Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 74324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“What?” I asked.
She sneered. “You’ve said the F word no less than four times in the last three sentences. Please stop speaking like that or leave. And why on earth are you wearing those gang jackets to a school function?”
My brows rose.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that there was assigned seating. If I remember correctly, I was here first. You were the one who sat down next to us,” I said plainly.
She narrowed her eyes.
“I’ll have you know that my brother is the sponsor for this team, and damn near every sporting event in the school. And I’m sure he’d be more than willing to talk to your boss,” she hissed.
I laughed.
“Lady, do you know who I am?” I asked.
She sneered.
“You’re the guy who left his pregnant wife for another woman,” she hissed.
I turned my face forward, anger boiling to the surface like lava about to erupt from a volcano.
Out of everyone in the room, I would’ve expected the blowup from any one of the boys at my side.
What I didn’t expect, though, was it to come from Annie.
A ball flew within arms reach of my face.
I could’ve reached out and slapped it away, had I been expecting it. But I hadn’t, which was why the chick at my side got a face full of volleyball.
“Shut your mouth, woman! You don’t know what you’re even talking about! So before you open your mouth in the future, make sure you know what you’re actually talking about and have your facts straight before you spread gossip and lies about people!” Annie growled.
I blinked, turning to see Annie standing about five feet from me, another ball in her hand ready to launch.
Which she didn’t waste time doing.
She reared back and threw it again, but this time I was quick enough to catch it before it could hit the woman at my side for a second time.
“Now, Annie,” I chided laughingly.
She glared at me.
“How can you defend that…that horrid, awful woman while she sits there spewing those lies? I had not one thing to do with your marriage ending, and I certainly didn’t break up your home. And, she doesn’t know a goddamned thing about your life or mine, and she shouldn’t be spreading lies and gossip like that!” Annie spat.
The woman got up, turning to face us both. Her face obviously angry and eyes narrowed as she spoke. “Oh, you’re going to regret this, I’ll make sure of it. My brother will see to it that no one, not one single person, sets foot in your salon ever again. You can kiss your business and your home-wrecking life goodbye!” The lady sneered at Annie.
I wondered idly how long Ridley was going to let this go on, but when the young girl I presumed was the woman’s daughter started to cry, it was Casten, of all people, that got up.
“This isn’t the time nor the place for this. It’s time to go,” he ordered, starting forward.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” The woman hissed and she yanked her arm away from Casten before he could touch her. She turned on her heel, and stormed out of the room, leaving the distraught girl trailing slowly behind.
“Well,” Annie huffed, “that was a lot of fun.”
I moved forward, to grab hold of her hand before she could move away, and laid a wet, possessive kiss on her mouth.
“Finish up,” I ordered. “I’ve got a few things I want to do.”
Her brows rose. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
I didn’t answer her, I just walked back to the bleachers and took a seat once again.
She stared at me the entire way, only turning back to the game when Tasha called her name.
For the remainder of the game, we just admired the view and kept our talk to things that didn’t have anything to do with what had just happened.
Once they were done playing, we went outside to wait for Annie and Tasha.
They must have hurried because it wasn’t long before Annie was back in my arms.
“You did good, baby,” I growled against her neck.
She tasted of salt, the sweat on her skin having dried in the time she’d spent talking to all the younger players.
“So what now?” She asked. “I’ve got an hour before I have to be in the salon.”
I shook my head. “I’m have to drop you off early…I’m sorry, I have to deal with Jennifer.”
She visibly slumped.
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
***
Jennifer looked positively contrite when I arrived at her house an hour later.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know I was out of line.”
I wanted to laugh in her face.
Of course she was out of line. That was what she did.
She was so out of line, so often that I wouldn’t be surprised if my friends called her Out Of Line Jennifer.
“I have some questions for you,” I said tersely, looking at all the shit she had laying around.