“I’ll walk out with you,” Tessa replied. She straightened her pencil skirt and brushed the lint off her navy sweater. They didn’t talk as they made their way to the door. Tessa was feeling uneasy about seeing Bishop. She was still pissed about how things had been left between them.
It was twenty minutes after 5 o’clock when Myles asked her, “Do you mind if I go call Dad? He’s had a lot going on and may have forgotten to come get me.”
“Sure, I left my phone in my room on my desk. You can run and go get it and give him a call. I’ll wait here in case shows up while you’re gone.” It didn’t take long for him to return from making his call.
“He’s on his way. He was running late from a meeting with his contractor. He’s remodeling his garage,” Myles said with a grimace. “I’m sorry he’s so late.”
“It’s no problem. I don’t mind waiting. Sounds like your dad has been busy.”
“Yeah, we had a funeral for Ace on Saturday, and he was gone all day Monday meeting with some asshole from another club.”
“Language, Myles,” Tessa said firmly, then asked, “Was this Ace a friend of your dad’s?”
“Yeah, he was one of the brothers from the club. He was really tight with Dad. The funeral was pretty sad, and everyone was really upset. Ace’s sister was a mess,” Myles replied with a heartbreaking look on his face.
“I hate to hear that. That must’ve been rough.” Tessa began to feel a little guilty about being so mad at Bishop. Just then, he pulled into the parking lot and quickly got off his bike. Tessa walked down the steps with Myles to meet him halfway.
“Sorry, buddy. Time got away from me today,” Bishop said. “Grab your stuff and head to the bike. I need a minute with Ms. Campbell.” Bishop turned to Tessa with an intense look in his eyes. He waited until Myles had reached the bike before he spoke.
He took a few steps toward her and leaned in close as he said, “You know what those skirts do to me, so I’m guessing you were thinking about me when you got all dolled up this morning.”
Tessa placed her hand on her hip and said, “Actually, you’re right, Bishop. I was thinking about you this morning. I was thinking about all the different ways I could remove your testicles from your body without actually going to jail. Let’s just say that I have a very vivid imagination. I can be pretty crafty when I want to be.”
Bishop chuckled. “Ahh… you were thinking about my balls, were ya? Well, that’s a start. Personally, I’d hate to see anything happen to them. I like having my guys around. You might like ‘em, too, if you give them a chance,” he replied with a sexy smile.
“Myles mentioned that you had a busy weekend, so they’re safe for now.” Tessa’s expression softened as she said, “I wanted to thank you for getting my car fixed. I know you had a lot going on, and I appreciate you taking the time to do that for me.”
“No need to thank me. I wanted to do it.”
“Well, I really appreciate it. It’s running great. Your guys did a great job,”
“I should’ve made time to call. It’s just been a really shitty couple of days, but things are looking up. Just seeing you today has already made things a lot better.” He leaned in closer, just inches from her, “You got plans for Friday night?”
“I’m taking the kids to the football game. Actually, Myles made plans to meet my son, Drake, there around 7 o’clock. He’s been getting to know him while we’ve been working these past few weeks. I think he’s become pretty good friends with Drake and some of the other kids.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Myles told me about him the other night. How ‘bout we go to the football game together? We can grab some pizza when it’s over and maybe run by the clubhouse after that.”
“I’ll see if Courtney can watch the kids after the game. If she can, it sounds like a plan,” Tessa said with a smile.
“Great. I’ll be in touch this week,” Bishop brushed his knuckles across her cheek. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. “Yep, you definitely made it a better day.”
Tessa watched Bishop and Myles pull away from the parking lot. She was already looking forward to Friday night. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been on an actual date, and she knew the outfit she’d bought with Courtney on Saturday would be perfect to wear to the game.
Chapter 13
Bishop
Bishop’s mood had improved considerably after seeing Tessa. He was surprised how much better he felt just seeing her standing there waiting for him in front of the school. Seeing her gave his mind a break from the past few days. As he made his way back to the garage, his mind wandered back to his meet with Duce.