I tilted my head. “So you were watching me?”
“Watching?” he repeated, like he was offended by the accusation. “I was admiring. You was out there bouncing ass and throwing it in a circle. I had to come from behind the bar just to get a better view.”
I gasped, half mortified, half laughing. “You did not!”
He chuckled again, slow and full of trouble. “I did. And it was worth it. You got rhythm, I’ll give you that.”
“Oh, great,” I said. “So I embarrassed myself and accidentally auditioned for somebody’s twerk team.”
“Could be worse,” he said. “You could’ve passed out. That would’ve really ruined the mood.”
I laughed so hard. “You are not making this better.”
“Alright. Alright,” he said, voice softening. “But I am glad you’re alright. You looked like you were having the time of your life before that tequila betrayed you.”
Something about his tone made me smile.
“Well,” I said. “I was actually calling to ask if you could help me with something.”
“Oh yeah? What kinda something?”
“I, uh…” I glanced at the vision board. “I wanted to cross something off a list that I saw. It says, ‘Play tourist and local.’ Have a man show you the city, and you show him how dangerous vacation hearts can be.”
He let out a low whistle. “That sounds like a setup.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But I’m already cursed from the love potion, so you might as well.”
There was a short pause on the line. Then Maison said, “Alright, Lyric. Here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna eatsomething real. None of that airport snack nonsense. Then you’re gonna get some sleep.”
I laughed. “Oh, so now you’re giving orders?”
“Yep,” he said easily. “And when you wake up, I want you at the bar by nine a.m.”
“Nine a.m.?” I repeated. “Damn, that’s early. I’m on vacation.”
“We got a lot of ground to cover, sweetheart. Can’t start late if we’re gonna do this right.”
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “You say that like you’re planning a field trip.”
“Something like that,” he said.
I was suddenly more awake. “Well, if you know someone else who could play tour guide, you can recommend them. I don’t want to get in the way if you’ve got work or plans or… you know, a life.”
He laughed again. “Nah, you’re good. I help out at the bar whenever I can, but my parents own it. They’ll survive without me.”
“Your parents?” I said, surprised. “Wait, so you’re not the bartender-bartender?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I just fill in when I’m free.”
That caught my attention. “When you’re free?”
“Mm-hmm. I do some consulting work. Remote stuff. Fancy tech nonsense you probably don’t want to hear about.”
I grinned. “Try me. I love fancy nonsense.”
“Let’s just say it keeps me busy when I want to be and free when I don’t. Which means I got time to show you my city.”
Something about the way he saidmy citydid things to me I wasn’t ready to unpack.
