I found myself immediately drawn to The Bog, letting myself in the back door and walking into a kitchen that was just starting to buzz. Dishwashers were setting up their station. Bartenders were collecting fruit into big plastic containers from the walk-in to slice at the bar. Two servers were standing near the schedule board, chatting, likely trying to rearrange their schedules to fit in some sort of event one had to go to.
“Lula. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” a voice called. Turning, I saw Rian Murphy standing a few feet away, leaning casually against the doorway to the front of the bar, blocking the way for anyone else.
But that was Rian for you. Cocky, confident, maybe a little inclined to think the world revolved around him.
Like fucking some random girl on a coworker’s desk.
“What? You couldn’t find someone pretty to bend over my desk lately?”
“To be fair, I didn’t bend her over your desk. It was more like I had her like this,” he said, gesturing like he was holding up someone’s legs.
“Oh, God. Don’t finish that sentence.”
Rian shot me a smirk. “You look good, girl. That vacation did the trick, huh?”
Oh, my ‘vacation’ did a lot of things. Some of them irrevocable.
“I got my head back on straight,” I said. “Just wanted to drop in and tell Cillian I’m back.”
“He’s not here.”
“He’s not here?” I glanced at the clock. “It’s getting close to opening time.”
“Yeah, he’s been… busy lately.”
My stomach dipped.
I reached out, grabbing Rian around the wrist and tugging him into my office so we wouldn’t be overheard.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“If you wanted to pull me in here for some afternoon delight, that’s all you had to say, doll.”
“Be serious,” I demanded. “Is there some kind of threat or something that I should be aware of?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“But Cillian hasn’t been at work?”
“I’m every bit as surprised as you are.”
“Only because him being gone means you actually have to work.”
“That’s definitely part of it,” he agreed. “It’s probably good for him, though. He’s been working too hard his whole life.” Rian paused. “Kinda like someone else I know.”
“I’m not working right now.”
“Says the womanather workplace on her time off.”
“I’m not here. I was just trying to talk to Cillian.”
“Sure. Sure. But since I have you here,” he said, waving a hand out.
Turning, I saw it.
The desk I’d shopped for and printed out and stuck to the notification board the brothers used to leave one another notes before I’d left. I guess Rian could take a hint.
“Oh, wow. It’s even more gorgeous in person,” I said, running my hand over the burl wood surface. “Where’d my old desk go?”
