Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
And listening to him now debuting this new song, he was definitely reserved and modest, and the dichotomy only made me like him more.
Fuck, the guy had somehow bewitched me and Hailey too. First the musical, then the movie, and next the mall. And then the decision I’d made after that. Yep, I’d totally lost it and was obviously crushing hard on this dancer-singer I worked with.
When I heard my name being called again, I snapped the hell out of it.
“Sorry, what can I get you?” I replied absently, but when I turned, Craig and Danny were standing near the end of the bar. My face split into a grin. “Holy shit, you finally got your asses out of the house.”
Danny high-fived me and said something about needing it badly, and then Craig motioned to the steps. “I’m meeting work friends upstairs, so we’re just saying hi.”
“It’s good to see you,” I replied as their attention was steered toward the whistling and applause on Jesse’s final note.
Craig motioned over his shoulder. “Is that the guy?”
“Not here,” I said stiffly, and he quickly got the message.
“Well, he’s hot as hell,” he whispered loudly, then changed the subject.
After we chatted a bit more, they headed upstairs, and again my attention turned toward Jesse like he were some sort of magnet.
My regulars, the older couple who showed up nearly every Saturday, had taken two seats at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks, which I had to ask them to repeat.
Christ, get with it, Dane.
“I can see why you’re so distracted,” the gentleman with the salt-and-pepper hair said in an amused tone. “He’s a pretty one.”
“What? No, I…” I shook my head, my cheeks burning. “Well, he does have a nice voice.”
“He has a nice everything,” the man replied, then chuckled as he nudged his husband. “Too bad he turned us down.”
That same possessiveness from the other night burned in my gut. But I wasn’t much better. I’d just been thinking about fucking him too. Christ, maybe one more time would help finally get him out of my system.
Instead of obsessing over all that, I got my act together, especially when I noticed how packed the room had gotten in the last thirty minutes. I had tips to earn and customers to satisfy, and Jesse was obviously doing the same because his jar near the piano was already half-full from all his admirers.
During Jesse’s break, I set out his water with lemon but didn’t stick around that end of the bar, not wanting to seem like I was overly interested. I definitely didn’t want to sound like those men. With any luck, I’d be over this crush or whatever the hell it was soon enough, and then the tight feeling in my stomach every time he was around would hopefully lessen.
I was not going to be that guy. Again.
After I served a few fancy drinks, Jesse was still at the other end of the bar, and he motioned to his glass for a refill. I obliged, and as I slid his glass toward him, I couldn’t help focusing on his mouth. “You changed your makeup tonight.”
“It’s for the Underground.” He motioned to the room. “Actually, Skylar suggested I go with a deep-ruby lip and smoky eyes tonight. Do you like it?”
When his cheeks flushed and he shyly glanced away, I again noted how different he seemed down here. More vulnerable. Like he was out of his element and trying desperately to fit in. “It looks good and suits the mood of this place.”
“Thank you.” His genuine smile hit me square in the chest, and he walked away with a bit more spring in his step.
“Someone’s got a crush,” the salt-and-pepper gentleman said.
I swallowed roughly. Was I that fucking obvious? “Nah, I—”
“I meant him.” He waggled his eyebrows. “He likes you, and I bet the two of you would look gorgeous together.”
“Haven’t you ever seen them upstairs on Fridays?” the barely legal customer sitting beside him piped in with a smirk. “They can’t stand each other.”
“That’s just a shtick,” his ginger friend replied with a wave of the hand.
“Maybe,” Barely Legal countered. “But last night? Holy smokes, I nearly burned up just watching them.”
Oh my God, were they really discussing us like we were some sort of spectacle? Well, I supposed we were. Thanks a bunch, Chet. In fact, that explained the smirk the boss gave me when I walked in tonight. It didn’t make sense until right then. He’d probably heard by now that we were boning each other, and thought he was getting his money’s worth.
I leaned over the bar. “Jesse and I are just playing up to the crowd. We’re not…you know…”
“Hmm, if you say so,” Barely Legal replied, a gleam in his eye.
I rolled my eyes. Oh, I definitely say so. Don’t I?