Joe takes his glass with a jerk of his chin and heads back to a table filled with men his own age, all sporting hats with names of various ships or VFW posts on them. Several canes lean against the edge of the table.
Nicole follows my gaze. “VFW is closed today, so the whole crew shows up here. It’s a regular thing.”
As soon as she finishes explaining, one of the old men gets up for his turn at karaoke and begins to belt out “Proud to Be an American,” and I can’t help but smile.Thisis more along the lines what I figured Small Town, USA, would be like. Like a John Mellencamp song.
“So, you want another shot, or are you going to make me google some fancy shit?”
I smile. “What if I just make it myself? I’m not a half-bad bartender. It was my night gig in college.”
Nicole rears her head back. “College girlworked?”
“Shocking, right? I needed money to pay rent and party after my parents cut me off. I got really good at slinging cocktails and getting tips.” I look at her man’s work shirt buttoned all the way to the top. “You said you’re always picking up extra shifts for cash? What if I could teach you how to maximize the shifts you’ve got here?”
She gives me a skeptical look. “You want to work the bar in a bowling alley to teach me how to make more money?”
“Is your boss going to care? You’re short a pair of hands, right?”
Nicole glances in what I assume is the direction of the office. “He’s only going to care if you show up asking to get paid.”
“Nah. But I’m keeping my own tips.”
The door to the bowling alley opens, and Nicole’s attention swings toward the group of six guys walking in.
“Shit. I’m going to need all the help I can get.”
I reach for the top button of my blouse and undo all of them before shimmying it off. “Is there somewhere I can put this where it won’t get dirty? There’s no way I’m trusting it to any dry cleaner here if it gets beer on it.”
She takes it from me and opens a cupboard where I see a purse stashed. “This good?”
“That’ll work.”
I hand her my tiny clutch too, and she tucks it inside. I make quick work of my own drink and suck it down while the men put in orders for food at the window across the way from the bar.
“I’ll play cocktail waitress while you watch and learn. These skills are just as easy to implement behind the bar, I promise.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
I throw her a wink and get to work. The skills I honed in college come back as soon as I take my first order.
Chapter 30
Logan
After I finish with my haircut from Julianne, I head home to shower and change into something that doesn’t smell like my shop.
I sent a reply to Banner as I left the house, telling her to meet me at Pints and Pins so we can talk, but I’ve gotten no answer. I drove past Holly’s gran’s place on the way here, and it was dark, so maybe Banner beat me here. The parking lot is packed, which usually never happens unless Holly is in town singing, or the state bowling tournament quarter-finals are going on.
Holly hasn’t been back in a while, and I know there’s no tournament tonight. So, what the hell is going on to draw such a crowd?
I walk inside and stop just beyond the door.
You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.
The scene in front of me gives me an idea of how Creighton Karas felt when he walked into this place and saw his wife entertaining an entire room.
Except Banner isn’t singing. She’s holding everyone’s attention captive just by existing—and apparently serving drinks.
I see Ben shuffle out of his office. “You make a new hire, old man?”