Page 58 of Their Wicked Ways
“What time is the appointment?” I asked Ezra, looking up from my phone.
“Seven-forty.”
I did some mental math as Quinn, Zane, River, Gray, and Noah all said their goodbyes and left.
I had a few hours to kill between now and the appointment time. I could go home and relax for a bit, but I wasn’t in relax mode. I was hyped up and excited. I wanted todosomething. To recharge for my shift at the club instead of going home to stare at my phone and zone out until it was time to get ready.
“You look like you’re trying to solve the mysteries of the universe.”
Wes’s voice startled me out of my daze. I’d zoned out in the middle of the car lot. Awesome.
“What?” I shook my head with an embarrassed chuckle. “I was in my own little world there.”
“I could tell.” He came to stand next to me and leaned against my car. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I waved to Quinn as he drove away.
Now it was only the three of us.
“I can see your nose growing.”
“My what?” I asked Ezra.
“Nose growing, like Pinocchio.”
“Oh, right.” I paused. “Wait, did you just call me a liar?”
“Do the flaming pants fit?” Wes asked.
I paused again. “Okay, I got that one. Like liar, liar, pants on fire, right?”
“Yup.” Ez smiled.
Jesus, he was gorgeous. Both of them were, but there was something about the way Ez’s smiles transformed his face that was mesmerizing.
He had that dark-haired, tattooed and pierced bad boy look down when he was just existing, and he could work a smolder like no one else.
Seriously. He should give a masterclass on how to melt undies with a single look.
But his smiles were so bright and filled with joy that they softened his normally tough exterior and made him seem more like a tattooed and pierced teddy bear.
“I’m not lying. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just restless.”
“Restless?” Ez tilted his head to the side and studied me.
“Yeah. I don’t like waiting for things. It’s like my brain shuts down, and I spend the time in a mental waiting room. Can’t focus or do anything that requires thought until it’s time to do whatever I’m waiting for. I hate it.”
“I’m the same way,” Wes said. “And I also hate it. Are you late to things too? Like you spend so much time freaking out about when you have to get ready or leave, but then the time actually comes and your body and brain are like ‘You know what wouldbe a good idea right now? Sitting here and not doing the thing I’ve been waiting all day to do.’”
“I used to. Now I set a million alarms.” Opening my alarm app, I showed him the row of ones I’d set. “These are the ones for getting up. Then there’s a bunch for when I have to get my ass out the door so I can get to work on time.” I scrolled down the page. “And about a hundred others I turn on when I need them.”
“I should try that,” Wes mused. “I use that one as my alarm.” He pointed to Ez. “But I never thought of doing the countdown ones when I need to get my ass somewhere and don’t have him to keep me on track.”
“I started doing it when I had to get my siblings somewhere. The only way to keep them on schedule was to set countdown alarms and make a competition out of staying on time. They didn’t know it helped me as much as them.”
“I was that younger sibling who drove their brother crazy by always making us late.” Wes winced. “How many siblings do you have?”
“Nine.” I fiddled with the edge of my phone.