Tug (12 page)

“Chocolate milk, please.” His grin is adorable. He looks just like Brady.

Queen Crazy makes an awful noise and says, “Please, this isn’t McDonalds. They don’t have chocolate milk.”

The smile slides off Andrew’s face. His sad frown makes me want to slap the snooty bitch.

Instead, I smile and wink at him. “Actually, we do. You’re in luck, kid.”

“Well, he doesn’t need the sugar,” she says, speaking over me. “He’ll be bouncing off the walls. He’ll also have water.”

“He’ll have chocolate milk,” Tug says firmly before smiling at me. “Thank you, Maria.”

His smile slices through me, causing an eruption of anger under the skin.

“Yeah, thank you, Maria.” Andrew giggles.

I leave to go to the table next to them. While I’m taking their order, I eavesdrop on Tug’s table conversation.

“How do you know her?” Queen Crazy asks accusingly.

“I didn’t say I did,” Tug responds, his tone clearly irritated.

She sighs dramatically. “She called Andrew by name.”

“She’s friends with my dad,” Andrew answers for Tug.

Walking away, I can’t help but laugh. Andrew just saved his ass. Tug owes the kid, big-time.

I return to the table with their drinks. As I start to set the tray down, Andrew announces he has to use the bathroom and bolts up from his chair. His shoulder bumps the bottom of the tray, and as hard as I try, I can’t stop it from toppling over and spilling all three drinks in Queen Crazy’s lap.

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I’ll get you a towel.”

She screams and stands up, her large green eyes glaring at Andrew. “You fucking little brat!”

“Hey, don’t talk to him like that!” I know it’s none of my business, but the words come out anyway, and, judging by her flushed skin, she’s furious.

“You mind your business if you want to keep your job.”

I cower, but only because I can’t lose this job. I glance at Tug, and beg for intervention with my eyes.

He appears amused by the entire episode and grabs her wrist. “Sit down, Larissa. Maria will get a towel.”

“No, I will not sit down.” She points at Andrew. “Are you retarded or something?”

“What’s the matter with you?” I scream. “You can’t talk to him like that. He’s just a kid.”

Her long red fingernail points at me. “I told you to butt out.” She whips her head around toward Tug. “Aidan, are you going to say something to him?”

“Yep.” Tug smiles mischievously and pats the top of Andrew’s head. “Don’t sweat it, buddy. It was an accident, and I’ll pay to have her dress cleaned.”

She crosses her arms.

“This is an outrage. I want to see your boss.”

I leave and fill Davey in on the incident. He laughs. “Good ol’ Tug.”

Even Davey reacts like he expects this from Tug. I was right—the man truly cannot go anywhere without creating pandemonium?

We reach the table, and Davey takes in the scene as I hand Queen Crazy a towel. She rips it from my grip and swipes at her dress erratically. A smile forms over Davey’s mouth. “You wanted to see me?” he says, his tone professional, although laced with a hint of amusement.

“Yes, your clumsy employee spilled drinks all over my dress and didn’t so much as apologize for it.”

I bite my tongue to keep from calling her a lying bitch. Just because I didn’t mean it, doesn’t erase that I did in fact apologize.

“So, you’re unhappy with the service?” Davey clarifies, casually.

“Yes, very unhappy.”

“Well, then, I don’t have to worry about seeing you in here again.” He leans to the left to look at Tug. “Tug, since your friend is causing a scene, I think it’s time for you to take her home.”

“Who’s Tug?” Queen Crazy asks, annoyed.

“Pardon me. Aidan” — Davey laughs — “now would be a good time to take Crazy home.”

“How dare you!” Queen Crazy pushes her hands onto her hips and stomps her feet like a petulant child. It’s quite comical and I cover my mouth to hush my laughter. “Are you going to let him speak to me that way?”

Tug stands up. When he does, our arms touch, sending a charge through my body. Why do I react this way to him? It has to be chemical, because logically, I find him infuriating.

“Can Drew hang out for a bit?” he asks, sounding desperate. I want to say no, but I adore Andrew, and I want to protect him from Queen Crazy’s wrath.

“Of course.”

“Come on, princess. Time to go.” Tug says, and grips her arm. She grumbles loudly and purses her bright red lips. Tug practically drags her to the exit. Davey glances over at me and mouths,
Whoa
! He holds his index finger next his ear and makes circles in the air. I laugh, and not just because she’s crazy, but because Tug is stuck with her spoiled, pampered ass.

I take Andrew into Davey’s office and find him some crayons and a coloring book.

“Will you be okay in here for a little while?” He nods and picks up a crayon.

“Oh, do you still need to use the bathroom?”

“No. I’m good.”

I’m starting to close the office door when he calls my name. “Yeah?”

He sends me a guilty grin. “It wasn’t an accident.”

I wink at him. “I know, buddy.”

