Free Mercy for the Wicked by Lisa Olsen Page B

He was the sweetest guy ever.  Weren’t you, pooky?” 
    “You’re buying a Jag?” My brows came up in surprise both at the story and the ‘pooky’.   
    “I’m thinking about it,” Parker tried to downplay it.
    “Remind me later to ask you for a raise,” I murmured, sticking my tongue out at him playfully when he pretended like he wanted to backhand me.  “And it was love at first sight, was it?  That’s so romantic,” I added, laying it on thick, mostly to watch Parker squirm. 
    Her pink nails raked across Parker’s chest, drawing his full attention back to her.  “It was very romantic.  Well… steamy at any rate.”  Her smile turned sly and she dropped me a wink.  “I don’t have to tell you, do I, sweetie?”
    Wait, did she think I was sleeping with Parker?  “I wouldn’t know,” I replied, but I wasn’t sure Sharona heard me anyway, she was too busy whispering something racy into Parker’s ear.  At least, I assumed it was racy from the look on his face and the way Parker’s hand slid around her waist. 
    I knew I had something unpleasant to do and I wavered back and forth, trying to decide if it was any of my business or if I should leave matters alone.  But what would you do?  If you knew with absolute certainty that your friend was about to be hurt by someone who didn’t give a damn about him, would you sit back and let it happen? 
    Clearing my throat, I slid the drink across the bar.  “Here you go, a seven and seven with sugar on the rim and three maraschino cherries, enjoy.  Ah, Parker… do you think I could talk to you for a minute?”
    “Not now, Merce, I’m busy.”  Parker didn’t even look at me, too interested in looking down the side of her top.
    “That’s alright, pooky.  I’m going to the little girl’s room, I’ll be right back.”  Sharona took a sip of the drink through the teeny, tiny straw, making a silly noise as she drank.  “Good job, sweetie, really yummy.” I felt like a dog that had just been patted.  Parker watched her sashay away, and I had to reach over the bar to tug at his shirt to get his attention. 
    “Really?  Come on Parker, you can do so much better than that,” I hissed as soon as she was out of earshot.
    “Don’t start…”
    “We’re such ‘old friends’, who else is gonna have the guts to tell you she’s a gold-digger.”
    “You don’t know that.”
    “Oh please, she picked you up at a Jag dealership!”
    “She happens to have her own money.”
    “That doesn’t mean she’s not after yours,” I retorted, dropping my voice again before I started to get carried away.
    “You don’t even know her.”
    I could hardly tell him I was reading her soul.  “Call it… feminine intuition.  I can tell she’s not a good person.”
    “Yeah well, based on your behavior tonight, I wouldn’t say your judgment is ringing any bells,” he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair.  “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were jealous.”
    “Jealous?” I blinked, shocked he would say such a thing.  “When have I ever been jealous of any of the bimbos you’ve brought around before?”
    “And yet the first time I bring by someone with style and class, you go apeshit on me.  Is that what it is, Mercy?  All of a sudden when I meet someone I could really care about, you decide you want a turn?”
    “Is that what you told her?  Is that why she looked at me like I was your old discarded goods?  Come on, Parker, you don’t honestly care about that piece of trash do you?”
    “That’s enough!” His hand slammed down on the bar, hard enough to make me jump.  “Go home.  You’re of no use to me like this.  And when you come back, be prepared to show a little respect for me and my girlfriend, or don’t come back at all.”
    I stared at him, stunned by the angry physical response as well as the words that stung even more.  “Fine.” I peeled off my apron, tossing it into the dirty glass hopper.