Free Prodigal Son by Jayna King

too suspicious.
    Luke finished the rest of his beer while I wrapped up my side work, making sure that the bar was in better shape than it had been when I’d come in the day before. We chatted a bit, but he seemed a little subdued after I refused his offer to take me out for dinner. He asked for the check, and I printed it and put it on the bar in front of him.
    “Luke, I’m glad you came in to tell me about finding your parents. I’m so happy for you that it went well.”
    “You’re very sweet, Krystal. I hope that your boyfriend — or whatever you call him — appreciates you.”
    I smiled. “Thanks again for the invitation for tonight. You have no idea how much I wish I could go.”
    “That makes two of us, but I’ll just look forward to Friday.”
    “Me, too.”
    Luke put some cash down on the check, and he waved as he walked away. I noticed that I wasn’t the only woman watching the tall, blond man cross the room, and I hoped that he wouldn’t meet some gorgeous woman who actually had her shit together before Friday. I just knew that if Luke realized how screwed up my head was, that he’d run and never look back.
    Without thinking, I automatically picked up the cash and took it to the register to close out the check.
    “Holy shit,” I said when I looked at the denomination of the bill Luke had set down. He’d left me a hundred dollar bill on a six-dollar tab. Adding up the tips I’d already made, I realized that I had enough to pay some bills and probably even have enough to set a little aside for the summer class I wanted to take. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Luke’s leaving so much money, though. I might be desperate, but I didn’t want a man to think he could buy me.
    I picked up my phone.
    You left $100 on the bar. I’ll give you ur change on Friday.
    I got back to work and was about to leave when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
    Left it on purpose, but if you want, you can buy a round of beers at the game.
    Deal :-)
    Luke didn’t seem pissed, and I’d made my point, I hoped.
    After my shift was over, I got a sandwich to go since I figured that Bug wouldn’t be taking me out to dinner and I knew that I didn’t have anything to eat at home. It could be a long night if Bug planned to drink all night, and there was no way he’d let me leave early. He liked to show me off to his brothers.
    After I wolfed down my dinner, I looked in the mirror and decided that I could use another shower. After having had Luke ask me out, I was feeling pretty good about myself, and I decided that I was gonna wow Bug. If he was an asshole, I’d just walk out of the clubhouse. He could either chase me or let me go, but I was starting to think that his bullshit wasn’t really worth it at the end of the day. Even without Luke’s crazy tip, I’d had a good day, and if I could up my tips a little, I thought I could pay for school and manage to pay my bills.
    I felt fierce, and I was gonna find an outfit to match my attitude.

Chapter 11
    Luke
    I’ d felt so elated when I walked into Krystal’s bar and saw that she seemed genuinely happy to see me, and now I just felt like an idiot for having asked her out for dinner. She obviously had a boyfriend, even if she insisted that the situation was complicated. I knew better than to get drawn in by a pretty face — and a fantastic ass, in her case —but there was something about Krystal that called to me. Sexual attraction aside, she seemed sweet and a little sad all at the same time, and I felt compelled to try to make her happy, give her something to smile about.
    I needed to grow up.
    “If she’s interested in me, she knows how to get hold of me,” I said to myself, unaware that the person standing at the bus stop was watching me walk and talk to myself.
    No sooner had I spoken than my phone chimed.
    You left $100 on the bar. I’ll give you ur change on Friday.
    I hadn’t really thought it through when I dropped the big bill for the beer, but I realized