Shit. There I went daydreaming about the boy I couldn’t have again. “Whatever’s good on tap.”
“Want to talk about it?” Doug asked when he slid my pint across the bar. I chuckled because it
was strange to see him on the other side of the bar. We weren’t buddies, but more than once we’d
chatted while he watched his partners work.
Maybe I should talk about it. And talking to Doug was safer than admitting I had a crush to my
usual drinking buddy. Tom was a good guy, but if he knew I was thinking about putting myself out
there again, he’d get pushy.
“How much do you know about Sam?”
“Not much,” Doug admitted. “Jack says he’s the best thing to happen to this place. And he’s put up
with more of my brother’s shit than most people would.”
I cocked my head to the side while I tried figuring out the connection there.
“Jack’s my brother,” Doug offered. That made sense. “Anyway, I can’t think of many employees
who wouldn’t get pissed about the boss taking off during a huge opening like this, but Sam was
adamant that Jack work on his own shit and that he’d make sure things went smoothly here. Then
again, that was foolish on his part because he’s been running himself into the ground. He needs
someone to force him to slow down or he’s going to burn out before he graduates college.”
Fuck. I knew Sam was young, but I wasn’t sure I was up for someone who hadn’t even started
living yet. And I knew perfectly well that saying something like that would piss off most college kids,
but it was the truth. He was still at the age where he thought he was grown up and knew what he
wanted, but I’d been around long enough to know that what people wanted in their early twenties was
rarely the same as when they’d had time to get to know themselves.
“Single?” The question was out before I could stop myself. So much for not being interested in
someone that much younger than me.
“As far as I know.” Doug looked past me, as if trying to catch a glimpse of Sam. He rubbed a hand
over his closely trimmed beard. “But, then again, I don’t make a point of gossiping about people’s
love lives with my brother. You should talk to Sam if you want to get to know him.”
“Gee, if only I’d thought of that,” I quipped, thumping my palm against my forehead. “Best case,
he’s too busy to chat, worst, he’s icing me out.”
“Then try again when he’s not dealing with all this shit,” Doug suggested, his gaze roaming over
the crowded bar. “Now, I need to get back to it. Jack owes me big for stepping in tonight.”
