Control You by Jennifer Snyder Page A

sometimes,” Eva seethed, beating me to the punch on calling him out. Damn, we were so much alike sometimes it was scary.
    “I haven’t been there since I was twenty-one,” I stated, glaring at Craig around Paige. “And it was pretty cool, but an intense place to be, especially at night.”
    The waiter came back and finally took everyone’s meal order. The service in this place was crummy. I gulped down a few swigs of my margarita and glanced at Eva. She was in a heavy conversation with Lauren and Blaire. The bracelet I’d given her tonight looked great on her. It even matched the red in her printed top. Thinking of a printed top reminded me of my earlier conversation with Paige.
    “Were you able to think any more about what you want your store to be like?” I asked Paige. She was fiddling with the torn edge of her napkin in her lap, smiling at everything everyone was saying.
    “No, not really.” Her eyes snapped to me, and I got the impression she didn’t want to discuss the shop further. “It’s just something I’ll have to think about.”
    “Okay.” I held her stare. “What about the coffee shop? Did they ever call you back to let you know about the job?”
    Her face tensed and she opened her mouth to say something, but Craig cut her off.
    “What job?” He shifted to narrow his eyes at Paige. “Did you apply for a new job and not mention anything to me about it? I thought you worked at that place on Connor Street.”
    “Umm, they fired me like a week ago,” Paige muttered. She crinkled her nose. “I really suck at selling Christian novels and Bibles.”
    “Christian novels and Bibles, huh?” I chuckled at the thought of chic-dressing Paige crammed into a store surrounded by religious trinkets and Bibles she was forced to sell.
    “That’s not even the best place she’s worked. You should have seen her when she attempted to sell kitchen appliances. She didn’t even know what half the things she was selling were!” Blaire shouted. Her drink must have been getting to her already, because her words were loud and slightly slurred. Damn, Paige hung around some lightweights.
    “I had to Google how to work half of them on my breaks just to learn without looking stupid to the guys I worked with.” Paige laughed. It was a sweet sound—one that was contagious.
    “Oh, remember when she worked at the bait and tackle store?” Lauren chimed in.
    Paige covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God, don’t even remind me.”
    “Wow, sounds like you know how to hold a job,” Craig muttered in a clipped tone. What a pissant.
    “Jesus, fucktard, sounds like you need a nap.” I reached around Paige and smacked him in the back of the head.
    “No, I just need you to leave. Go back to wherever you came from, Cam. You’re not welcome here. Not by me.” He stood and reached for Paige’s hand. “I’m ready to go.”
    “Umm, okay.” Paige frowned. “Can we at least get our food to go?”
    “Calm down. Sit.” I stood and locked eyes with Craig. “Sit, damn it. I’ll go. You two stay and eat. Come on, Eva.”
    Eva slapped her palms down across the tabletop and sighed. “Well, it was nice meeting you guys.”
    “Sorry to cause a scene.” I looked right at Paige as I spoke. “Enjoy your meal.”
    Eva looped her arm through mine and we headed to the exit.
    “What had him all wound up?” Eva asked as the doors to outside came into view. “That girl of his is way too good for him. He needs someone as fake as he is—someone like Genevieve.”
    I laughed so hard I nearly snorted. “I know, right?”
    “She’s perfect for you though,” Eva insisted. Her words sent a cold shiver down my spine.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    She tilted her head to the side. Her hair spilled over her shoulder and brushed against my arm. “Don’t play me, Cam. I know you like her. In fact, if I didn’t know you any better, I’d say she’s the reason you’re staying in town right now. Normally, the