I sprayed a cloud and took two steps, sprayed another and took two more. I arrived in the service area and said, “Bye-bye.” I waved and pointed at the door.
He pointed at the steins that were already perfectly clean.
“No.” I shook my head. “Please go home and take care of yourself.” I pointed again at the door.
Joe arched backward and gave a whole-body sneeze. I ducked and covered my head with my arm as I sprayed the air above me with the disinfectant, hoping the droplets that were landing on my head and bare skin was the Lysol. Please, God, let it be the Lysol.
With the saddest face I’ve ever seen on him, and drooping shoulders of defeat, Joe hung up his apron and with a sigh, moved out the door.
“Feel better!” I called. “I’ll see you soon.”
I emptied the Lysol can into the air. Shit, I had no dishwasher tonight.
Someone knocked, and I went to open the door for Connor and Kay…and looky here, the Ice Queen had come along for the ride. Twinkles looked her in the eye and growled. I bent over to grab his collar—as if I could stop Twinkles if he took a lunge. He outweighed me, and I didn’t really care if he tackled Ashley or not. “Twinkles, if she offers you any Turkish Delights, don’t eat them,” I whispered. That was a little piece of advice I picked up from Edmund when I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in my high school English Lit class. I had counseled Connor the same way back then. But sadly, he didn’t follow my advice. He’d let Ashley slip him some candy, and now he was under her evil spell. I wholeheartedly believed that was true, because Connor deserved so much better than Ashley and her damned resting bitch face. Boy, would I love to smack some of the nasty right off her. She’d probably feel better for it, too.
Kay probably picked up my thoughts in the ether. She caught my eye and shook her head. For Connor’s sake, I bit my tongue and moved back to let them in. Connor barely got inside when Twinkles shook my hand off his neck and head-butted Connor’s hip until Connor sat on the floor with his back to the side of the booth. Twinkles climbed into Connor’s lap like he was a tiny puppy and rested his jowls over Connor’s shoulder. Connor rubbed Twinkles’ back like he was a toddler being put down for a nap. And Twinkles was clearly in Heaven.
Ashley had moved over to Daphne. “I came down to see this thing after catching the video online. She really does look so real.” Ashley reached out to touch Daphne’s cheek. She looked back at me. “Okay, that’s all,” she said. She headed toward Connor but when she got within arm’s length, her presence roused Twinkles from lullaby land. He growled at her approach, turning his head to bare his teeth and most of his gums. It stopped her mid-step.
Good boy. You get a juicy bone for that.
“Love-muffins,” she crooned from the middle of the room. “I know you’ll be here for a few hours, but don’t forget, we’re to meet Daddy at the golf club tomorrow. Early to bed, early to rise.” She kissed her hand, then waved it at each of us. I threw up a little in my mouth.
This girl had a way of rubbing her wealth in people’s faces. It wasn’t actually her money—it had trickled down the Randolph DNA chain and pooled in her parents’ bank account. Her parents’ money and connections had landed her a job at a big financial firm downtown. She was an up and comer. Just like my lunch.
9
It didn’t take long from the neon sign to start flashing OPEN for the bar to fill up. Terrance was there playing King of the Internet, whooping it up and getting people involved in various drinking games he’d come up with. The one that was keeping me the busiest was the staring contest, where whoever laughed first took a shot. The more they drank, the shorter the time between pours.
Connor was in charge of the key basket. As people were getting toward the questionable zone, they’d get a free snack of their choice put in front of them in exchange for their name, phone number, address, and car keys. I’d be hailing Lyft later to take them home. Or they’d show up sheepishly tomorrow to retrieve their keys. If they didn’t hand over their keys, they got stamped with a day-glow dot on their hand and were cut off for the rest of the night. If someone started buying drinks for them, they were both escorted out. “Them’s the rules, folks.” I was not sending anyone out in the streets and putting others in danger to make a buck. But most people understood, and it was a good time. Busy. But good.
