Before I can respond, Dex’s voice cuts through like a blade.
“No dating the staff, Stephen.”
Stephen shrugs, the smirk never leaving his face, his eyes flicking back to me. “Damned shame about that,” he murmurs.
I shake my head, still half amused, and shoot Dex a glare.
He studies me for a second, like he’s waiting for me to snap. When I don’t, something shifts in his expression, not softer, just… sharper.
“Good girl,” he mutters, almost under his breath, like he knows exactly what it’s going to do.
Then he turns back toward his office.
The second his back is turned, my hand lifts on instinct, my middle finger shooting up behind him.
Stephen chokes on a laugh beside me. “Did you just flip the boss off?”
I shrug, not even bothering to lower my hand right away. “He deserved it.”
I clutch the rag in my hands, jaw tight, fingers curling into the fabric.
Just three months, Lexy, I tell myself. Then you’re out of here.
Another two hours pass, and I start to notice the bar filling up faster than usual. Tables that were half empty are suddenly occupied, chairs scraping, boots thudding against the floor, the air thickening with the smell of beer, sweat, and something fried drifting from the kitchen. Laughter rises, louder now, layered over the steady hum of voices.
Strange for a simple Thursday, I think, then shrug.
More people means more tips. I’m not complaining.
I make my way over to the bar and freeze when I notice a DJ setting up on the small stage near the back. Speakers, microphones, a playlist glowing on a laptop.
“Is there some kind of event tonight?” I ask Stephen, setting down my tray.
He looks up from wiping glasses, his brows scrunching together. “Boss didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head slowly.
“Karaoke night,” Stephen says, a grin spreading across his face.
“Oh.” I glance back at the stage, dread curling in my stomach. “So… we have a long night.”
Stephen laughs, loud and unapologetic. “You have no idea. Buckle up, Lex. Karaoke night iswild.”
Before I can ask what that means exactly,
“Lexy, you started!”
I turn around, startled, and my face breaks into a smile before I can stop it.
Penny and Cas are there. Penny wears a white cowboy hat tilted just right, confidence written all over her smile, while Cas guides her toward a table with a hand resting protectively at her lower back.
“Hey,” I say as I walk over to their table, warmth flooding my chest.
Cas offers me his hand, polite and charming. “Saw you the other night but didn’t get to introduce myself. Cas, nice to meet you.”
I shake his hand and look from him to Penny, the way his hand settles at the small of her back, steady, like it belongs there. I smile. I like them together, something about it easy and right in a way I can’t quite name.
“So,” he says, his eyes twinkling, “my idiot brother decided to keep you?”
