“What's she doing here?” she sneers.
Reid scowls. “We spoke about this, Mia.”
They did?
After a few tense moments she opens the door, grudgingly letting me in.
“Where’s River?” Reid asks Mia.
“He’s having a nap,” she says. So if Reid came here alone, him and Mia would what? Sit around and spend some alone time together?
Just f**king great.
We all sit on the couch, and no one says anything. “Well, this is awkward,” I mutter under my breath.
Mia’s brown eyes snap to mine. She hates me, I can see it in her eyes. We’re saved by River’s cries.
“I’ll go and get him,” Reid says, standing up and leaving the room. Leaving me alone with bitch face. Her phone rings, the ring tone Miley Cyrus’s ‘Wrecking ball.” She silences it.
“You like Miley?” I ask her.
“Yeah, so what?” she says, a little defensively.
“No reason,” I say in a sing-song voice. Some people are so touchy.
“So what, you too good for Miley?” I almost laugh at how crazy she sounds.
“What? No, I actually like this song. I don’t understand why she gets to third base with a hammer in the video, but to each their own.”
“You’re not gonna take Reid away from me,” she says, scowling.
“You shouldn’t scowl so much, you'll get more wrinkles,” I say in a fake sweet tone.
“You little bitch, you know nothing about Reid, about what he needs.”
I shrug with nonchalance. “I have him, you don’t.” Her face turns red with anger.
Reid walks out, holding River in his arms. He still looks sleepy, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He gives me a toothy smile when he sees me, and squirms from Reid’s hold. Reid puts him down and he walks right over to me.
“Hi,” I say to him when he stops in front of me.
“Hello,” he says, and we both smile at each other. He’s a cute kid, truly. Reid pulls out a huge box of blocks and places it on the floor.
“Wanna play blocks, River?” he asks his son.
River beams, and my heart warms. I sit down on the floor next to Reid, and take a pile.
Building towers with my man and his cute kid isn’t the worst way I could spend my day.
Chapter Nineteen
“I need four tequila shots, beauty,” Reid calls out.
“Okay.” I’m at work tonight with Reid and Ryan. It’s been pretty busy all shift, and it’s only starting to slow down now. I pour the shots and place them on the table, with packets of salt and cut lime.
“Thanks, baby, you wanna take your break now?” he asks.
“Yep.”
“Okay, grab whatever you wanna drink.” I pour myself a coke, waving when I see Jade walk into the bar. She sits down at a table and motions me over.
“Hey, what brings you here tonight?” I ask, taking a seat next to her.
“I need to get laid,” she blurts out, and I choke on my drink.
“Give a girl a little warning before you say shit like that!” Jade is my only girlfriend around here, and we’ve never had any type of conversation like this before.
“I’m sorry but I haven’t been with anyone since Reece and I think it’s time.”
“Wow, that’s a long time.”
“I know. So I figured I would come here because Reid and Ryan would screen whoever I was interested in. And if I end up in a ditch, you guys would know who killed me,” she says casually.
“Alright, you aren’t gonna end up in a ditch. Isn’t there someone you already know?”
I clear my throat when she looks towards Ryan and Reid. “Don’t even go there.”
She laughs. “Just playing with you. Is Xander here?”
“Yeah, don’t go there, either.”
“What are you to up to?” Ryan says, taking a seat.
“Jade’s trolling for penis,” I say, giggling.
Ryan doesn’t look amused. “I’m sorry, what?”
A flush works up Jade’s neck.
“She has needs, Ryan.”
“Yeah, so don’t wanna hear this,” he says. I glance over at the bar and see a woman standing there, staring at Reid.
“Who's that woman trying to get Reid's attention?” I ask Ryan, almost wanting to laugh at her blatant attempts.
“Oh, that’s Tilly. Everyone knows Tilly.” He says this like it isn’t a good thing.
“I don’t know Tilly,” I say dryly, taking in her frizzy blond hair and heavier set figure. She kind of looks like she’s been electrocuted.
“Tilly’s well known around town. She likes to go after taken men.”
“Taken men?” I repeat slowly, surely I misheard.
“Yeah, she doesn’t discriminate. Young, old, doesn’t matter what they look like, either. She just likes them to be married or in a serious relationship,” Jade adds.
“You’re joking?”
“Unfortunately not,” she replies solemnly.
“Likes sloppy seconds, does she?” I chuckle.
Jade shrugs. “Doesn’t matter to her.”
“No seriously, why would a woman want that?” I ask, genuinely puzzled. I try my best not to judge, but come on!
“My guess? Low self-esteem. Makes her feel good about herself that she managed to tempt someone that belonged to another woman. Usually a better looking woman than her.”