foul treatment of us upset Van has me clenching my fists beneath the table. I don’t like the idea of someone trying to take her power away from her. She should be able to own the fact that she’s a beautiful woman out for a night with her man and not have tofend off other females. I’m used to receiving unwanted attention and advances from the ladies, but cattiness has never sat right with me, and unfortunately, that seems to be the case whenever I’m out on a date.
A slipped number here and there.
Flirting with me in front of my date.
Ignoring who I’m dining with.
I could go on, but it begins to get repetitious.
“What’s happened to our society? Women should be empowering each other, not trying to tear each other down,” I grumble as I scan the area, double checking to make sure the hostess isn’t anywhere near us. Thankfully, the bitch sat us far enough away from her stand that she can’t overhear what we’re saying. Not that I give a shit what she thinks about me, but I will lose my shit if she continues leering at Van with a repugnant look on her face. “Jealousy doesn’t appeal to most men I know and it certainly doesn’t work for me.”
“I don’t let it get to me, Riptide,” she verifies. “Women like her only act out when they want what you have and I don’t have time to give that sort of envy validation.”
“Good, because you shouldn’t,” I claim. I lift up the menu and scan it over. They have some great appetizer selections and I’m not sure which one to choose. “Wanna split an appetizer with me?”
“Only if we split a meal too because these are rather large portions,” she bargains.
A smile splits my face as I think over sharing with her. It’s not something I’ve done often, but with her, I want to shareeverything, including my food. “I can handle that. They have a platter that has steak, chicken, and shrimp, it’ll give us options.”
“Yes. Let’s do that, I love all three and wouldn’t mind a sample of each,” she says, her tone lighthearted.
Our server comes over and takes our order. Once rolls and cinnamon butter has been put down on the table, I excuse myself. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” she says, her eyes rolling to the back of her head at the first bite of her smothered roll. “I’ll be here luxuriating in this amazingness.”
I chuckle, leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on the top of her head. As I walk down the hallway toward the men’s room, I hit Rio’s number and put the phone up to my ear. “Aren’t you on a date, cousin?” he asks as he answers.
“I am,” I confirm. “But I think your friend who owns this joint needs to put his hostess on a leash.”
He snorts and questions, “Tall, blonde, boobs barely contained?”
