I fully expected him to snap at me, but he just scrunched up his face into a sour grimace. “You don’t happen to have anything vegetarian, do you?”
I didnotroll my eyes, but I caught myself looming above him with my hands on my hips, maybe just a tad threateningly. He’d better act nice, or I’d give him an earful. I didn’t care how many arenas he’d sold out; this was my pub. Or Monty’s. Whatever.
“Rudi, my cook, makes veggie patties with beans and mushrooms. You can get a cheeseburger, unless that’s too ordinary for you?”
To my surprise, his features smoothened out into an almost shy smile.
“Cheeseburger sounds good,” he said softly. “Thanks. And a pint of lager.”
No snobby comeback?Huh. I moved a fresh coaster in front of him.
“Jordy?”
“Yeah?”
His smile grew unsure. “Call me Laurel, please. And add a shot of tequila to the order.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t such a diva. He did look tired, like Monty had said. How long had he been on tour?
“You got it.”
He gave a thumbs-up, but his expression remained apprehensive, his eyes alert and mouth pinched. Laurel’s sharp cheekbones and pointed chin gave him this dramatic look, but his jawline was soft, and his eyelids heavy. He looked like a kitten readying to fight.
I had to give it to Monty; Laurel was a beautiful man. The hints of vulnerability beneath his self-assured facade only added to his appeal.
It felt weird to leave him there alone, but I had work to do. Sedric managed to make a couple of drinks, but he wasn’t happy handling the taps. We changed places, and he grabbed the tray with a relieved exhale.
I kept one eye on our special guest, but aside from a few curious stares, nobody bothered him. Laurel radiated such don’t-fuck-with-me vibes that none of the locals dared approach him.
Monty burst into the pub with a loud “Hello, everyone!” and marched straight ahead. He was going to accost Laurel, no doubt about it.
“Hey, boss!” I yelled.
He turned to me, eyebrows raised. “Yes?”
I crooked a finger at him to come closer.
He approached the bar warily and looked from side to side as if he were about to share top secret info with me. “What? Everything okay? Did someone pester him?”
“You were clearly about to.”
He squinted at me. “I’m only going to ask if he has everything he needs. It’s good service.”
“Sedric dropped off his drink order thirty seconds before you came in.”
Monty straightened and glanced at Laurel’s profile over the heads of the crowd. His height gave him a great vantage point wherever he was.
“Leave him be,” I repeated for what already felt like the umpteenth time.
He pulled in a deep breath, his chest rising. He wore his favorite red-checkered shirt, the nice one he saved for special occasions. Under his jaw, I noticed a nick—he must have just shaved his throat and trimmed his beard.
“Monty.”
His lips pressed together, he gave me the puppy dog look he was so good at, his brown eyes all but melting.
I shook my head.
Finally, he slumped in defeat. He put his elbows on the counter with a groan. “I know you’re right.”
