Denying The Bad Boy (Tattooed and Pierced #2) Read Online Free Page B

With
her house just a few blocks from the coffee shop she worked at, Mary usually
opted to just walk, but only if the weather permitted. As soon as she walked
into Just One More Cup, the trendy yet retro styled coffee shop, the scent of
coffee beans and freshly baked goods filled her nose. It was going on eight in
the morning, and already the interior was packed with college students. The few
tables that they had were already filled with people, their books splayed out
in front of them, and what was most likely already their second cup of coffee
in front of them.
    Polly, a newer barista who had only started about
two weeks ago, looked frazzled as she wrote down every customer’s order. Mary
smiled and headed toward the counter. Polly let out a relieved sigh and stepped
aside so Mary could take her place.
    “Thank God you’re here. I am about to rip out my
hair.” Mary grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. “Kristen called off
sick, and I have been here for only half an hour and am already about to walk
out.”
    “You should have called me. I would have come in
sooner.”
    Polly twisted her apron in her hands.
    “Anyway, I’m here now, so don’t sweat it. Mark comes
in at noon, and he is the fastest barista here.” She gave Polly a reassuring
smile and turned toward the girl waiting impatiently on the other side of the
counter. “Sorry about that. What can I get you?”
    “Caramel latte, extra foam, and I’d like cinnamon on
the top.” The girl rattled off her order, slapped a five dollar bill on the
counter, and immediately went back to texting on her phone.
    Polly wasn’t very good at taking the orders, but she
was pretty efficient at making the drinks. They did that for the next few
hours, and when the morning rush died down a bit Mary was able to slip in the
back for a short break. She sat her ass down on a box and breathed out. She was
tired, her feet hurt already, and all she wanted to do was go home and sleep the
rest of the day away. Of course that wouldn’t be happening.   She had to help a freshman understand
calculus, and God did she hate math. It was a curse and a blessing that she
excelled in subjects, though, because at least she could use it to support herself.
Mary didn’t even drink coffee, and in fact she loathed even the smell of it,
but the tips were decent, and the extra money went a long way in helping her.
    She finished off the rest of her shift, and headed
to the backroom again to change into something that was not stained in
cappuccinos and lattes. Lifting her hand in a wave to Mark and Polly, she
headed back down High Street and to her house. She’d only have an hour to relax
before she had to head out again, but it was an hour she was looking forward
to. The only problem was the entire morning she had one image ingrained in her
head, and that image was of a bad boy named Alex Sheppard. It was like running
into him had made everything so much worse, and even if it had only been last
night she was already getting sick of wanting him. She had to keep reminding
herself that anything that had to do with him was only going to end up costing
her a whole lot of grief in the long run, which when it all came down to it was
a ludicrous thought since there wasn’t even anything going on between them.
Ugh, she should just check herself into an insane asylum, or maybe join the
Alex Sheppard fan club, because this shit was getting ridiculous.

Chapter
Three
     
    “Damn, that fucking sucks, man.” Alex sat across
from Racer at their kitchen table. He glared at his roommate, but kept his
mouth shut. Yeah, it did fucking suck, and he didn’t need or want someone else
pointing it out. “What are you going to do? You kick ass on the field, and
putting you on probation is really going to put a hurt on the team.”
    Alex ran a hand over his hair and breathed out. “I
don’t know what the fuck to do. Coach said I have to get my average up if I
want to play again, and when I talked to the