But I also keep wondering what this is going to mean for our friendship moving forward. Does he want to be together? DoIwant that? To be perfectly honest, I don’t have an answer to that. It’s hard to imagine Rock and I as a couple, but maybe that’s just because we’ve been friends for so long. And the idea of being a couple makes me nervous for obvious reasons—what if it doesn’t work?
It feels silly to worry about that. Rock hasn’t given any indication that he wants to be in a relationship. I think we’re just…living in the moment. Exploring thisthingthat’s happening between us. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
The light on the timer flashes at me. I shake out of my thoughts and pull myself back into the important task at hand. Because if I have any chance of Rock agreeing to do this trivia night again, it needs to go off without a hitch.
“See, Rock? Peoplelovedit. They had a blast.”
Rock shakes his head as he bags up some trash. The busier night has meant more mess than usual to clean up. Personally I don’t see it as a big deal, but of course Rock finds it irritating.
It’s funny, now, how sexy I think he is when he’s extra grumpy. How could I have been so unaffected by that before? Maybe I just never allowed myself to go there, because subconsciously I dismissed attraction as a possibility.
“I never said people wouldn’t like it,” he mutters.
“And yet you still hated it.”
“I didn’thateit. I just don’t think it’s right for the bar.”
“If only you were the sole owner and had the power to make all the decisions by yourself.” I flash him a teasing smile as I finish washing out the condiment trays.
Rock goes outside to dump the trash and comes back in with his brows in a concentrated furrow. After a minute, with a sigh, he says, “Okay. Fine. We can do it again. But let’s not go crazy. Okay? Like…once a month. If that.”
I break into a grin. “I can work with once a month.”
“If that,” he repeats.
“Mmhmm,” I say. “Heard you.”
Rock’s eyes drift over to the neon sign hanging on the wall. “How many days left until I can take that down? Five?”
“Nine.”
He grunts in reply.
“Oh, comeon,” I say, sidling up beside him so I can admire the sign for a moment. “It’s not growing on you? Not even a little bit?”
“My eyes burn every time I’m within ten feet of it.”
“I saw some girls taking selfies in front of it tonight.”
“Is that supposed to convince me?”
“I’m sure they posted a photo online. Free marketing!”
“All that’s gonna do is attract more of the type of people who want to take selfies in front of it.”
“You’re such a grouchy old man, Rock.”
He glowers at me. I laugh.
“I’m not old.”
“Okay, fine. You’re a young, virile man, whose every bad mood is completely and utterly justified.”
“That’s better.” He pushes me up against the bar and kisses me. My heart rate instantly skyrockets.
“Are we really going to do this here?” I murmur.
“Why not?” he grunts, already working at pushing up my shirt. “It’s our business. We’ll do whatever we want in it.”
