She returned to him at the counter and leaned her forearm against it. “Cowboy, you’ve nursed that chicken-fried steak for a good, long time. You ready for dessert?”
Baby, you have no idea how ready.
Chance smiled big, and a pink blush stole into her cheeks as though she’d read his mind. She rolled her eyes and handed him a menu.
He shook his head and replied, “Actually, I was wondering what time you get off at. I want to take you somewhere for dessert, if there’s any place left open.”
Checking her watch, she said, “Sonic Drive-In is about the only thing open this late, besides us.”
She seemed a little hesitant, so he pressed on quickly. “I’ll let you drive yourself there, if you don’t want to ride with me.”
She looked torn, and he began to feel like he’d misread the situation or somehow put her on edge. He was about to speak when she said, “Actually, I don’t have any transportation right now. My boss had to pick me up for work this morning.”
Oh damn, that's right. “I can take you home, if that’s okay with you. I swear I’d be a proper gentleman.”
She smiled at him and said, “Chance, I don’t doubt that for a minute. You’re always a perfect gentleman.”
He smiled in relief and asked, “Then Sonic it is?”
“Sure.”
“What time will you be off?”
“In about ten minutes. I was supposed to be off hours ago, but I don’t want to leave LaMont, LuAnn, and Simone in the lurch, you know?”
“Of course. I brought you a surprise.”
Her smile and the light in her beautiful turquoise eyes made him go all gooey inside. “You brought something for me?”
“Yeah. It’s in the truck. I can go get it. I don’t mean to sound like I’m tempting you out to my vehicle or anything. I promise I won’t molest you.”
“Chance, I don’t go out to men’s trucks on a whim. I really do trust you.”
“Good. I’ll wait for you. Then you can tell me about what happened today.” Chance couldn’t deny the territorial feelings he was experiencing or the urge he had to fix what was wrong in her world.
She looked down and said, “Okay.”
Her coworkers LuAnn and Simone flanked her behind the counter, and LuAnn said, “Sweetie, you got a second? There is something you need to see.”
Lydia nodded and said to Chance, “I’ll be right back. Just sit tight, okay?”
The boss man had not made another appearance and Chance was glad for it. He’d enjoyed the quiet and hadn’t missed the old man’s unfriendly stares.
He rested his chin in his hand and watched her as she sashayed away with LuAnn, who was speaking in quiet, furtive tones. He came to a decision while he waited. First thing in the morning he would see about replacing the tires on her car for her.
Chapter Three
Lydia followed LuAnn and Simone out of the back door. Mr. Cortez was in his office on the phone arguing with somebody about something. There was nothing new about that. LuAnn led the way to the back of Mr. Cortez’s truck and pointed into the bed, then said, “The wind was blowing earlier and it moved the tarp. Otherwise I never would’ve noticed.”
“Noticed what?”
LuAnn pointed in the truck bed and said, “Isn’t that your green blouse? The bright-green one you wore to the movies with me?”
Lydia frowned and rose on her tiptoes and looked at what the taller girls could see that she couldn’t and gasped in shock.
Simone yanked back the tarp, revealing all of Lydia’s possessions, and growled, “That cocksucking motherfucker.” The spunky blonde had always had a way with words.
“What are you gonna do?” LuAnn asked.
Fury unfurled inside Lydia, and she marched toward the back door as she said, “You’re about to see. Could one of you call the police?”
Simone whipped her cell phone out of her apron pocket as they followed her in and she jerked Mr. Cortez’s office door open. She only thought that seeing all her belongings in the bed of his truck, where he had placed them after stealing them, was a shock.
The sight of him lounging in his office chair, with her thong panties from her laundry basket pressed to his nose and mouth while he casually stroked a small erection through his double knit trousers, was an even bigger revelation. He seemed in nirvana and didn’t notice her until she began yelling.
“You pervert! You thieving pervert! You stole my things! You stole everything I—Get my dirty underwear away from your face, you animal! Why? Why did you steal my things? Where is my money?”
She’d never yelled at him before, and it evidently sent him into shock because all he did was open and close his mouth a few times.