I smiled. “See you later, cupcake.” Then I kissed her on top of the head before she hurried out.
When Anna was out of earshot, I closed his door and sat down on his sofa. “I need you to let Nick off early.”
He stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Are you fucking crazy? With game sixstarting in less than an hour, it’s gonna be all hands on deck out there tonight. What the hell is wrong with you?”
I frowned at him. “I’m not crazy, but I think I figured out why he’s not talking to me like before.”
Alejandro rolled his eyes at me and rested his head on the back of his chair to stare at his ceiling. When he didn’t say anything, I looked up to find nothing interesting up there.
“Asshole. I need your help.”
My so-called best friend lowered his gaze to meet mine. He was obviously exasperated with me when he folded his arms over his chest. I mirrored him and folded mine, too.
“Are you losing your touch? You read people like they’re a newspaper in giant print.”
I scoffed, but he was right. I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked away. “This is different.”
“How?” he laughed. “How exactly is this different? You two sucking face out there in front of my customers makes the difference?”
I laughed. “Yeah, both of them.” I held up two fingers in case he didn’t know what both meant. “All two of those guys sitting at the bar were scandalized. Especially when they probably went home together after we turned them on.”
“You’ve lost your mind, haven’t you? All that cinnamon has finally done you in. Does Stella know you’re here?”
I laughed. “Yes, asshole. I talked to her first. She gave me permission to come over here.”
When the laughter ebbed, I looked at my best friend.
“Can I at least talk to him on his break? I know you think I’m being ridiculous, but it just feels like something is off.” I gave him my most pitiful expression, causing him to roll his eyes again.
“Yes, asshole. When did you become this needy? And I can’t make him talk to you. You understand that, right?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know. I just need to talk to him.”
Alejandro nodded, because he knew I’d never let this go. “Yeah, and I know how relentless you are, especially if you plan on working together.”
Standing from the love seat, I ran my hands over my jaw. “I plan to do more thanworkwith him.”
He shook his head. “You’re hopeless. If I hadn’t seen him sucking face with you out there with my own eyes, I’d say you were nuts. But I did see it. And he was as into it and moony-eyed as you are.”
I grinned. “It’s okay, buddy. You’ll find your moony-eyed man or woman soon.”
Alejandro scoffed at me. “Get out of here.”
Before I rounded the corner, I looked at him. “I might have to steal your bartender.”
“You do, and I’ll hire Stella for twice what you pay her.” He grinned, because he knew he had me.
I flipped him the bird and walked out to the sounds of his laughter. I was on a mission to get my flirt back on track with the hottie bartender.
When I walked out onto the floor of the bar, things were already hopping. I found a place to stand out of the way and just watched him work.
Nick smiled and chatted with customers while pulling beers and making cocktails with the ease of a seasoned professional. He could carry on a conversation and mix drinks with multiple liquors without missing a beat. He was professional, friendly, and laughed easily. The man was comfortable in his own skin.
I don’t know how long I stood there and watched him, but when he looked up with narrowed eyes and looked around, I knew he was feeling my presence. Okay, maybe I didn’tknowit, but I hoped he did. It was either that, or someone told him I was here.
When his eyes landed on me, I smiled and raised a hand to say hello. His eyes lit up, then dimmed as he gave me a brief smile. What was he thinking?
Nick’s body language said he was focused on his job. His spine stiffened and the smile on his face was a little strained. When he looked back over at me, I motioned him over.
