“But do I see something that’s remotely safe? I hope so.” He set the menu down before rubbing his hands across his thighs.
“Well?”
“Cheeseburger and fries.”
“I think that’s a solid choice.”
A server dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans came by and they placed their order. Kelsey went with the same as Davis. You couldn’t go wrong with a burger and fries. She ordered a chocolate stout, while Davis chose a brown lager. Both perfect options for fall.
Davis sat across from her, his back straight, glancing over his shoulders. He needed to loosen up. Despite her feeling down, she was trying to make the best of her night. This was her first time away from the kids since Ricky passed away. To say she’d been busy the past several months would’ve been an understatement. Between juggling the bar and the kids, and her mama, she’d barely had a moment to herself, never mind even a chance to breathe.
Being away from all her responsibilities had her skin buzzing. She had this overwhelming sense of carefree. She wouldn’t allow Davis’s over cautious mood dampen her time. She had every intention of making the most of this trip. First thing on the agenda: getting Davis to loosen up.
The server set two pints of beer onto their table with a smile. “Can I get you anything else while you wait for your food?”
“Two more beers, please?”
“What?” Davis asked, his glass almost at his mouth.
“Yep, that’s right. Just keep ‘em coming.” She grinned at the server, who winked before sauntering away.
Kelsey chugged half her beer before coming up for air. It wasn’t the best beer she’d tasted, but for a stout it went down smoothly.
“Whoa, go easy there,” Davis said.
“You can’t be serious? We’re not driving. My kids are being taken care of. I’ve got no responsibilities tonight.”
He nodded, taking a sip of his beer.
She leaned across the table, the beer already working its magic and granting her a boldness she had no right possessing. “Unless you can think of another reason I shouldn’t be drinking?” She was so obviously challenging him.
If he was worried they’d drink too much, make bad decisions, push the limits of their friendship, he’d dance around the caution but he’d tell her if he wasn’t worried. If he was confident in their friendship, he’d let this go.
With a straight face he said, “Nope. Can’t think of any other reason.”
She leaned back against the booth, satisfaction blooming in her chest. “Good. Then you better keep up.”
He gazed at her for too long, clearly challenging her right back, his eyes darkening and a flicker of mischief she recognized. He lifted his glass and held it out to hers.
“You’re on.”
She couldn’t help it. Heat furled inside her chest and her lips curved as she clinked her glass against his.
They both drank, watching one another over the brim of their glasses and there was a dip low in her belly. This night was about to get interesting.
Kelsey was already two beers in before their food arrived. That much beer on an empty stomach was not a good idea. But watching Davis line his empty glasses across the table gave her the nudge to carry on.
Davis slammed yet another empty glass onto the table. “We can stop this friendly challenge at any time.”
Friendly? Was it still? Because it felt like something more. Like maybe they were trying to prove something. Maybe that they were still friends despite the plumbing fiasco and the weird short-term feelings that arose after their embrace in her office. Maybe they needed to convince themselves they could remain friends and forget it ever happened.
Or maybe…they’d had nearly enough alcohol to throw their inhibitions to the wind and get wild. To act on this overactive hunger inside her. To satisfy this growing desire burning between her thighs.
She gazed up at him from behind the glass to her lips. “Oh, we’re not stopping. I mean unless you want to stop,” she teased. “You’re the one with the weak stomach.”
“It’s not weak. It’s…sensitive.”
She flicked her wrist. “Potato, patahto.”
