The night before had been fraught with nerves, and Miller had held me throughout.
I was nervous to be seen.
Life went on like it’d never even happened, yet I still got looks.
An inconspicuous glance here, a sly glance there. They thought I didn’t see, but I did.
And I wanted to kick their ass.
Even the bitch, Sarah Higgins, who was currently sitting across the diner from me snickering into her menu as she spoke to her husband, Devon Higgins.
I pulled out my phone and texted Miller, even though I knew he was working today.
Hey, he said to text him anytime! This counted, right?
Mercy Me- I’m getting made fun of by two grown adults. One of which is the man I dated in high school.
Miller answered nearly immediately.
Miller Genuine- Where are you?
Mercy Me- Catfish Charlie’s.
His response took longer than I thought it would, so I put the phone into my pocket and started to fish out some money for the drink I’d ordered.
I’d yet to get any food because the waitress was too busy talking to her fellow coworkers and casting me covert glances when she thought I wasn’t looking.
Well, my first solo outing had turned into a big pile of shit. Maybe I wouldn’t be going to the Greater Business League of Kilgore’s big dinner tonight. In fact, I might come down with a stomach bug between now and then. Especially when Devon got up and started heading my way.
Fuck!
He slid into the booth on the other side of me and smiled his ‘I’m so charming’ smile. It was the one that had gotten him every girl he’d ever wanted…everyone except for me.
He would’ve gotten me, too, had I not overheard him talking to his friends about how he was going to ‘tap that bean-pole’ after the football game.
Now, I know that I’m not the curviest woman on the block, and eleven years ago I was even worse. But you didn’t act like that. Not when you’d sweet-talked the girl into going out with you with your silver tongue.
He’d been pissed when I’d stood him up for his date, and then had refused to talk to him anymore. I think it was more because his ego was bruised rather than him being truly upset.
He’d gotten over it quite quickly, mostly by fucking the most popular girl in school, Sarah Higgins. They’d been married for a long time now, and had three beautiful kids that they ignored.
“Devon,” I greeted him neutrally.
He grinned, giving me a glimpse of his straight white teeth.
“How are you feeling, Mercy?” He asked casually.
Way too casually. He was either fishing for something, or here to rub my nose in it.
“I’m fine. Your wife looks pissed that you’re over here,” I said, chancing a look in Sarah’s direction to see her glaring daggers at me.
Jesus, but the woman really hated me! It’s not like I ever went out with him! I accepted a date, and then never went! That should be the end of it, yet it wasn’t. The rivalry had gone on for nearly eleven years now.
I got a new car, she got the same kind but with more options on it.
I got a new house, she bought the one next door and added an addition on it.
I went to the community college to get my business degree, she went to a four year college and got her bachelor’s degree in the same.
On and on it went. Sure, they could be coincidences, but they weren’t. I knew she was doing it just to show me that she could.
I wasn’t even anything.
I still couldn’t understand it.
Why me?
“She and I have a bet. She says you have a boyfriend and I told her the boyfriend was the one…”
His words froze in his mouth as he got a look at something over my shoulder.
“Move,” Miller’s very pissed off voice said.
In fact, words couldn’t even do justice to how pissed off he looked.
Devon startled.
I did as well.
Miller just kind of showed up out of nowhere. I hadn’t even heard the bell on the door jingle with his entrance.
Devon stood slowly to his full height.
I’d always thought that Devon was what I would consider ‘big’ and ‘built.’
That was until I saw Miller, in the next moment, make his way up to within inches of Devon.
It was like night and day.
Devon wasn’t built. Miller was built.
He looked unbelievably sexy.
I’d also thought the same that morning when I’d seen him dress.
I’d watch the meticulous process from start to finish, me in the middle of the bed with my comforter up over my shoulders and around my front.
He’d started first with a basic pair of white socks.
Then he’d put on his underwear, followed by these black pants that had to have at least a million pockets.
Then he’d started filling those pockets. Wallet, phone, keys with no less than fifteen keys, clips filled with bullets, change, and what looked like a Leatherman, but he’d called it a Raptor or something.
Then he’d started on the gun belt, and I’d watched, just as enraptured, as he put on the different odds and ends onto his belt.
He’d followed the belt up with a white t-shirt, a Kevlar vest, and a plain black polo.
He was in much the same as he’d left with this morning, except now his shirt was covered in what looked like dirt, and he had a small tear where the shirt buttoned.
Then I started to take closer stock of his body, comparing him to Devon, and I was in awe.
Devon had been the high school football star, and had kept up the body he’d had in high school, even going as far as to add on more muscle. He wasn’t a small man, but compared to Miller, he looked like a freakin’ runt.
Miller’s muscles bulged as he raised up his arm and held his pointer finger only millimeters from Devon’s chest. “How about you keep your bullshit to yourself, and the next time you think to come and harass my girl, you think twice. Maybe think about what it’ll feel like to have my fist planted in that pretty little face? Hmm?”