Music pumped, booze flowed, and there was barely standing room inside with the crowd spilling out into the garden area Hooch had never gotten a chance to use. Thank god for the cheap garden umbrella and dollar-store tea lights to illuminate the place. Combine that with some tiki torches against the mosquitos and, voila, atmosphere.
From the dress and style of those who showed up, we’d pulled in revelers from the happy hour places farther downtown in the business district, as well as the college kids, and some of the hipsters, too. Not too many had the swagger of a man who wore a blue uniform, but that was okay, too. Tonight was about making that cash register sing, and I was liking her tune.
Around ten-fifteen, the door opened again, and it was Channel 13’s news crew. I rushed forward to greet them.
“Are you the manager?” Chloe Adams, the news anchor, asked. She stuck out her hand for a shake.
“Yes, welcome. Can I buy you and your crew a drink?”
“No, thank you. We need to fill some air tonight at eleven. We thought we’d come down and meet Daphne.”
I extended my hand, and we moved toward the bar.
In and out, the news crew was efficient.
Kay came to my side. “How’d it go?”
“To tell the truth, I have no idea what they asked or what I said, I was so nervous. But I did point at Daphne and talk about how she was wonderful. I sounded drunk for sure.”
“Well, maybe they’ll have time to do some editing.”
I glanced around at my patrons. “We look like a college bar. There is no way we’re going to draw in the right clientele from this.”
“And by right, I’m assuming you mean cops? Bobbi Jax, you worry too much. This place is packed.” She dragged a soothing hand down my arm. “You look beat. Maybe you should take five, have a drink, and watch the crowd some.”
I took Kay’s advice and poured myself a cola with a splash of lime. I leaned against the prep counter and surveyed the crowd. I liked the laughter. I liked the noise. What I didn’t particularly like was that Ashley kept texting Connor. I could tell it was her because he made the B.O. face every time he looked down at his phone. Finally, he turned it off and shoved it in his back pocket.
As Connor blended into the crowd, another guy caught my attention. Unlike the others who were dressed for a casual evening, this guy was dressed for an important date. I looked around to see what the object of his affections looked like. And his gaze was glued to Daphne.
He shouldered his way over to her. Approached with a shy smile. He reached out and caught at a fold in her skirt, rubbed the fabric between his fingers, and closed his eyes. The woman sitting on the stool next to Daphne gave the guy a look, gathered her things and abandoned her seat. The man in his dark grey suit and his lovely cobalt blue tie slid onto the stool. His hand slipped possessively to Daphne’s hip. He sent her a moony stare with warm affectionate eyes.
I looked over at Connor and didn’t blink while I sent death rays to the back of his head. It never took long. He felt me zapping him and turned, offering up a smile. I waved him over. As he moved around the end of the bar, I turned to cut some lemons. Really, I was watching the suited guy in the bar mirror. I indicated the guy with my chin as Connor came up beside me, leaning in until we were shoulder to shoulder. Connor smelled good, fresh, like laundry soap.
“Have you seen Kay giving that guy drinks?” I asked.
“He came in just a couple minutes ago.” Connor shifted. “Is he holding hands with Daphne?”
I turned and took an order from Kay, then reached for beer steins. “Yup. Weird, huh?”
“Let’s keep an awareness.”
&nb
sp; Connor talked that way– “keep an awareness.” Yeah, it does good things for me. Sigh. Too bad I loved him, which made him a no-go. That and his relationship with the Ice Queen meant I was safe from making a fool of myself. The perv on the stool next to Daphne, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind making a fool of himself. He was now deep in earnest conversation with her.
I passed the tray of beers to Kay and watched as the guy moved his hand to the small of Daphne’s back possessively, protectively as people moved by.
“Rum and coke, and a scotch rocks, please,” someone ordered.
I filled the glasses mechanically. Could this perv be the perv who had taken Daphne to the azalea bushes? Hmmm.
Kay bumped her hip against mine. “Did you see the guy with the suit?”
“Fascinating individual,” I said.
“Do you think that could be the guy from the park?” Kay asked.
