"Hey Steph!" One regular—Tony—waves me over with a grin that's way too wide. "Heard the good news. You’re finally gonna make an honest man out of Dawes?"
Several people laugh, and I force a smile. "Just doing my job, Tony. What can I get you?"
"Another round for the table," he says, still grinning. "And tell your boyfriend he's a lucky man."
My boyfriend.
The words make my chest tight with something I don't want to examine too closely.
I put in the order and turn to grab clean glasses, nearly colliding with Belinda.
"Oh, before I forget," she says, lowering her voice. "Rachel won the pool."
I blink. "What pool?"
"The betting pool. On when you and Kevin would get together." She says it so casually, as if this were normal information. "She's cleaning up—something like two hundred bucks."
The floor tilts beneath my feet.
"There was a... a betting pool?"
"Oh yeah. It started about six months ago." Belinda counts on her fingers. "Let's see, Lottie had August, Tony had New Year's Eve, I had Thanksgiving—thought the holiday romance vibe might do it. But Rachel called May, and she was closest, so—"
"Six months?" My voice comes out strangled. "People have been betting on us for six months?"
"Well, yeah." Belinda looks at me with an “isn’t it obvious” stare. "Everyone could see it coming. The way you two look at each other? Please. It was only a matter of time."
She pats my arm and heads back to her tables, leaving me standing there with an armful of glasses and a head full of white noise.
Everyone could see it coming.
Six months of betting pools and speculation and people watching us, waiting for something I didn't even know was happening.
Did Kevin know? Has he been aware this whole time that the entire town was watching us, talking about us, placing bets on when we'd—
Oh God.
What must he think of me now? Does he think I knew about the gossip and used it to my advantage last night? Does he think I manipulated the situation?
Or worse—does he feel trapped? Obligated to go along with this charade because the whole town expects it now?
My hands shake, and I set the glasses down before I drop them.
I need to talk to him. Need to apologize, explain, and give him an out. Let him know he doesn't have to pretend for my sake.
I glance down the bar to where he's sitting with Troy, Ace, and Levi. All four of them are keeping watch—I can tell by the way their eyes move over the crowd, the way they're positioned to see the entire room.
Looking for the drunk from last night.
The realization makes my throat tight. Kevin brought reinforcements. He's taking this seriously.
He's taking me seriously.
Kevin's eyes find mine across the bar, and for a moment, everything else falls away. He raises his beer bottle slightly—a small salute, a question. You okay?
I nod, even though I'm not sure it's true.
His expression softens, and the corner of his mouth tips up. Just barely. Just enough.
