Freaking small town.
“Two wheats,” Zac requested, handing over his card. “Keep it open.”
“Food?” Kendrick asked as he placed a couple brimming mugs on the counter.
“Nah. I was teasing earlier. Liquid diet for now.”
The bartender nodded and took the card then resettled his attention on Tabitha and blondie. “Can I get you ladies anything else? More napkins? Security detail?” He nodded toward Zac, who collected his beers.
“I think we can handle him,” the blonde purred, a devilish glint in her eyes.
“Holler and I’ll come running.” He turned to Zac. “Behave.” Then with a wink he made his way down the bar to help another customer.
Holding an icy mug in each hand, Zac turned to face the ghost from his past. He considered plopping right down beside her to ask a million and one questions about how she’d been and what her life had been like. But deep down he knew he had no right to the information.
“Tabby cat, I—”
“What’s the holdup?”
Whoops. In all the reunion and choking excitement, Zac had almost forgotten why he was at The Rooftop to begin with.Maggi.He was well-versed in recognizing a woman’s tolerance for bullshit, and he could tell from her tone she hadn’t reached her cap quite yet. Good.
“I gotta get back,” he said, wincing at how forlorn his voice sounded. “It was good to see you again, tabby cat.”
Tabitha’s eyes flitted to his face before returning to her plate. She hummed in reply. But her friend cleared her throat with eyebrows raising high on her forehead.
“It was nice meeting you, Goldilocks,” Zac teased then took the beers and weaved around the tables to return to his earlier mission. He settled heavily into his chair, which was mysteriously closer to his companion’s than it had been when he left to grab the first round.
“What was that all about?” Maggi asked, grazing Zac’s fingers as she took the mug he slid her way. “Ex-girlfriend?”
He looked back over to the bar and spotted Tabitha shaking her head while the blonde one prattled excitedly at her. Kendrick returned with a takeout box.
“An old flame,” he explained nonchalantly, refocusing on the woman he’d shown up with. She deserved his attention. The old Zac would have played the encounter to his advantage in hopes of amping up Maggi’s jealously because jealous I’m-better-than-her sex was one of Zac’s favorites. He loved when a woman acted like she had something to prove.
Correction: Heusedto love that.
The new Zac was done with the games.
“One you want to reignite?” She seemed genuinely curious, not offended.
He snorted. “Even if I did, I doubt she would.” His eyes followed Tabitha and her friend as they made a hasty exit from the tavern. Neither turned a glance toward him.
Satisfied, Maggi snuggled in closer.
Zac’s phone pinged. He scrambled to pull the device from his pocket.
Jon:
What are you up to?
He rolled his eyes, unsure why his friend was keeping tabs. He tossed the phone on the table face down and turned back to Maggi. But before he could get a word out, a string of chimes announced multiple texts coming in one right after the other.
Jon:
This is Lucy.
I stole Jonathan’s phone.
Come over for dessert.
