Rev’s client came in and with a wave, he escorted him to his room. After that, the rest of the day passed quickly. Colton barely paid any attention to her as he came out for his clients, which meant that, other than Tessa’s unfriendly attitude, it hadn’t been a bad experience.
Vida yawned, closing her book and turning off her computer. Her eyes were burning with tiredness. The late nights at the club and the hours of studying were beginning to wear her down. Tonight was her off night from the club and she simply wanted to sink into the soft couch at Colton’s apartment and catch up on her sleep.
Colton came into the room, carrying an extra helmet. “You ready?”
Vida nodded, putting her books and laptop into her backpack before rising to follow him out the door. Outside, he handed her the helmet before climbing on. Vida put on the helmet then shrugged into her backpack. Scrambling onto the bike, she gripped Colton’s waist as he started the motor and pulled out of the parking lot.
As they entered the door to the apartment, Vida couldn’t help eyeing the couch longingly.
“You know how to cook?” Vida was about to sit down on the couch when his question stopped her.
“A little,” Vida confessed reluctantly.
“Good, find us something to eat while I grab a shower.” He walked away before she could tell him she wasn’t hungry.
Her shoulders slumped as she took off her backpack then headed into the kitchen to find them something to eat. Colton didn’t look back, going to his room to shower. It made Vida seriously tempted to stick out her tongue at his departure.
She opened the cabinets, searching through the contents before going to the refrigerator to see what was inside. Vida came to a decision quickly, opening a can of soup and making them a couple of sandwiches once she saw the bread on the counter.
She was pouring the soup into bowls when Colton returned to the small kitchen. “Smells good,” he complimented.
“It’s just sandwiches and soup.” Vida hadn’t lied; she wasn’t much of a cook. She had never had an overabundance of food, and when money was scarce, you tended to buy only the basics.
Colton picked up his bowl and sandwich, carrying them to the table before going to the refrigerator to grab himself a beer.
“What do you want to drink?” He paused, waiting for her answer.
“A bottled water, thanks,” Vida said as he put the bottle on the table. Reluctantly, Vida carried her food to the table, sitting down across from him. They ate quietly; Vida thinking about her classes for the next day while also trying to divert herself from thoughts of having to work at the strip club.
“Do you work tonight?” Vida’s eyes rose from her half eaten sandwich.
“No, I’m off tonight. I work tomorrow from eight until two.”
Colton took a drink of his beer, studying the young woman. He’d noticed the shadows in her clear green eyes when he had mentioned work. He had already begun to be aware that she was embarrassed to be working at the club. She blushed bright red anytime it was mentioned.
“How long have you been working for King?”
“A couple of weeks.” Colton noticed her fingers begin to play with the soup spoon.
He attempted to mind his own business, however he couldn’t prevent himself from speaking. “You could get out of town until King gets your friend back...”
Vida was already shaking her head. “I can’t leave knowing Sawyer is in trouble and I could have helped her. I won’t bury another friend of mine.” She got up from the table and took their dishes to the sink. She found a sandwich bag in one of the drawers, placed her half eaten sandwich inside and then put it in the refrigerator.
“What are you doing?”
Looking at Colton, she saw his incredulous eyes on her. Not knowing what he meant, she paused. “What?”
“Why did you save that sandwich when there were only a couple of bites left?”
“I don’t like to waste food. Later, when I get hungry, I’ll finish it.” Vida refused to be embarrassed about not wasting food.
“You could also have made yourself another one,” Colton said through gritted teeth. “I think I can afford to feed you a couple of sandwiches. I might not have a lot of groceries, but I haven’t been to the store myself. What food is in the cabinets was just put in there so I would have enough until I went to the grocery store myself.”
Vida stared at him uncomprehending. “Why do you need to go to the store? Your cabinets and refrigerator are full.”
Colton stopped what he had been about to say when realization hit him. Turning away, he took a long drink of his beer. Telling himself over and over in his mind he needed to mind his own fucking business. The more he learned about Vida, the more he would draw closer to her and he had no intentions of that happening.