That’s why I like Kay—her mind goes where mine goes, no matter how twisted. I gave her a wink. “Nothing like the present to find out.” I rounded to the back of the bar, filled my newest orders and sidled down to meet the guy. “Hey, can I get you something to drink?” I asked.
“Oh, uh, yes,” he said, with a delicate flutter of his fingers near the knot of his tie. “Could I have a Juliet and Romeo cocktail?”
“Juliet and Romeo,” I said and drummed a coming-right-up tattoo on the bar. I pulled out my phone to look up the recipe. I’d never heard of such a concoction before. People liked to try to stump me. I’d had a lot of free time at the bar where I memorized different drinks and different ways to make them, but yeah, no one has ever asked for a Juliet and Romeo before. Really, I served four products. Beer on tap, beer in in a bottle, beer in a pitcher, and Badge Bunny Booze.
I put a drink in front of him. “Sorry, we don’t have any cucumber. But this is close. Why don’t you try it out? If you don’t like it, we’ll try something else.”
“Oh, thank you.” He wriggled around on the stool, then slid a look over to Daphne and gave her a wink as he lifted his glass, as if to toast her. He looked at me as he took a sip. A smile slid across his face. “Lovely. Yes.” He took another sip then put it on the napkin.
I rested my elbows on the bar, laced my fingers, and planted my chin on my hands, settling in for a good chat while Kay filled drink orders. “I’ve never seen you in here before, have I? Do you work around here?”
“Oh no. No. This is my first time. Though I do work over in Clamber Industrial Park.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an engineer. A plastics engineer.” Another glance at Daphne, a slight blush, and he dipped his head.
“You and our friend here seem to be getting along very nicely.” I smiled and nodded. “Are you just now meeting? Or perhaps you knew her before she came to Hooch’s?”
His face flushed an even deeper shade of red. “I saw her on the Internet.” He reached out and laid his hand on Daphne’s knee. “She’s such a pretty girl.” He turned and smiled at Daphne, then turned back to me. “Could you tell me, please, what are you going to do with her? Is she going to stay here at the bar from now on?”
10
Last night had been the best night! I sat in the back office tallying receipts with Twinkles burrowed under the desk, keeping my feet warm in his fur. I was feeling a little tipsy on the success as I worked. When my cellphone rang, I answered with a grin. “Hey ho!” I said, as Kay’s name came up on the screen.
“I didn’t expect to get you out of bed so early.” Kay said. “Whatcha doin’?”
“Getting drunk on all the numbers I’m putting in my ledger from last night. Did you know we did more business in one night than we did all of last month?”
“I don’t mean to be a downer, but that money is going to come in and go right on back out. I talked to Cheatham about your citation, and he says that if you end up needing to fight this, it could bleed you dry. So keep your nose especially clean.”
“The only thing dirty about me are my thoughts. Speaking of dirty thoughts, I thought you’d be draped all over Terrance last night. I looked up, and you’re flirting outrageously with someone with a bad boy vibe so strong it could melt a girl’s panties.”
“You saw him? Wasn’t he yum?” Kay stalled and made a weird rrrrr noise into the receiver with a wrinkled nose. “Do you think Terrance saw us together?”
“Was that an act? Were you trying to make Mr. Happy sad?”
“Me? No. I don’t play games like that. I’d feel bad, though, if I was flirting with someone in front of Terrance. It seems wrong, even if we’ve broken up.”
“Your breakups never last long.” I rubbed my toes into Twinkles’ coat, and he moaned and stretched with pleasure. “Besides, he’d left by then. I never did pass you his message. I got caught up. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
“Terrance said he had to take the red eye to New York—he’s on some show up there. But you’re beautiful, he loves you, and he’ll text you when he gets a free second.”
“I’m beautiful? That doesn’t sound like Terrance.”
“Okay, he said you’re a sex kitten that makes his motor hum. But I told him I’m not saying that.”
Kay laughed.
“So, the new guy?”
“His name is Dante, if you can believe it. He said his mom read too many romance novels in her youth. His brothers fared worse. One of them is named Blade and the other is Ridge.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe it. He was pulling your leg.”
