by Mia Hoddell
I barely held back a disgusted growl. How did that comment make him sound any better?
Dustin had been right.
I hated to admit it, yet it rapidly became clear I’d misjudged Perry.
I snatched my hand back. “Well I’m not. I work in chef whites and most days I come home covered in flour or batter.”
I hoped it would remove the images he had in his head.
It didn’t.
“So you’re a dirty girl? I can work with that.”
The waiter arrived with our meals. I bit down on my lip almost hard enough to draw blood to stop the viscous comment slipping free while the plates were set down in front of us.
Apparently, Perry didn’t know how to read body language either because when the waiter left he continued despite my cool stare, tensed shoulders, and repeated stabbing at my food.
“You’ll have to bring some of your cookies upstairs sometime soon. I’d love to taste them.”
Maybe I read too much into it, but something about the way he said ‘cookies’ led me to believe we were not talking about biscuits.
“You’ll have to fight Dustin for that privilege. The guy’s incredibly protective over his macarons and I don’t think he’d let it go if I took them to you instead.”
At the mention of Dustin, Perry’s eyes narrowed. He slid his hand back across the table and picked up his napkin to dab at his mouth. “You cook for Coates?”
I delayed answering by taking a bite of my spaghetti carbonara. All too soon I needed to swallow and cursed myself for bringing up Dustin. Something had blatantly happened between them since even the mention of the other’s name created a hostile reaction, in both of them.
“I’ve baked for him a few times, mostly to say thank you for helping me out because of my leg.” A prickling heat trailed over my spine. I could feel someone’s gaze upon me and it wasn’t Perry, who was staring at me like he wanted to curse Dustin. I glanced over my shoulder to search the room.
When I found Dustin smirking at me from across the restaurant, I gasped.
He saluted me with his glass then took a sip.
The prick.
A strange mixture of relief and anger flowed through me. Relief because Perry wouldn’t get away with shit with Dustin in the room, and anger because he had the audacity to follow us. When I lifted my hand to flick the Vs at him, Perry took my chin between his fingers to draw my attention back to him. He wasn’t rough about the action, yet the startling nature of it made me recoil back into my seat with a squeak.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Rather than place his hand back on his side of the table, he took a hold of mine again. “What has you so distracted? I don’t think you’ve heard a word I’ve said.”
“Me. I have her distracted. And I suggest you take your hand off her,” Dustin snapped, casting a shadow over me as he stood at my shoulder.
Chapter Eighteen
Dustin
Tazia stiffened and Perry attempted to fix me in place with a furious glare. Unlucky for him he couldn’t scare a hamster into cowering before him. While I may not have been the best fighter in the world, I could take him. Of that I was sure.
“What are you doing here?” Perry sneered. He still hadn’t removed his hand from Tazia’s and with every second he remained touching her, the closer I came to hauling his ass outside.
Thankfully, Tazia had the good sense to retract her hands and fold them on her lap.
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Business meeting.”
So that may have not been completely true. I actually was there to sign the final contracts Anthony had negotiated with Sabre, but the location? Totally my choice. Well, if by choice I meant I’d sat outside our block of flats in my car waiting for Tazia to emerge then followed them and texted Anthony the location.
So I didn’t trust Perry. Sue me.
In the end he proved me right.
“Bit of a coincidence, isn’t it?” Perry flicked his head between me and Taz with suspicion then focused on her. “Did you organise this?”
Tazia appeared astonished by the accusation and when she opened her mouth to answer I beat her to it. “I know the owner and I get a good discount on my meal.”
I widened my stance, hanging my hands loosely in my pockets. I tried to quash my smugness, however, pushing Perry’s buttons never became old. I could feel my lips quirking no matter how hard I tried.
“Really?” His tone filled with disbelief.
Because I wanted to see the fucker squirm, I glanced over at the bar. “Hey, Ash, I need you over here a minute.”
Immediately, Ash, the owner, dropped the rag he’d been wiping the bar down with, dried his hands, and started in our direction. He wasn’t what people expected if they had no idea who owned the place. Heavily built with tattoos everywhere, and piercings in his lip and eyebrow, people would say he was a long way away from the high society restaurant and bar he owned. Not that anyone had the guts to say that to him. The guy was built like a member of the SAS and acted like one too.
“What’s up?” he asked, stopping beside me.
Tazia openly stared at Ash. Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, but I figured it was from embarrassment seeing as my shout hadn’t gone unnoticed by the other customers.
“I thought you’d want to meet my girl and the person responsible for your decline in alcohol profit. Ash, meet Taz.”
He lowered his eyebrows to cast dark shadows over his eyes. “Taz?”
“Short for Tazia,” Taz cut in curtly. She sounded beyond pissed. However, when Ash held out his hand, she took it in a firm handshake.
“Nice to meet you. And although it’s bad for my monthly statements, I’m glad you got this dunce here to stop drinking. The little shit had me worried. Thought I was going to have to start watering down his drinks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t be a dickhead.”
“I can’t help it if it’s true.”
