Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“You sure you want me to drop you off at the bar? You look beat.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Sad about that Clover girl.”
I shoot upright. “What about her? Did something happen?”
The man looks at me with confused eyes. He wasn’t expecting my sharp response. “Her daddy died, and now she’s got that bar to take care of all on her own.”
“Is the bar in financial trouble?” Maybe I should buy it. Or maybe she should sell it and just live with me. She can travel on tours with me, and then when I’m making music, she can live in my Malibu home.
“Not that I know of.”
“Then what’s sad?”
The driver scowls. “Her old man passed. That’s tough.” He grumbles something under his breath about city folk and then turns up the music.
I didn’t text Irish today because I wanted my arrival to be a surprise, but I’m itching to shoot her a message to see if she’s okay. I force myself to wait because I want to see her face when she lays eyes on me. The ride ends up speeding by. My latest single is playing on the radio when the driver pulls in front of the bar.
“Good song, isn’t it?” he asks.
I freeze in the middle of getting a twenty out for a tip. “Why would you say that?”
The driver shakes his head. “You’re a strange one, aren’t you? Can’t a man say he likes a song without any reason? It’s a good song. Makes you feel something.” He thumps his chest.
A glow of pride fills me up. I hand him two twenties. “I agree. It’s a good song.”
I’m still wearing the smile when I open the door to Get Lucky. Not even the scowl on James’ face when he spots me dims my spirit.
“Why are you back?” he growls.
“Why else? To be with Irish.” I slide onto the bar stool and scan the place. “Where is she?”
“Busy.”
“In the back or upstairs?” I start to get off the seat, but a hard hand on my shoulder pushes me back into place.
“She’ll be out soon enough, and it’ll be her decision to talk to you.” He says it ominously like she’s pissed off.
Fuck. Maybe I shouldn’t have left this as a surprise.
My eyes glance down at my phone for the millionth time. After the phone call from Dylan a few days ago, we exchanged some texts. I continue to give him short responses, but he keeps on texting regardless.
I still can’t stop thinking about hearing the girls scream his name, but for all I know it could have been someone trying to get his attention at work. Whatever his job might be. I’m not stupid. I can tell he doesn’t want me to know details. I’ve been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
It’s possible that he works with celebrities and he’s not allowed to talk about it. Isn’t that a thing? Maybe he has one of those NDAs or something. I don’t know, but either way, he hasn’t texted me for a while. I’m making him chase, and I know it. I’ve gone from worrying about being clingy to avoiding him the best I can.
I close my laptop, done with placing orders to our vendors. I’d snuck upstairs while we were having a few slow hours to get some paperwork done. I put my phone into my back pocket before I head out and down the stairs into the kitchen.
“Are you hungry?” Oliver asks as she drops a batch of onion rings into the deep fryer.
“No. I’m good.”
She cocks her head to the side. “Are you on a diet?”
“No.” I glance down at myself. “Are you saying I should be?”
Oliver rolls her eyes at me. “I’m saying it’s weird that you don't want any food and you look like you’ve lost a few pounds. You just got the weight back on from when we lost your old man.” I can see the emotion in her eyes when she talks about my dad. Sometimes I forget that I’m not the only one that lost him.
“I’m good. Just a few weird days is all,” I tell her, not wanting her to worry.
Oliver has worked in this kitchen for as long as I can remember. It had hit her hard too when my dad passed. They always acted like they were siblings. They could fight and make up as if nothing ever happened. In part, Oliver has been a bit of a mother-type for me when I needed it.
I’ll never forget when I started my period, and my father was a bit flustered. He tried to pretend he wasn’t, but Oliver stepped in and helped both Dad and me out on that one. I’d been so embarrassed, but now thinking back to that day it makes me smile. He was a good man. I’ve been so numb since I lost him. I think I’d grown used to the feeling until Dylan showed up here. He pulled so many emotions from deep inside of me to the surface, and he’d done it easily.