“I wish he pulled my leg, and a few other body parts, too. That guy is woof! Really, really lovely.”
“Terrance?” I reminded her.
“Is having fun. Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because getting your body parts pulled by guys you aren’t dating isn’t really your thing.” I tapped my fingers on my desk. I was feeling protective of Kay and Terrance’s relationship. I didn’t want some Dante guy walking in and spoiling things for them. “He says his name is Dante. Maybe that’s his bar name. The one he uses when he’s on the make.”
“It didn’t feel like he was on the make. He seemed very genuine. Very…interested in what I was saying. He didn’t make any passes and didn’t say anything overtly flirtatious. But when I was talking to him, I felt like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. Like I was brilliant and scintillating and funny.”
“Because you are.”
“Pshh. I’m fine. But when I was talking to him, I was fine. And that felt different. Tingly different.” Kay bobbled her brow.
“Dante, though?”
“I’m not an idiot. I didn’t believe him either, so he showed me his driver’s license. Dante De Angelis.”
“Holy smokes.” I fanned my face. “That’s over the top.”
“Twenty-eight years old, six-foot two, a hundred and eighty pounds. He’s an organ donor, and has brown eyes, though I’d call them melted dark chocolate.”
“Yeah I bet you would. Is he a good kisser?”
“We haven’t been on a date.”
“Just checking on his powers of persuasion.”
I heard a knock on the door and moved to answer it. Twinkles walked ahead of me. He growled at the man who stood at the front door. He was tall with almost black hair that hung in loose curls that brushed his shirt collar. Around six-foot two. Drop-my-panties hot and smiling at me through the glass. I held up a finger to ask him to wait. “Does Dante have a scar on his brow?”
“Yes, why?”
“I think he’s here at the door. Why don’t I stall him, and you can come down and flirt?”
“Yes, please!” Her face disappeared behind my phone’s screensaver.
I dug the front door key out of the basket and went to let him in. Twinkles obviously didn’t like that he’d been roused from his nap. He’d definitely gotten up on the wrong side of the floor. Hackles raised, he positioned himself between me and the guy, and wasn’t budgi
ng. I had to lean forward to get the lock turned.
“Hi,” he said. He started to extend his hand, but Twinkles rumbled deep in his chest.
“Excuse Twinkles, he just woke up from a nap. Can I help you?”
“Dante De Angelis,” he said with lovely warm smile.
How Kay went home without bringing this guy in tow last night was beyond me. He wasn’t even my type, and he had me on a slow simmer.
“I was here last night for your Daphne debut. You had quite the crowd.” He smiled and reached for his wallet, flipping it open. “I’m a local artist.” He pulled out his card and held it out, watching Twinkles cautiously. “I thought we might be able to support each other’s business. Would it be okay if I came in for a quick moment?”
Twinkles rumbled again.
“Or perhaps we could make an appointment, if I caught you in the middle of something?”
“Yeah, sure, come on in. I just need to go in the back and get something for Twinkles to eat. He’s looking at your leg like it might be tasty.”
Dante shot me an understanding look tinged with a bit of concern for his personal safety.
“Come on, Twinkles,” I said, gesturing Dante to a booth.
Twinkles followed me back out to the bar. “Can I get you a glass of water or something to drink?” I asked as I came into the main room.
“I’m fine, thank you. Big dog.”
“Twinkles. He isn’t feeling well. Sorry if he isn’t on his best behavior today.”
“Poor guy.”
Twinkles went over to Dante and started sniffing him. When Dante stuck out his hand to pet Twinkles, Dante got another rumble that made him snatch his hand back. As well he should have. Poor Twinkles’ upset stomach made him sound ferocious. I’ve never heard him make sounds like that before. I hoped the growl wouldn’t turn into vomit. Me cleaning up dog puke in front of the romance-novel dude as Kay floated through the doors would put a damper on the birds-and-flowers ambiance Dante seemed to swirl around him. I poured myself a glass of cola and poured some water into a bowl in case Twinkles needed it.
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