Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I say.
“No,” Dad answers dryly, shooting me a look.
“I want the sunset lemonade,” Parker volunteers.
“I’ll have white wine,” Gemma says.
“Iced tea,” I say.
“Make that two,” Dad adds. “And we’re going to get an appetizer.”
“The grilled octopus,” I say before he can continue.
The waitress nods and starts to write it down, but just as the nub touches her notepad, Parker swats me in the stomach and says, “No, don’t write that down.” Glaring at me, she says, “Are you serious?”
“What?” I ask innocently. “Maybe I like octopus. Maybe it’s my favorite thing in the world.”
“It isn’t,” my father says firmly, shooting me a look across the table. “You don’t even like octopus. We aren’t ordering it.”
Jenna is confused, so I tell her, “Some of us have very strong feelings about octopuses.” I glance at Parker. “Octopi?”
“Both are acceptable, but the correct way to pluralize it is octopuses. Octopus isn’t truly Latin, it was a word borrowed from the Greeks, so there’s no need to change it to octopi when using the plural form.”
I nod, looking back at the waitress. “She’s the octopus expert. My expertise is with a different kind of pus.”
Her teeth sink into her bottom lip as she bites back a little smile, her eyes glinting with amusement. I give her a little wink, and her cheeks bloom with color.
Growling with annoyance, Parker pushes me and starts to slide in my direction with the force of a steamroller.
I don’t realize until she’s practically on my lap and saying, “Move,” that she wants out.
It’s hell passing up an opportunity to grab her ass and make her regret pushing herself on me, but I can’t make a move like that at the table unless I want to raise alarms so high, I won’t be able to get away with shit.
Gemma’s doe-eyes are wide and set on her daughter.
Parker murmurs, “I have to pee,” but I know she just hates seeing me flirt.
I’m feeling pretty fucking smug about it, so I move out of her way, but I stay in the way enough that she has to brush her ass against me to move out from behind the table.
I laugh to myself a little as she huffs and strides away without looking back.
Dad shoots me an unamused look as I take my seat again.
“What?” I ask innocently.
“Do you have to taunt her?”
“I do. I have a quota to meet.”
The waitress clears her throat. “So, no octopus then?”
“No octopus,” my father confirms. “We’ll take the charcuterie board and a basket of bread.”
I roll my eyes, then tell whoever cares, “I need to take a piss.”
Gemma, transparently afraid I’m going after her daughter, says, “I should go with Parker and wash my hands, too.”
I smirk as I stand, but don’t bother looking back to see if she’s following me.
I don’t go to the bathroom, either.
I can get Parker alone at home anytime I want, so I don’t need to do it in a place like this where the chances of getting caught are so much higher.
Instead, I take a lap by the bar, and when the bartender is facing away from me, I reach back and help myself to a bottle. Then I head outside to put a nice dent in it while I watch the sun disappear into the ocean.
Chapter Six
Parker
“Are we ready to order yet, or do you need some more time?”
This is the third time the waitress has approached the table for our order since Landon disappeared.
“We need just another minute or two,” Mom says apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries,” the waitress says brightly. “I’ll circle back in a few more minutes.”
The waitress walks away for the third time, and Hayden looks at his watch. “This is ridiculous,” he says, pushing his chair back. “I’m going to see if he’s in the bathroom. We’re not making her come back again.”
“Okay,” Mom says with a little nod.
Once Hayden is gone, she looks across the table at me, her smile frail and doubtful. “Great first family dinner, huh?”
“I’m mentally collecting things for the scrapbook page as we speak.”
“It seems Landon is in an unpleasant mood.”
“That is his permanent state,” I inform her. “It’s fine. If he doesn’t order this time, maybe we should have Hayden order something he knows he likes and just take it home for him.”
Looking around, she says, “I don’t see how we can leave until we find him. We can’t just leave him here without a way home. We all came together.”
“Honestly, knowing Landon, he’s already gone. He only wanted to come to dinner to annoy me. Once his mission was accomplished, he probably texted Malek and had him come pick him up.”
“Without telling us?”
Mom is shocked that anyone would behave in such a way.
Clearly, I’ve spoiled her.
I crack a smile, reaching for an almond and a sliver of cheese. “This is so good. At least the pickled stuff doesn’t disappoint.” To further my point, I grab a slice of pickled peach and pop it into my mouth. Who knew that would be good? “Aside from their monstrous disregard for octopuses, the chef is a genius.”