Zipping them up, she headed out to the bar.Maybe something out there would distract her.
“Whitey,” she greeted as she walked by the jukebox.
He was deep in an ardent discussion with a Suzuki rider.Harleys versus crotch rockets.That was a discussion that never went well.She’d have to keep an eye on that one.
Old Martha gave a wave.“Got any shows planned for tonight, hon?”
“Shows?”
The woman gave a saucy wink.“First there was your ex, then the cute cops, and then that snobby little rich boy… You’ve been bringing the sexiest men in for us to watch.”Martha held up her beer.“Charlie never did that.”
No, Charlie hadn’t, and it was a good thing he hadn’t witnessed the drama over the past several nights.His biker bar had been meant for beer, darts, and the occasional deep discussion on vintage motorcycle parts.
“No plans,” Roxie said, continuing on to the bar.“Then again, you never know.”
The bartender was busy fixing a line to the tap, so she jumped in to help elsewhere.Loops.What the hell was that supposed to mean?She wiped a smudge off a glass, but nearly ran into her employee when she turned to stack it with the others.“Whoa.Sorry, Bud.”
Puddles of various kinds of alcohol dotted the bar, and she wiped it down like a swirling dervish.A light had been shown to her?The hell it had.She flipped the towel and continued down the bar.
She was thinking so hard, she didn’t see the pretty redhead who was leaning her elbow against the bar.She banged into her, and the girl’s arm jerked reflexively.In slow motion, beer jumped out of the mug she was holding and onto the guy who was flirting with her.
“Ohmigosh,” the redhead said in dismay.
“Oh, shit.”Roxie grabbed a fresh towel and passed it to the guy.He was a bit rough around the edges, but cute.She refilled the girl’s glass and saw her embarrassment.“I’m sorry,” she whispered.“Use it as an excuse to get his shirt off.”
“Goblin’s Ale, on the end,” the barkeep said, pushing a full mug into her hand.“And no offense, but could you go ‘help’ out in the kitchen or something?”
Roxie winced.Was she really that bad?
Out of habit, she grabbed a coaster.When she turned to serve, she saw a familiar face.“You’re back.”
It was the underage kid from the night before.
“And I’m still legal,” he said dryly.
She smiled.Snark, she liked it.
He stared at her, and she could feel his nerves.He was afraid to talk to her.
Well, she had snapped at him last night.
“Did the billboard bring you here?”she asked.The thing was becoming her biscuits and gravy—much better than bread and butter.
He nodded.“I saw the story on the news about the scandal.”
“Scandal,” she scoffed.She served him the beer.“This town is in sorry shape if that’s all it has to talk about.”
He grinned.“Did you really climb that thing and flash people on the interstate?”
“Maybe,” she said with a wink.
His attention was so acute, Roxie nearly stole a look at the stainless-steel ice maker to see if her mascara had blotched or something.
“What are you staring at?”she demanded.
He blinked and embarrassment washed over him.Red flooded up his neck and into his cheeks.He looked down into his beer, but eventually peeked back up.“Sorry.”
“You’re too young for me, kiddo.”
