Page 22 of Honey, Honey
“I guess that’s the least you can do since you’re taking her friend home,” she said, slapping down another tab in front of me.
I stilled, the pen in my hand poised over the receipt paper. “She’s my fiancée,” I said. The lie came easy. I heard the sharp intake of her breath, but I didn’t bother to look up at her as I went back to signing the bills. Bills that I still fucking tipped on.
“I told you he was paying the bill!” Tiffany shouted from behind me. I turned, seeing Tiffany and Honey making their way towards me, arms around each other’s waists. Tiffany was grinning, Honey was looking anxious. I shot an easy smile her way and put the pen down with a snap.
“Come on, ladies. Night’s over.”
Tiffany pouted but came along, dragging Honey behind her who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. When she was close enough to me, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into my arms. “You good?” I asked her.
She gave a quick nod of her head. “Yes, but Lawson, you don’t have to take me home. I can get there on my own. I’m just a few blocks away and I’ll be fine getting home, really.” She gestured towards the door with an umbrella and I almost groaned when I saw the flash of pink pastel. Of course she had a big bubblegum pink umbrella. I forced my brain to focus on the words she was saying and led them both to the door.
A few blocks? That fixed the logistics of everything. I’d send Tiffany on with Taylor and take Honey home myself, he could swing by for me after he had dropped Honey’s friend off. I snagged the umbrella from her and unfurled it the second we hit the sidewalk. I still had my arm around Honey keeping her close to me while Tiffany skipped behind us.
“You’re both so cute. I hate it,” she told us.
“Thanks. I get it,” I told her honestly, because I did. I really did. I was right in the middle of it and I hated it too. Taylor exited the car and jogged over to us with an umbrella of his own. He held it over Tiffany’s head as soon as he was close enough and looked my way, waiting for instructions.
“Taylor, I’m going to have you take Tiffany home. I’ll be taking Honey home on foot. I’ll text you the coordinates as soon as we arrive. I’ll wait there for you.”
He nodded at me. “Understood. I’ll make good time. Nobody’s out in this storm.”
“Wait, am I getting a private driver?” Tiffany squealed.
“Looks that way,” I told her and a second later the woman was launching herself into my arms with an excited laugh.
“This is awesome! Thank you so much!” She looked at Honey and winked. “Your man is amazing, Honey. Don't ever let him go.”
Honey gave a weak laugh and a non-committal mumble that sounded something like, ‘sure thing,’ but I couldn’t be sure since she was turned away from me, hiding her face in her sweater. She gave Tiffany a quick hug and they promised to text when the other was home before Taylor hustled Tiffany into the car, and we were alone on the sidewalk.
“You really don’t have to take me home,” she said, daring to look my way.
“I do,” I said. “You’re not safe with me, but you are safer from everyone else if you’re with me,” I told her.
“I think that’s...good, right?” she asked, biting her bottom lip. The site of her teeth digging into the plump flesh made me want to be the one biting her lip. I turned away from her and gestured with the umbrella, that goddamn umbrella that I could see was covered in fat pink bows now that it was open. What was a woman doing with an umbrella like this? It looked fit for a little girl, which just...I imagined her walking in the rain with it, the fabric of it bouncing along through the gray of the city streets, Honey holding it tightly in her hands looking like a sweet treat.
A sweet treat that I wanted to sink my teeth into.
“It is,” I said and then jerked my chin down the street. “Which way?”
“That way. It’s just a little bit of a walk,” she said, extending her arm to point down the street. “Not long at all.”
“Then let’s get a move on. Want to get you out of the rain.”
She bobbed her head and stepped forward, but it only took a few steps before she was stumbling slightly. I sighed, watching her struggle. How much had she had to drink before she’d walked into my private room? I should not have poured her that damn last drink. This was my fault.
“Stop,” I told her, my voice sounding strained to my ears. I fucking hated that I had had a hand in what I was seeing.
“What is it?” she asked, turning to look at where I was standing and shook her head. “Oh no, you’re getting wet!” She tried to pull me in closer to her but were already standing toe-to-toe, pressed together under the umbrella. Not that it phased me. I’d had a lot worse in my life than getting rained on while having a beautiful woman pressed up to my side.
A lot fucking worse.
Chapter Ten
HONEY
“You’re getting wet. You have to come closer.” I pulled at Lawson’s sleeve but the big man didn’t budge.
“I’m good. Come on,” he said pointing at his shoulder. “I’m carrying you.”
