Oblivion (Lux, #1.5)

“I don’t…even know what to say,” she mumbled helplessly.

“Hey guys.” I slid into the seat next to Kat. The whole left side of my body was pressed against hers. “Am I interrupting?”

“Yes,” she said, mouth agape.

“Oh, sorry.” I wasn’t sorry at all.

Douche Bag smiled as he sat back and folded his arms. “How are you doing, Daemon?”

“I’m doing great.” I stretched, draping my arm along the back of the booth. “How about you, Brad?”

He laughed softly. “My name’s Blake.”

I tapped my fingers on the back of the booth, brushing her hair. “So what were you guys up to?”

“We were having dinner.” Kat started to scoot forward, but I hooked my fingers around the back of her turtleneck. My fingers brushed the back of her neck, and she gasped, stilling.

“And I think we were just about done,” Blake said, his eyes fixed on me. “Weren’t we, Katy?”

“Yeah, we just need our check.” Under the table, Kat’s hand landed on my thigh. I liked where this was going until she pinched—pinched hard.

I tugged on her turtleneck. “What were you planning to do after dinner? Was Biff taking you to a movie?”

Douche Bag’s grin started to falter. “Blake. And that would be the plan.”

“Hmm.” I glanced at his glass of water and idly curled my finger.

His glass toppled over. Water sloshed over the table, spilling into his lap. The guy jumped up. “Shit.”

My finger moved again.

His plate of half-eaten spicy noodles slid onto the front of Blake’s sweater.

Kat’s mouth dropped open.

“Jesus,” Blake muttered, hands at his sides as he stared down at himself.

Grabbing napkins, Kat’s glare promised death as she handed the napkins to Douche Bag. I smirked. “That was…really strange.”

Face red, he glanced up from patting at his sweater and crotch. His eyes met mine, and for a second, something I saw in them sent my instinct flaring. Something about those eyes wasn’t…normal.

Then again, I had just dropped a glass of water and a plate of noodles in his lap, so his murderous stare was kind of expected.

Quietly and with stiff, jerky movements, he brushed off the brown noodles. The waitress rushed to his side with several more napkins.

“Well, anyway, I’m actually here for a reason.” I picked up Kat’s glass and took a drink. “You’re needed at home.”

Douche Bag halted his movements. “Excuse me?”

“Did I speak too fast, Bart?”

“His name is Blake,” she snapped. “And why am I needed at home? Right now, at this very moment?”

I met her eyes. “Something has come up and you need to check it out now.”

She started to respond, and then she got what I wasn’t saying. She stiffened and then turned to Douche Bag. “I’m really, really sorry about this.”

His gaze darted between us as he picked up the check. “It’s okay. Things happen.”

“I’ll make it up. I promise.”

He smiled. “It’s all right, Katy. I’ll take you home.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I smiled, but there was nothing warm about it. “I got this, Biff.”

Kat looked like she wanted to smack me. “Blake. His name is Blake, Daemon.”

“It’s okay, Katy,” he said, lips thin. “I’m a mess.”

“Then it’s solved.” I stood and Kat scooted out.

Everybody was all kinds of happy as Douche Bag took care of the check and our awesome threesome headed outside. I waited, oh so patiently, when she stopped by his car.

“I am so, so sorry,” she said.

I rolled my eyes.

“It’s okay. You didn’t knock the stuff on me.” Douche Bag looked at me, and I raised my brows. “Although that was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. But anyway, we’ll make up for it when I get back from break, okay?”

“Okay.” She started to give him a hug but halted.

Douche Bag laughed and then leaned in, kissing Kat, and it took everything in me not to pitch him into oncoming traffic. “I’ll call you,” he said.

Kat nodded as I walked to where I parked. Opening the door for her, I waited. “You ready?” I asked, and she stalked over to the car and climbed in, slamming the door. I frowned at her. “Hey. Don’t take your anger out on Dolly.”

“You named your car Dolly?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

She rolled her eyes.

I jogged around the front of the car and slid in. The moment I closed the door, Kat hauled off and legit punched me in the arm. “You are such a jerk! I know you did the glass and plate thing. That was so wrong!”

I held up my hands, unable to hold my laughter back any longer. “What? It was funny. The look on Bo’s face was priceless. And the kiss he gave you? What was that? I’ve seen dolphins give hotter kisses than that.”

“His name is Blake!” She punched my leg this time. “And you know it! I can’t believe you acted like that. And he doesn’t kiss like a dolphin!”

I snorted. “From what I’ve seen, he does.”

“You didn’t see the last time we kissed.”