Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
He’s determined to keep the gag going, but I can tell he never expected this challenge. His eyes on mine the whole time, he brings the cup to his mouth, takes a small sip, and manages not to grimace, though the muscles in his face contort in ways that serve as fairly satisfying revenge.
“Looks like you’re really enjoying it,” I say. “Have another big gulp.” He arches a brow, as if he’s wondering if I’m really going to punish him like this, and I nod encouragingly. Yes, yes I am.
During our standoff, Frank appears from the hall, mumbling a greeting in my direction. When he spots the look on Griffin’s face, he stops. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing,” I say. “Griffin’s just drinking his morning coffee to get energy for the day. Aren’t you, Griffin?”
“What you say goes,” Griffin responds, eyes still on mine. He somehow manages to sound flirtatious even as he suffers through another sip of the super salty beverage, forcing out a smile for Frank after he swallows.
Frank looks dubious, but he continues to his station when Griffin sets a small brown bag on the counter in front of me. “I brought a cherry danish for you, too. It’ll help get the taste out of your mouth.”
Shaking my head, I grab the bag, then pointedly turn away from him. I thought my promotion might put an end to Griffin’s pranks, but I should have known better.
When he wanders off, I take a sip of the new coffee and break off a piece of danish without hesitation. He can be a pain in the ass, but he’s not malicious, and he never takes a joke too far, though that nasty drink came close.
Frank leaves early that afternoon for a dentist appointment. Near the end of the day, when Zeb’s finishing up with his client, and Griffin’s cleaning his station, a familiar yet very unexpected face appears at the reception desk.
“Perry? What are you doing here?” I haven’t seen him since that one date we had a month ago. He called and texted a couple of times, but I told him I was too busy with work and school to get together again. I should have been more direct, but a lot of men, especially ones with egos like his, don’t respond well to rejection.
“I stopped in at your old location and they told me you transferred here.”
“You didn’t have to come all the way out here. You could have called.”
“It’s not a problem. I actually don’t live far from here.”
“Oh, is that right?” As I smile politely at him, I’m working out how I’ll turn him down if he asks me to dinner, but my thoughts are interrupted by a tall shadow that falls between us.
“Petey, my boy. Long time, no see!” Griffin gives him a pat on his back, which could be interpreted as friendly, if it wasn’t so forceful that it sends the man stumbling forward a step.
“Um … it’s Perry.” Reaching for the counter for balance, he slides a few steps in the opposite direction from Griffin.
“What brings you by, Gary?”
Instead of answering Griffin’s booming query, Perry turns his attention to me. “I see from the hours on the door that you’re about to close. Want to get some dinner?”
Before I can answer, Griffin reinserts himself in the conversation. “Oh, so you’re here to ask Ember out? To dinner? I’m really sorry, Percy, but Ember had a big lunch—a really big lunch. I’m talking two double cheeseburgers with extra onions, a large order of fries, a side of tater tots, and the biggest strawberry milkshake I’ve ever seen. I’m sure she won’t be eating dinner tonight, and in fact, it was a late lunch, so it’s only been a little over an hour since she finished that meal.” He makes a show of looking at his watch as he adds this last detail to his oddly specific lie.
Perry’s lean face is pinched in a look of extreme confusion, and I’m not sure if he’s trying to figure out if Griffin is a pathological liar, or if he’s imagining me eating all of that food in one sitting.
Aside from rudely refusing to get Perry’s name right, Griffin’s just being a goofball. Annoying, but in this case, he’s actually doing me a favor.
“That’s all, um, a bit of an exaggeration,” I tell Perry, “but I already have plans this evening.” If I end up having to explain to Perry that I don’t want to go out with him, I’m not going to do it in front of Griffin, who I imagine would have a field day teasing the poor man.
“Oh. Okay.” Perry very purposefully avoids looking in Griffin’s direction, and when Griffin opens his mouth to speak, I shoot him the dirtiest warning look I can, which amazingly proves effective, because he stays quiet for a change.