I shook my head in despair, yet my lips curved. Whilst Ash had no clue what had gone on in my life, he had provided company and alcohol. On my scale that stuck him at the top of my friend list.
Not that I had one of those.
“Do you really own the place?” I’d forgotten all about Perry until the dweeb opened his mouth, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Want to test me by seeing how quickly I can get you thrown out?”
I barked a laugh. That was typical Ash and the main reason he stayed behind the bar or in his office. He lacked people skills, though in this instance I had no qualms. Perry deserved it. He’d known exactly what he’d been implying with his tone and Ash wasn’t stupid. He’d seen more than his fair share of assholes before he remodelled and up-scaled the bar.
Perry wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Didn’t think so.” Ash folded his arms, forcing his biceps to bulge. He waited a beat longer to make sure Perry wasn’t going to respond. “Well, I’d better get back to work. Nice meeting you, Tazia.” He nodded at Taz, swept over Perry like he didn’t exist, and then clapped me on the back. “Looks like your people are here, bud. I’ll get someone to bring over the usual, yeah?”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Anthony and my lawyer hovering by the door. I nodded to Ash then pointed at the table I’d snagged when Anthony caught sight of me. His gaze slid past me and his lips tightened in disapproval.
“I’d better get back over there otherwise Anthony is likely to shred everything in front me.” I dipped down to kiss Tazia and she only offered me her cheek. Unperturbed, I placed a gentle kiss on what I could get my lips on. She’d find out what I meant about Perry soon enough, even if I hated the idea with every fibre of my being.
I lingered a second longer, drawing my lips up to her ear. “If dumbass gets too much for you, or you get bored of his company you’re welcome to join me at my table. And if you want me to give you a ride home, I can.”
Without waiting for a response, I fixed Perry with a final warning glare then strolled b
ack over to Anthony, who also happened to look pissed.
For some reason everyone was mad at me. Was it really too much to ask my girlfriend not to go out to dinner with a known creeper or that I could interrupt without getting sent daggers by my manager?
Apparently so.
A young, blonde waitress reached the table with a tray of drinks at the same time as me. She placed them down in front of the guys and replaced my empty glass with a second lemonade. I smiled in thanks as I sat, and then she left.
Anthony immediately started talking about the contract, diving into a pre-planned speech. It was one he’d been giving me since Sabre presented him with the contract and therefore I focused most of my attention on sneaking glimpses of Taz across the room.
She appeared uncomfortable as she finished her probably cold pasta. The anger radiated off her and everything about her body language remained closed off to Perry.
Good.
She didn’t glance over to me once, not that I expected her to.
“Dustin,” Anthony hissed and I snapped my head back to him with a sheepish grin. “They’re going to be here any minute.”
“Great, I’m ready to get this thing signed.”
“Are there any last questions you need answered?”
I leaned back in my chair as two guys in suits entered the restaurant. “Nope.”
All I wanted was to get the contract signed and for everything to become official. I couldn’t wait for the last race of the GP2 season so I could start testing for Sabre. Everything I’d been working for had finally landed within my grasp and so had the person I wanted. Neither were going to slip through my fingers.
* * *
It was official.
At the end of November, I became a Formula One driver.
I’d signed all of the contracts, the Sabre representatives had left, ties had been loosened, and Anthony had finally relaxed. I should have been insulted by his stress over me fucking everything up, but conjuring any ill feelings towards him would have been out of line. He’d landed me the contract after all, and I experienced the walking on air sensation because of him.
Sabre wouldn’t announce the news until their next race, so until then I needed to keep my mouth shut, though it didn’t mean I couldn’t celebrate with a drink.
“Congrats, mate!” Ash cheered as he poured the round I’d ordered. I didn’t ask how he knew. He had a sharp eye and I could guarantee he’d seen the contract even from across the room.
He placed two pints on the bar and I moved to withdraw the cash from my wallet when he shook his head. “On the house. You deserve them.”
“Thanks. Do me one more favour?”
Ash spread his arms out on either side of him, leaning down on the bar to listen.
“How much wine has that wanker drunk?” I jerked my head over to Perry. By my count he was on his fourth glass. I’d been keeping a careful eye on Taz ever since I left her.
“That’s his fifth. She’s still on her first.”
Wow, somewhere along the line I’d missed a whole glass. I grimaced at the fact.
“Fancy taking his keys off him? He shouldn’t be driving.”
Ash chuckled. “Somehow I don’t think this is concern for his well-being.”
I growled. “Fuck no. He’s not going anywhere with my girl and if you don’t take his keys I’ll call the cops.”
Ash held up his palms in surrender. “Whoa, hold up there, bud. There’s no need to get your panties in a twist. I never said I wouldn’t do it. You know I have a policy; you’ve been on the receiving end of it more than once.”
I groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
I cast a glance over to Perry again. He nursed his drink while Taz looked utterly miserable.
“Don’t give him the option of a taxi, yeah? Make him take the bus.”
Ash snorted. “You’re evil. What’s he doing with your girl anyway? And since when did you have another girl?”
