CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE

When the Clyde character was done giving me the up and down scrutiny, he nods at Jerome before returning to his table. Instead of sitting where he sat earlier, he took the seat opposite, where he could continue to scrutinize me.

I didn't miss Jerome's curious stare, because I'm just as curious as he is.

Jerome dragged a table and joined it with the one I'm at.

Clapping his hand in excitement, "I've ordered burgers and drinks, all around." Jerome informs me.

Raising my eyebrows curiously at him, "got a pocket full of money?" I enquired, suddenly realizing, I don't give Jerome an allowance or any money at all.

Chuckling, "oh, this is on you!" He laughs, "and trust me, the order is big" he continues. "Plus I ordered for Jamie, so believe me, it's big." He smiling in contentment.

Jerome and Jamie, are so easy to please and isn't high maintenance, something I've always admired about Jamie, but I'm now noticing the same about her brother.

Jamie!

And Clyde?

"So that guy" I nod in Clyde's direction "had a thing for Jamie?" I asked, sitting back and staring at him with folded arms.

Chuckling, "jealous?" Jerome retorts.

Shrugging, "like you said, " I didn't waste time, I've got the girl." I reminded him with a smirk.

With a slight shrug, "we would all hang out here as teenagers, when he had a thing for Jamie" he was saying, totally captivating my attention, because call me possessive, but I suddenly felt an uneasiness in my chest.

Is that jealousy?

Jerome stop at that leaving me intrigue, "and?" I prompted him impatiently.

Giving me an innocent smirk, "and what?" Jerome teased me and for the first time ever, I felt like throttling him.

"You know I'm packing, right?" I mocked him and he just laughed it off,

Laughing, "and apparently, you don't realize, I am too." He retorted, playfully.

Nodding, with a turned down smirk, "hmm, there seem to be a lot I don't know" I responded casually, "I hope your sister's comfortable with that." I shrugged, looking around for the food, because the aroma in here was opening my appetite.

Jerome's eyes widen, but he quickly blinks it away, "she'd want me to be safe and maybe save your life if I have to," he shrugs, while the hungry guys around the table, bellowed into laughter.

"We'll see" I promised and his eyes widen again. "Just get the food you ordered and get me some whiskey." I responded, giving him a smug look.

Frowning, he gets up and heads towards the counter where he starts chatting with an elderly man and nods in my direction.

The man nods and goes into a room behind the counter while Jerome returns to his seat, beside me.

"Told him you're paying for the bottle." Jerome informs me and I nod in agreement, "even if you don't empty it." Jerome was saying when one of the guys erupted into laughter.

"Does he really think, we would not empty the bottle, right here, right now?" Coil asks Jerome jokingly.

Shrugging, "I didn't give it much thought." Jerome responds, "but if I'm allowed a few shots, I could help empty it faster" Jerome adds and this time I am the one laughing out loud.

"In your f**king dreams" I smirked.

Smiling back at me, "think how funny Jamie would find it, that you prefered to come here to eat than come home to her." He says casually, as a waitress comes with trays of burgers and starts placing them in front of us, interrupting our conversation, I'm not done with yet.

The elderly gentleman returned with a bottle of Jack Daniels and I smiled in appreciation, but he only bought six shot glasses.

The guys started laughing because, Jerome being the only one under aged was left out.

Gazing around at us angrily, Jerome nods to a waitress, who quickly returns to the table and leaves with a coy smile, after hearing with Jerome has to say.

We took our first shot, while Jerome dug into his burger hungrily, smiling happily when the waitress returned with a teacup for Jerome, plus a waters and soft drinks for each of us.

Taking the whiskey off the table, Jerome smiles mischievously, "he who laughs last, laughs best," he says, raising the teacup now filled with more than a shot and dunked it.

Wincing from the sting of the drink for a brief moment, then turns to me, "you were saying?" He challenged me.

Ignoring him I took another shot before digging into my burger, which is really good.

We ate in silence for a few minutes when Jerome took the whiskey of the table again and I watched him shot another large drink.

"Your sister isn't going to blame me for this, I hope you know that." I warned him.

Without saying a word, we continued eating in silence, until I had consumed the three burgers on my plate.

Leaning back, I massaged my stomach, "f**k, I was starving." I mutter.

Coil, whose plate was also empty, spoke after emptying his bottle of water, "told you it was great," he chuckles.

I turned to Jerome, who by my count has taken more shots than me, but was laughing and goofing around at the counter with the waitress who give him the teacup.

A tipsy Coil, turns to me, "how is that motherf**ker still standing so straight, when I am ready to fall asleep?" He says nodding at Jerome.

Returning to the table, "okay guys, it's about daylight, you ready?" He asks me, looking around the table.

Lightheaded, with the high I needed before returning home. I nod and shifted the table Jerome added to slide out.

Pulling out my wallet, "where's the bill?" I asked, looking expectantly across at Jerome.

Smiling, "it's covered." He confirms, as the same waitress returned holding two bags filled with the aroma of burgers.

Smiling up at Jerome, "tell Leah, George says this order is on him." She says nodding to the elderly man, who waved at us, with a broad smile.