I
don’t bother to open the passenger side door for Larissa before getting in the driver’s seat of my car and slamming the door shut after me. Knowing Maria got a good laugh out of Larissa embarrassing me pisses me off more than her behavior. I take in a few calming breaths before I start the engine. Larissa must sense my anger because she hasn’t moved since we got in the car. Her hands rest between her thighs, her red lips flat. Finally…she’s fucking quiet.

I pull into traffic before I lay into her. “You are never to speak to anyone like that again when you’re with me, especially my nephew. This is a business arrangement, and, as such, you are supposed to make me look good. Pull a stunt like that again, and you won’t be paid.”

She turns in the seat to face me. “I know, baby. I’m sorry. I lost my temper.” Her rich, seductive eyes move to my crotch. “Let me make it up to you.”

I should tell her no, but the thought of having my dick sucked while driving my Porsche is hot as fuck, and I’m a guy. Telling her no isn’t happening. It’s against the code of things men must say yes to, and though not written anywhere, is well known, and in numerical order.
Blow-job while driving
has to be three or four on the list.

She leans over the seat. I stay quiet as her hands undo my belt. Her fingers pop the button on my slacks, and as she lowers the zipper, my conscience yells at me to stop her. Before I can object, she has her warm hand around my cock, and I politely tell my conscience to
get lost
. Her head dips, and her wet tongue sweeps over the tip.

I look down, and it’s Maria’s face I see. “Yes,” I say, wanting it to be Maria sucking my dick.

Her suction increases with her speed, and I grip the steering wheel tightly. I don’t as much as glance down. Seeing whose head is actually bobbing in my lap will ruin my fantasy. I prefer to imagine it’s Maria, and that is exactly what I do. Even when I release, I picture Maria’s gorgeous lips wrapped around my cock.

Paying Larissa to be my girlfriend is a tad ironic, and I find humor in Larissa looking down on Maria. If she knew Maria used to be a hooker, she’d have all sorts of nasty things to say, yet, she is essentially being paid to suck me off.

I feel sick as Larissa lifts her head, wiping her mouth on her hand. She looks so proud of herself and I glance away, keeping my eyes focused on the road.

Larissa tries to lure me into her place, but I refuse and boot her from the car in front of her building, ignoring the insulted expression on her pouty face.

When I return to the restaurant, I spot Davey behind the bar but don’t see Drew anywhere. Davey comes out from behind the bar and makes his way to me.

“Please tell me you didn’t lose my nephew.”

“Nah. He’s in my office with Maria.”

“Thanks for keeping him so I could take Larissa home.”

He nods slowly. “Oh, Crazy has a name. What are you doing with her, man?”

“It’s complicated.”

“All right. It’s none of my business, but that chick is psycho-cuckoo.”

He’s right—it is none of his business, but I don’t want to have a confrontation with him after the shit Larissa pulled. He handled it better than I would have.

“Yeah, I know.”

I go to Davey’s office. Drew and Maria are lying on the floor on opposite sides of a checkerboard.

“Who’s winning?” I ask, stepping in the office and shutting the door behind me.

“Uncle Tug!” Drew yells, and jumps up. He comes over and hugs my leg. “Did you ditch the crazy girl?”

“Yes, I took Larissa home. You ready to go?”

Maria gets up off the floor and smiles. “He’s a great kid, and quite the checkers player.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Drew smirks. “Pretty much. I smoked her.”

“Buddy, we gotta have a talk. You’re always supposed to let the pretty girls win.”

His nose crinkles. “Why would I do that?”

“Trust me. Someday, you’ll understand.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Thanks for keeping an eye on him,” I say to Maria. Seeing her stirs feelings in me I didn’t know were there, or didn’t want to be. I fucked up bad with her, and there’s nothing I can say to make it right.

“Oh, it was no problem.”

I pinch the bride of my nose, thinking of what to say. I owe her something.

“I never apologized to you for what I did, and I want you know how sorry I am.” An apology is all I can offer her right now.

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

I want to say I’d like to start over, but I don’t. Maria doesn’t fit into the image I’m trying to project in public. Maybe if I hadn’t screwed up so royally already, it could work. Right. The two of us together is a ridiculous fantasy. All I need is for the board to find a picture of me in the paper with a hooker. It shouldn’t matter. I don’t care if she isn’t the type of girl I can take to a business dinner. She’s perfect for me. I want her, and if I weren’t such a coward, I would tell her. But I am a coward. I’ll pretend she has no effect on me. I’ll pretend Larissa is my girlfriend. I’ll pretend not to feel. Pretending is the one Hunter trait I have an abundance of.

D
rew climbs on the bed with me, and I turn on the television.

“Your girlfriend isn’t nice,” he announces, sitting back against the headboard.

The kid is as blunt as his father.

“She overreacted. She’s not that bad.”

His eyes get real big, and he laughs so hard he almost falls off the bed. “Are you blind? She’s Godzilla.”

“I’m definitely not blind. She is much hotter than Godzilla.”

“Just because someone is pretty on the outside doesn’t make them beautiful.”

He doesn’t say another word, and neither do I. The kid is so much smarter than I am. He’s right, but he has no experience to draw from, no understanding of how much adults like to complicate their lives.