"Next up behind the pull, hailing all the way from Scratch Ankle, Alabama, is your shortstop, Matty Miller."
Patrons clapped and hollered when Matty took his place behind the counter, trading places with Roman. Of all the Roasters, Matty was by far one of the fans' favorites, and I could see why. The drawl, the freckles, the effortlessly bouncy curls that most of us had to spend money at a salon to achieve. I could practically hear the sound of panties dropping when he ran a hand through his unruly, strawberry-blonde hair.
"Mm, what is it about redheads?" Nessa asked from my left.
"I don't know," June answered. "It's the curls for me."
They clinked their espresso martinis together. In lieu of tonight's Dungeons and Dragons get-together, I had invited them both to our inaugural Roasted and Toasted event. Jo had opted to stay in with his husband.
"How's the martini?"
"De-freaking-licious." June licked her lips. "Your first baseman is a generous pourer. Just the way I like it."
"I second that," Nessa croaked after another sip. "He might give my brother a run for his money."
Roman was, apparently, preparing vodkas with a side of espresso, rather than espresso martinis. No wonder his line was so long.
Roasted and Toasted was shaping up to be a major success. The event had sold out within an hour, we already had a waiting list for the next three events, and all of our VIP sponsors seemed to be having the time of their lives. Between the silent auction and ticket sales, we'd already raised well over our goal. And thanks to the guys' unofficial side wager to see which of them could earn the most tips throughout the night, we were on track to double that.
Dani stepped away from Banks Coppola—yes,thoseCoppolas—and moseyed over to us, and Banks's eyes stuck to her ass the entire way.
"What a creep," she said through gritted teeth. I knew a pageant smile when I saw one. "Keep an eye on him, will you?"
"Sure thing."
"And please, let me know if he says or does anything out of line. I'd love any excuse to kick his misogynistic ass out of here."
June's eyes glowed with admiration—who could blame her? She gestured toward Dani with her glass.
"Have I told you how much I love your boss yet?"
Dani flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"And thank you so much for including us," Nessa told her.
"Of course." This time, Dani's smile reached her eyes. "It was important to us to include local business owners and Rose City residents in addition to the bigwigs with deep pockets."
"That means a lot."
I listened half-heartedly while scanning the room for any out-of-place chair or empty drink, but alas, there were none. Our event team had knocked this one out of the park.
"Ladies," Roman said, shouldering his way into our circle. "How are those espresso martinis treating you?"
June lifted her glass. "Well done, sir."
"Roman, would you mind escorting Nessa and June to the swag bags?" Dani asked. "I need a minute with Clarke."
"It would be my pleasure."
"Believe me," Nessa murmured into my ear. "The pleasure isallmine."
My chest shook with laughter when she winked. Dani waited until all three of them were well out of listening range before turning back to me. "Is it true you caught Pink showering with Soren the other night?"
I smiled. It was a little embarrassing how quickly I had leapt out of bed when I heard the outdoor shower kick on the other night. There weren't many folks staying at Bed of Roses that showered after midnight, so I’d known—I’d hoped—it was Soren. What I hadn't expected to find when I looked out my window was Jared Pink, naked as the day he was born.
I should have known that he'd tell Dani. From what I had seen, Jared Pink had no shame, especially about his body. Frankly, he didn't have anything to be ashamed of.
"Yes and no," I told her. "They were showering, but not in the same stall."