“He bribed her into a meal before I met her and she’s too upstanding to back out. We’ve only officially been together for a couple of days, but—”
“But you knew she was it for you the minute you saw her?”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Not technically, considering I stumbled into her apartment drunk and passed out on the sofa. The second I woke up I knew she was different, though.”
Ash shook his head. “She’s good for you and I’m happy for you, man. It’s about time we saw you smiling again.”
“Take his keys and conveniently forget to offer him a taxi and you’ll see the biggest shit-eating grin ever.”
He sighed dramatically, folding his arms across his chest. “Fine, only because it’s you.”
“I owe you one.”
“Yeah yeah, you can pay me back with tickets to your first race next year.”
I flipped him the bird with a laugh then grabbed the drinks to head back over to Anthony. I handed him the pint and chinked my glass against his.
“To you making me a lot of money.”
I scoffed. “To winning. On and off the track.”
Taking a sip of the cool beer, I caught sight of Tazia and Perry standing to leave from the corner of my eye. True to his word Ash headed straight over. I knew the moment he asked for Perry’s keys because red flared in Perry’s cheeks. His fists balled at his side and he shook his head vehemently.
Taz picked up her crutches, ignoring the exchange. Her shoulders heaved with a sigh and most of her weight rested on her crutches so her body hunched over. When Perry attempted to step around Ash, he blocked his path with a thick arm. Guiding him back into the booth, Ash obstructed all of his exits and held out his hand for the keys. Perry finally got the message, dug around in his pocket, and slapped them into Ash’s palm.
I sniggered. If he was stupid enough to drink so much with Tazia then he deserved it.
He deserved it anyway, I reasoned.
Ash marched away with a nod to me. I bobbed my head back and held up my pint in thanks. The brief lapse in watching Tazia meant when her irritated voice came from over my shoulder my heart skipped a beat.
“I need you to give me a lift. Fucking Perry got himself sloshed.” She collapsed in the chair my lawyer had vacated once the contract had been signed. “Why are you still here anyway? It better not have been to watch me.”
I hoped she didn’t notice the way my eyes darted to the table in guilt. I slung my arm on to the back of her chair and pulled her under my arm. “I’m celebrating, babe.”
Only once the name slipped out did I remember her aversion to it. However, instead of cursing me out, she relaxed into my side further. My lips curved at the small victory.
“Why are you celebrating?”
I dropped my lips to her head, placing a kiss there. “Because you’re looking at the new Formula One driver for Sabre.”
“Oh my God!” she squealed and threw her arms around my neck. The force of her hug nearly knocked us both to the floor and I chuckled when she retracted her arms. “That’s amazing, Dustin. Congratulations, though just so you know, I’m still mad at you.”
She looked at me seriously, yet she failed to dampen my good mood.
“I bet I can change your mind.” I dipped my head, my lips inching towards her.
I could feel her breath on my skin when she pushed me away. “No way. You’re not getting off the hook so easily.”
“Come on, Taz. You didn’t want to be there really. Admit it, he freaked you out.”
“That’s not an excuse for you to go all caveman on me. You even followed me here!”
I shook my head. “I had a business meeting, you saw that, babe. And Ash is a mate.”
“You still overstepped the mark.”
“If I say I’m sorry will you let me kiss you?”
She tilted her head to one side. I’d grown wary of the devious smirk she wore. “Depends how good the apology is.”
“I’m truly sorry for going—as you put it—all caveman on you. I o
nly did it because I could see you were becoming uncomfortable. Perry’s a prick anyway. Please forgive me, you happen to make me a little crazy around other guys.”
She hummed. “Worst apology ever, but okay, you’re forgiven. I can’t exactly ruin your night, can I?”
I grinned and closed the gap between us, melding my lips against hers. I raised my hand to the back of her head, holding her in place while I drank my fill. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get enough of her. Tazia soothed me better than any drug or drink, even with one look.
When I pulled back, she peered up through her thick lashes then rested her head against my chest. “Thank you for getting Ash to take his keys.”
I stared down at the top of her head in surprise. “How did you know?”
“You aren’t the only one who’s been watching the other all night.”
Shocked I hadn’t noticed, it took me a second to respond. “Ash would have without me. He has a strict policy about drinking and driving.”
She hummed in acknowledgement, the sound weary.
I cradled her against my chest. “You’re exhausted, aren’t you?”
“An evening with Perry can do that to a person. If I ever have to listen to him talk about wine again he’s going to kill me with boredom. You keep celebrating, though. I don’t want to ruin your evening.”
“I hate to say I told you so, but…well I did warn you.”
“Shut up, and enjoy your night.”
I took a final swig of my drink, placed the glass back on the table, and gave Anthony a questioning glance. Two people didn’t exactly make for a good celebration, especially when both parties were limited to how much they could drink. The wild celebrations would come later, like when I ended up telling Teo and Raine.
Anthony flicked his gaze between the two of us and his lips quirked. His face creased in happiness and he nodded for me to continue.
“Nah, I’m done.” I reached for my jacket with my free hand. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
