“Charlie is with Grady, and Lukas left on a work trip, so…” I shrugged, shifting under the weight of his gaze. “I figured I deserved a night out.”
“You didn’t want to be alone.”
I broke away, grinding my teeth together because there was nothing to say. No rebuttal I could offer. He was right. I didn’t want to be alone, so I’d come here hoping for what? To talk? To drink myself into a stupor and sleep in my car?
“You’re right,” I muttered, slipping off the stool. “I’m just going to?—”
“You know, Grady called me this afternoon. Asked if Harper could spend the night with Charlie at his house.” I turned toward him, furrowing my brow. “I said yes. Thought it would be fun for the girls. He even offered to keep them for the whole weekend. Said I needed a break.”
“He said the same to me.” Grady had been adamant about keeping Charlie over the weekend. Gave me some story aboutCleo wanting to try a new cookie recipe she thought our daughter would love.
“So, we’re both child-free,” he said slowly. “And you’re here. In my bar.” His gaze dipped down my body. “In that dress.”
I leaned toward the bar, unable to help myself. The pull I felt toward him was unmistakable. “Looks like it.”
“When you need a drink, you come to me.” Duke kept his eyes on me as he reached beneath the bar and pulled out two small glasses. He grabbed the tequila, pouring a double shot in each before sliding one my way. Then, as if in synchrony, we reached for the glasses and brought them to our lips.
“To tonight,” he said.
I dipped my head. “To tonight.”
DUKE
The night was windingdown as patrons paid their tabs and wandered out into the chilly spring evening. The only folks left were my regulars, Ryan, and me. I watched from behind the bar, unabashedly staring as a carefree Olivia danced by the jukebox, shaking her ass to All She Wants To Do Is Dance by Don Henley. Her hair was frizzy, curling slightly from the sweat beading down her forehead and neck.
It was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
Olivia had only had a few shots to calm her nerves before moving about the room, talking to people she hadn’t seen in years. She played a game or two of pool, losing each time and yet still smiling as though she was the happiest she’d ever been.
And then she decided to dance like no one else was watching, even though every single person’s eyes were on her.
Ryan was clearing out the tables, shaking his head as she strutted over to him and started singing along to the words. It was slightly off-key, but she didn’t care. Especially not as he joined in, his voice terrible in comparison.
My regulars watched in awe. Johnny had been soenraptured, he’d barely finished his second beer. I was no better, struggling to keep my eyes off her and take care of my customers like it was my goddamn job—which it was.
“That girl is something else,” Gerald said, turning around in his seat and pulling out his wallet. “Been a long time since I’ve seen anything that pretty up close.”
His brother, Tommy, nodded. “Sure wish the women we dated back in our prime looked like that.”
Gerald scoffed. “Speak for yourself. My Bettey was the apple of my eye. She was a model, too.”
“A hand model,” Tommy corrected. “And Bettey was pretty, but she wasn’t that.”
I laughed as the men paid their tabs and kept arguing. When they got up to leave, Olivia strutted over and pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks.
“Leaving so soon?” she asked.
Tommy blushed, taking his hat off his head. “Gotta get this old fart home before he gets too cranky.”
“I stay up later than you do,” Gerald muttered, jabbing an elbow into Tommy’s side.
“You do not!”
Olivia threw her head back and laughed, exposing the column of her throat. “It was so good to see you two,” she said, linking arms with each of them. “How often are you here? I need to make sure we can grab drinks again.”
“Too damn much,” I called out, grabbing a glass from the dishrack and drying it. “It’d be easier to give you a day they’re not here.”
Tommy turned, pointing a gnarled finger in my direction. “We keep you in business, boy.”