Dirty Deeds by Stella Rhys

15

ALY

Evie’s dress was tight, short and a blush pink color that bordered on nude. It was a perfect match with the Louboutins on my feet, which Drew raised his eyebrows at as he helped me out of the car.

“Yeah, I don’t know how you girls walk in those, but I’m not complaining,” he chuckled, his green eyes sweeping up my legs before he put a hand on my back and ushered me into the restaurant.

The second we walked through the doors, eyes were on us because, well, Drew. But since we had so much immediate attention, I did my best to look less nervous and more excited. I mean I’d technically been wanting to come here for awhile. The name of the restaurant was Cantina. They were known for their lobster tacos and being the town’s toughest reservation – mostly because celebrities like Drew Maddox liked to spend their Friday nights there.

“I take it you come here a lot?” I said, making crappy conversation as Drew and I bypassed the massive wait at the door. As we followed the hostess to our table, I could feel the eyes of the crowd following us – or maybe just Drew.

“Yeah, we’ve been coming here pretty much twice a week,” he said as I let myself take him in for the first time tonight.

He looked like a Viking with his long-ish dark blond hair and massive build. He was about the same height as Emmett, but his muscle wasn’t nearly as lean. It bulged against the light grey shirt he was wearing and made me wonder if he was even comfortable under there.

I mean he definitely could’ve gone a half-size up on the shirt, I thought before scrunching up my face at myself. Because that’s what you should be doing right now – criticizing the way Drew Maddox dresses. I shook my head, trying to physically shake away my negative thoughts. Seriously, why are you being so weird? I asked myself though in the back of my head, I knew the answer.

I was nitpicking Drew to explain to myself why I wasn’t completely thrilled to be here.

I wasn’t even a little excited. I felt restless and antsy – like I had unfinished business hanging in the air. All I wanted was to go home, but I didn’t even know what that meant because I certainly didn’t think of the motel when I thought of home, and I wasn’t thinking of Evie’s place either.

Which meant I was probably thinking of Emmett’s.

Really?I asked myself. For God’s sake, I had been the one to push him away. I had been the one convinced that I couldn’t be around him because he made me feel like shit. But for the past twenty-four hours, I’d been questioning my reality as I knew it.

Because with Emmett’s harsh words yesterday, I felt the dam starting to break.

I’d built it ages ago to keep away the truth, but now it was starting to seep through me, forcing me to realize that maybe I had in fact altered the story for my own sake.

That maybe Emmett wasn’t the bad guy.

And I was just an idiot in denial.

Fuck, I cursed, completely overwhelmed and steeped in my own paranoia till Drew laughed to break me out of my haze.

“Well, shit. What do you know,” he said. I blinked up at him.

“Huh?”

“Should’ve figured. The whole crew’s here,” he said, nodding over at the group of beautiful people at the bar.

My pulse picked up the second I looked over at the wall of well-dressed guys and willowy girls in mini-skirts and giant heels. There had to be almost a dozen people there, laughing, drinking and having a glamorously fabulous time.

But all I saw was that V-shaped back I knew too well.

Emmett’s.

Holy shit.

He was here but crazier than that was the fact that I was – wait was I? My eyes fluttered when I realized I was relieved. Practically happy to see him.

“Shall we go say hi?” Drew asked.

“Okay,” I blurted, a bit dazed as I let my heeled feet float over to the bar.

And just like that, I was walking voluntarily toward Emmett, my heart pounding as I waited for him to notice me. But instead, a figure in a red dress burst out from the group to greet us first, and my heart sank when I realized who it was.

Britt Heatherton.

“Drewsie-poo!” Britt gasped, arms outstretched.

“Christ, that nickname sucks,” Drew said, letting her lean in for a kiss as Emmett turned around in his chair.

My heart pounded the moment those blue eyes landed on me, because I wasn’t used to this look on him. His gaze devoured me on contact. It flickered over the sweetheart neckline of my dress before landing on my single layer of lipstick. But that lasted all of a second before he turned away, his face devoid of even a twitch of expression till Drew greeted him.

“Hey, asshole,” Drew laughed, holding out a hand for that handshake-hug thing that guys just naturally did. It prompted an unreadable look from Emmett, though his lips did slightly curve into some kind of smirk as he eyed Drew.

“What’s up,” Emmett said just as Britt stopped sizing me up and suddenly gasped.

“Whoa. Wait. Seafood Girl?” She clasped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t even realize it was you! Omigod! Who would’ve guessed that you could clean up so well?”

Drew snorted as I stared at her.

“Thanks. I’m sure.”

“Oh, it’s a compliment! Duh,” Britt giggled, her bright eyes on me as she wrapped her lithe arms around Emmett’s neck. “So funny that you’re here because E and I were just saying how we’re the only two who haven’t eaten yet. So if you’ve got extra room at your table…” She trailed off to give two exaggerated winks while literally narrating herself. “Wink, wink. Hint, hint. What do you say, Drewy?”

“I’m sure that’s fine.”

My eyebrows went up at the reply, and it took a second for me to realize that it hadn’t come from Drew but from me. I blushed as all three heads turned to me.

“Yeah?” Drew said, looking surprised but delighted. I caught the smirk he shot Emmett before saying, “Shit, Ellie’s right. This could be fun.”

I would’ve reacted to the fact that he got my name wrong, but I was too distracted by Emmett’s stare and Britt’s ridiculously high-pitched squeal.

“Yay, yay! Double date! Double date!” she chanted, hugging Emmett’s arm between her boobs before leaning over to whisper something to him. I should’ve looked away, but all I did was return the empty stare Emmett pinned on me as Britt giggled with her lips so close to his ear that I was convinced she might lick it. Heat rushed to my cheeks because when she finished whatever she was saying, I spotted the slightest hint of a smile curve Emmett’s lips.

It was barely there, but my heart pounded and my brain went into overdrive.

They had sex before they came here.

Or they’re planning on having sex when they leave.

Maybe they already had sex in the bathroom.

I was so on edge so instantly that I jumped when Drew touched my back.

“Shall we? The hostess is waiting,” he said, draping a heavy arm over my shoulders and bringing me over to our corner booth for four.

My body was rigid as we walked ahead of Emmett and Britt, and I did my best to eavesdrop on whatever he was muttering to her, but all I heard was her giggling response.

“Why, dirty boy? So you can stare at my ass?”

Ugh.

What the hell did I just get myself into?