He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the restaurant. He’d told the long-haired omega that her date had been on Growlr all night, and although he didn’t usually meddle in customers’ lives, she had this vulnerable despondency about her.
“Well, aren’t you just a knight in shining armour,” Taylor replied, smirking. “Did you get her number?”
“Boys,” Maman sighed, gently squeezing Johnny’s knee. “Eat up, and let’s get this night over with.”
The restaurant hummed with the sound of quiet chatter, clinking glasses and tabletop grill plates. Papa worked the bar at the far end of the restaurant, his bright yellow cap like a beacon perched on his head. The only time he wasn’t reading the paper was when he was making cocktails, anddamncould he make a meandawa.
The walnut parquet floor was warm under Johnny’s slippered feet, and he moved around the square tables and sage-green benches with practiced ease. People looked at him, of course. Probably because he was six foot two and was able to carry stacks upon stacks of plates and glasses without his arms getting tired,andbecause his dad insisted on introducing him to every fucker who walked through the door.
Johnny didn’t mind it. It made his dad happy that everyone else knew he was a police officer in his spare time (his dad’s words, of course).
Johnny noticed that the girl from table six had moved to the bar, and she had a friend with her. They were sharing a pitcher of Long Island iced tea and were very obviously looking at him as they swivelled around on their stools.
“Son!” Papa called, waving him over.
Johnny sighed, dropped the dishes into the kitchen—grinning when he caught sight of Taylor in a plastic apron—and padded over to the bar.
“Did I tell you my boy’s a police officer?” Papa said, puffing out his chest as he pulled Johnny through the bar hatch and under his arm. He had to bend awkwardly, because his dad was about six inches shorter.
“You did,” the omega’s friend said, playfully tipping his head and holding out a hand. He had light brown hair that fell in soft waves around his shoulders, and freckles that could give Taylor’s a run for their money. Definitely an omega, and attractive in a ‘completely confident in his own skin’kind of way.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he purred.“I’m Theo, and my gorgeous friend is Emily.”
Johnny shook the offered hand, not missing the way Theo’s thumb caressed his knuckles. Johnny nodded at Emily, who took a gulp of her drink, nodding sheepishly back. She had blonde hair down to her waist and a crooked smile that was actually quite charming.
“Thank you,” she said, clutching the strap of her bag. “For telling me about that guy.”
Johnny nodded, gently removing his hand from Theo’s grip and stepping back. From the grin on Papa’s face, he could tell he was about to say something embarrassing, so Johnny ducked from behind the bar and said, “You’re welcome. Have a nice night.”
After that the evening became a blur of cleaning tables and delivering drinks, and when the night finally started slowing down the kids emerged from the back room. The late nights were not ideal because Marty was struggling to keep his eyes open as he leant on Gabriella’s shoulder.
Papa served them bowls of apple slices and hot milk with cinnamon sticks, lining them up on the bar like a round of shots. The kids loved it, especially the girls.
Emily and Theo werestillsitting at the bar, Emily’s eyes practically popping out of her skull when Taylor stepped out of the kitchen with wet arms, wringing a tea towel between his hands.
Johnny swallowed, forcing his eyes away as Taylor tugged at his T-shirt, inadvertently showing off a slice of his belly. Water flicked onto his skin, catching in the hairs and?—
“I am k-n-a-c-k-e-r-e-d!” Taylor said, walking over to the kids. He ruffled Marty’s hair and pinched a slice of apple from Clementine’s dish. “Can I be released from this free labour now, please?”
Papa laughed, pulling Taylor around the bar like he’d done with Johnny. “This is my other son,” he said, patting Taylor’s chest. “The printer ran out of black ink, as you can see.”
Theo laughed and popped a glacé cherry between his lips. “Plenty of red left though, right, handsome?”
Taylor winked as he said, “You know it.”
Johnny was about to slap a tea towel down on the bar to draw Taylor’s attention back to him when he was met by Maman’s hand on his elbow. “We’ll be closing shortly,” she said, placing two takeout boxes in front of Emily and Theo. “We had some coconut cake leftover. Would you like your drinks to go?”
Theo’s eyes went wide and he tapped his feet on the footrest. “Yummy!” he said, slurping down the rest of his drink. Emily did the same.
“Are you free now, then?” Theo asked, his brown eyes trailing over Johnny’s entire body. “We could go somewhere. All of us?”
“Theo,” Emily whispered, pinching his arm.
Johnny could see Papa smiling and nodding from the corner of his eye, his approving look making Johnny’s insides shrivel.
“What? You’re done for the night, right? Your friend too?” Theo said.
Maman stepped forwards before Johnny could decline and Taylor could accept. “Actually, they need to help me close up. They might be a while.” She smiled, nodding as they said goodbye, her hand resting on Johnny’s back to stop him from escaping whatever talk she had planned.
