“I don’t know if I can be considered all that good, given how much alcohol I’ve served you over the years, but I’ll take it.”
“Good people, but a bad influence,” Owen quipped as Marty handed us menus.
“Oh, thank God they have burgers!” I exclaimed as soon as I saw the selection in the front flap.
“Are you a big burger kind of guy?”
“I don’t know why, but I was just craving some before we came over. Feel like I could eat everything on this menu right now.”
“That would be a lot of food,” Owen said.
“Hey. I think I’ve warned you about underestimating me.”
“I’m not underestimating you, Hot Lips, that’s for sure.”
I noted and appreciated his use of the name, especially as he inspected my lips as though he was reflecting on my dick-sucking skills.
As Marty headed off, Owen’s gaze shifted to my back.
“What? Do I have something on my shirt?”
“No.” He leaned close to me and whispered, “I was trying to see if I could tell what kind of underwear you had on today.”
Even though he’d said it so that no one else would hear, I glanced around, looking Marty’s way.
Now on the other side of the bar, it was clear there was no way he could have heard.
But the way a few of the patrons eyed us and took pictures, likely because they knew who we were, made me feel as if somehow they may have psychically picked up on what he’d said.
“Did you wear anything particularly pretty?” he asked.
My cheeks must’ve been bright pink. “Well, we had the interview today…”
“Oh, so no.” The disappointment in his tone was palpable.
“I meant we were doing the interview, so I wanted to wear something I felt good in.”
In an instant, his smile shifted into a far more mischievous expression.
“What color?” he pressed.
“Maybe I should leave that to your imagination.”
“Or, maybe you could show me.”
I glanced around again, and he must’ve sensed my uneasiness because he added, “I was kidding. Sorry, I’ll stop talking about it here if that makes you uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine. I like when you talk about it.”
“Then we’ll revisit this conversation in a more private setting. I feel an emergency coming on.”
“Oh, considering what I did today, there’s definitely an emergency.”
He was about to say something when a woman beside us said, “Pardon me. Do you mind if I get a quick photo?”
I was disappointed we’d been interrupted, but even more so when I saw the way Owen’s smile dissipated and then returned, as if he knew he had to keep up appearances for the request.
One photo turned into another…and then another. Bar patrons seemed more and more confident about approaching once it became a bit of an event. I’d already experienced it in Fever Falls, and even though I was still adjusting, I found it easier to move past it once we were able to sit back down again.
