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“Damn, news travels fast,” I reply.

“Wade and Lenny are outside having a smoke, busy laughing their asses off. They said it was the funniest shit they’ve seen in a long while.”

I jut out my bottom lip. “So mean.”

“Their words, not mine.” She glances at Harlan, and when she sees he’s watching her, she quickly looks at me again. “Be a dear and get me a gin and tonic.”

“Hmm . . .” I tap my chin with my pointer finger. “Are you avoiding Harlan?”

“Of course not.” Troy, another regular, comes into the bar, drawing her attention. She walks to him and brushes her hand down his arm. “Looking good, soldier.”

“You can’t flirt with me anymore,” he says, while gently shaking her hand off him. “I have a girlfriend now, and she won’t like it one bit.”

“Fair.” Vanessa chuckles and glances at Harlan again.

I head to the bar, but before I can give the order to Harlan, he steps out from behind the counter and stalks toward Vanessa. When he stops right in front of her, everyone goes dead quiet. Only the music is playing as he says, “Enough of this shit, V. Go to dinner with me.”

Looking stunned, her mouth opens and closes a few times before she mumbles, “You work every night.”

“Fuck,” he curses, and placing his hands on his hips, he stares at her before saying, “Brunch?”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “That doesn’t sound very romantic.”

A grin forms on Harlan’s face. “You want romantic from me, V?”

I reach under the counter and turn the music softer so I don’t miss a word.

Vanessa lets out an awkward chuckle, which is very unlike her, then she uncrosses her arms and fidgets with the frills of her crop top.

Harlan takes a step closer to her, and tilting his head, he slowly wraps his arm around her, then he repeats his question, “Do you want romantic from me, baby?”

Oh my God.

I lift my hands to cover my mouth so I don’t make a sound as I swoon on behalf of Vanessa.

When she nods, I let out a happy chuckle.

Somehow, Harlan keeps his cool and drops his voice until it sounds low and seductive. “Okay. Give me your address, and I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow to romance the shit out of you.”

Vanessa holds her hand out. “Somebody, give me a pen and paper.”

Miles rushes over to them and shoves his little notepad and pen into her palm.

She writes her address down, and after tearing the paper from the book, she presses it to Harlan’s chest.

Miles lets out a whoop. “Hell yeah! That’s how it’s done, guys.”

I start clapping my hands like a lunatic, so happy Harlan finally took the leap.

When I glance over my shoulder and look at the pass-through for Derek’s order, I catch Owen staring at me with a soft smile curving his lips and a tender expression in his light blue eyes.

My stomach instantly erupts into a fluttering mess as I get butterflies, and collecting the plate of buffalo wings, I take it to Derek.

Chapter 10

Owen

Carrying my basket of dirty laundry down to the basement, I think about the two months I’ve been at the bar.