“Forty-eightbucks.”
“I could have told you shewasgood.”
“Wish you would have. But that doesn’t change the fact I’m going to ask her out. I thought maybe something different, like sushi. Do people still see movies on a date, or is that tooreclusive?”
“Dude”—I slap the bar towel over my back—“you are not asking Low out for a date. She’s—she’sbusy.”
“Fine. I’ll ask her when she’snotbusy.”
“Not happening. Let’s drop it.” I swallow hard as a crowd bustles through the door. Business has been picking up steadily, but not as quickly as I’d like. “Any bands take the bait?” I texted Brody this morning and told him to get on it. I plan on implementing all of Low’s ideas starting with themusic.
“I’ve got three lined up for this weekend. All of them said they’d love asteadygig.”
“Sounds good. Maybe we should do two and they can rotate—that way we won’t have a night withoutmusic.”
“Perfect. So, when are you going to admit you’reintoher?”
I glance up, wild-eyed, and stop swabbing down the barmidflight.
Axel walks in, looking his usual dapper self, and heads over with that shit-eating grin he’sinfamousfor.
He ticks his head to Brody. “What’s with the cat who ate the canary look onhisface?”
Brody bounces with a laugh while crossing those tree trunks he calls arms. “I’m just waiting for him to admit he’sintoLow.”
“No.” Ax closes his eyes a moment. “She’s too good for you. She actually smiles voluntarily and happens to likepeople.”
I scowl at the both of them. “I smile when I damn well feel like it, and I happen to like most people.” Another group comes through the door, but it’s the couple that flanks them that sends my blood pressure rising. “Like I said—most people,” Imutter.
Brody and Axel follow my gaze, and the three of us stare at my brother as he helps Mer off withhercoat.
Brody grunts. “Must be datenight.”
“Mustbe.”
The waitress helps seat them, but Chip nods to where we stand and makes hiswayover.
“Crap.” I slap the bar towel over my shoulder once again and can’t help but note it’s about the right size to fit around his neck. I can’t help it. My blood still boils whenever he’saround.
“What’s up?” He stuffs his hands into his pockets. He’s still dressed from a day at the office, monkey suit, silver tie, Mer’s favorite color, and I glare at it for amoment.
“We thought we’d check the place out.” He gifts me a painful smile as if it were an apology. Chip and I were always understandably close, but we were also one another’s greatest enemies. I blame our father for that. As wonderful as he was, and as much as we loved him, he did one horrible thing I would never want to repeat with my own children. He pitted Chip and me against one another from the get-go. Instead of being one another’s cheering section, we were staunch competition. My father bred competitive behavior in us until it ate us up like a parasite. There wasn’t anything Chip and I weren’t competing for. If there was one last bread roll at the dinner table, we were sparring over it. Perhaps that’s why what went down between us and Meredith didn’t feel as strange as it looked to the outside world. But vows were exchanged. Inappropriate sexual relations were had. It’s a hell of a lot different than chasing after a bread roll. However, at the end of the day, that competitive spirit must have felt the same—at least to Chip. He won. He can have her. This is one contest I’m happy toconcede.
Brody clears his throat. He and Chip are still close, but he’s just as pissed at him as I am—or at least I was. My fury has gone down several notches since Low stepped onto thescene.
“We were just discussing Levi’s love life.” Brody sneers over at my brother, and the discomfort level rises a dozendegrees.
“Nice.” Chip nods. “I like Evie. I think the two of you click. There’s something fun about her, something charming. She reminds me a lot of Raven.” For as much as his words sound spot-on, he drags them out as if they were a eulogy. “Nice place.” He gives a quick glance around. “I guess I’d better head back to my seat.” He plods off like a man headed toward the guillotine, and judging by the fact he’s stuck having dinner with Mer, he justmightbe.
Ax slaps his hand over my shoulder. “Your brother is a broken man, dude. And who the hellisEvie?”
Brody lifts a brow. “That’s code for Low.” He glances back at the unhappy couple. “Levi, man, I hate to sound like this, but you have to know you escaped a fire.” Brody was never a fan ofMeredith’s.
Axel nods into the idea. “I work with her, and I’m terrified to be in a meeting with her for longer than five minutes. I’m sorry she put your balls in the blender, but let’s face it—between her or Low, you’ve got the better end ofthedeal.”
Brody hops off the stool and heads for the kitchen. Axel helps himself toabeer.
And I just stand there, staring out into space, my head completely enveloped in that gorgeous blonde hurricane that tore into my life. My heart picks up pace, my body floods with heat as a memory of that kiss comes back to me. She’s beautiful, and sweet, funny, and kind. Hell, Harlow Hartley is perfect in just about every single way—and she’s mine. My heart thumps at the thought, loud andproud.
