Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 96046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
His eyes were piercing. “You’re definitely full of those, Primrose.”
The woman I’d nearly forgotten sitting across from him cleared her throat. “Should we order?”
“Yes.” He gestured toward her. “You go ahead.”
She closed her menu. “I’m going to get the garden salad.”
So predictable. What a waste. “The food’s really good here. Are you sure?”
“I think I know what I’m in the mood for. Thanks.” She pushed the menu aside.
What a bitch.
Dorian frowned.
I swallowed. “And you?”
“Is there anything you’d recommend?”
“Well, we don’t have caviar and Hot Cheetos, so no.”
He smiled. “That’s a shame.”
“I do like the filet mignon with asparagus, though,” I added.
“That sounds delicious. I’ll try that. Thank you.”
Despite enjoying the inexplicable chemistry I had with Dorian, after I put in their order, I welcomed the breather. I busied myself waiting on other tables until their food was ready.
When I returned with their meals, I set the salad in front of his date, and she immediately ripped into me.
“This is not what I asked for.”
“It’s not?” I looked down at what was very clearly a salad.
“No.” She shook her head. “I asked for the garden salad. This has cheese on it. I’m vegan. And gluten free.”
“The garden salad comes with shaved parmesan. You never mentioned your food restrictions.”
“Well, it didn’t say anything about cheese on the menu, so I didn’t think I had to. I need you to take it back immediately.”
Dorian’s brows drew in. “Why don’t you just pick it off?”
“I think she should get me a new plate. I don’t want cross-contamination.”
I feigned a smile. “I’m happy to do that.”
Gritting my teeth, I returned to the kitchen, dumping her old salad in the trash and requesting a new one. But when I returned to the table with it, she still looked like someone had pissed in her Cheerios.
She shook her head. “There are still croutons on this. I said I was gluten-free.”
“You only mentioned the cheese.”
“I said I was gluten-free, though. You should know that croutons are bread, and bread contains gluten. I shouldn’t have to spell it out.”
“I don’t understand why you didn’t just tell me about the croutons last time. I wouldn’t have had the chef add them.”
“Again, the problem is that neither the cheese nor the croutons were specifically mentioned on the menu. You should really speak to someone about greater transparency when it comes to the menu items.”
Dorian’s brows furrowed.
“I’ll get right on that,” I said, though I had no intention of going out of my way to please this woman.
“I’m sorry to send this back again.”
“No, you’re not,” Dorian interjected, his face turning red.
She moved her shoulders back. “What do you mean?”
“You’re being a bitch about it. You’re not sorry at all,” he seethed.
“You’re calling me a bitch?”
“I am. You think you’re better than her because she’s a waitress. Is this how you treat everyone you encounter?”
“You’ve been flirting with this hussy who’s freeloading off you since the moment we got here. If I’m a bitch, you’re an asshole.”
He turned to me. “Have I been flirting with you, Primrose?”
“If that’s flirting, you really need to up your game, Vanderbilt. I mean, the moment you asked me to surprise you with that drink. Gosh, I thought I was going to have to change my panties.”
His date gritted her teeth. “Okay. You know what?” Her chair skidded against the floor as she got up. “I’ve had enough. Have a nice life…both of you.”
I watched her until she was out of sight, then turned to Dorian. “Sorry about that.”
“Sorry for what? I should be thanking you for sparing me the rest of the evening with her.”
“She was pretty, though. You could’ve at least gotten laid.”
“Pretty ugly on the inside is what she is. And it takes a lot more than a pretty face to get me interested these days. That damn dating app should come with a bitch warning.”
Someone in the distance called my name.
“I have to get back to work,” I told him. “Are you staying?”
He gestured down to his plate. “Well, I have this delicious steak to eat.”
“And a salad full of glutenous croutons.”
“Even better.” He winked.
I pointed to his empty glass. “Can I get you another drink?”
“Yes. But something other than the duck fart one, even though it was tasty. Might have a stomach upset with two of those things.”
I chuckled. “How about a glass of red? Pairs well with steak.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Be right back.”
My heart fluttered. We’d joked earlier about not flirting, so why did every moment with him feel like it had a subtext? And how could I be giddy after the disaster that had just occurred at his table? Yes, I was happy his date had left. But I feared the false hope it gave me was going to lead to major disappointment. Dorian wasn’t hanging out with me tonight by choice. It was only by default after a series of weird circumstances. He’d had more than one opportunity to ask me out after the couple of times we’d bonded. He’d chosen not to do that. From everything I could tell, he had decided to friend-zone me, so I needed to be careful about inferring anything from his behavior tonight.