Page 35 of Old-Fashioned

Frank came over to us and asked, “What are y’all laughing about?”

Isla lowered her voice, “Jewell is finally going to tell Abel how she really feels.”

Frank huffed, moved until his big body was beside mine, and whispered low enough for only me to hear, “She’s going to crash and burn. Pretty sure our boy has officially pulled his head out of his ass.”

I looked up at him and whispered, “He’s got some groveling to do.”

Thankfully, it was quiet enough in the bar that we could hear everything.

Jewell called out, “Hey Abel, think you can spare a few minutes?”

We all just stood there and watched the show.

I held my breath when Abel looked at her, and then for some reason, his eyes scanned the bar, and the moment they swept over all of us standing there and locked on me… at how I was standing.

Then his eyes swept over my body, raised a brow, licked his bottom lip, then looked at Jewell, and asked, “Why?”

At my side, Isla leaned in, “That was so fucking hot, and we will discuss that later.”

“Shh, I don’t want to miss this,” I told her back in a whisper.

Jewell grabbed a piece of her bleached blonde hair, twirled it, and then lowered her voice to something I guessed was supposed to be sultriness, “Perhaps we could discuss this in private?”

Abel shook his head, “I’ve got a shit ton of work to get done, Jewell. Get to your point.”

“I think we should go on a date. You can pick me up at seven on Friday, I want you to bring your truck and don’t get mad at me when I lay on the floor, I don’t want anyone to see me in that piece of crap. I also don’t want to ride on your motorcycle, it’ll ruin my hair. Okay?”

Jewell turned from him, smiled at us, winked, and then moved off her stool.

Abel barked out a laugh which caused Jewell to stop and turn to him, “Yeah, ‘bout that. I won't be taking anyone else out on any dates for the foreseeable future. The only woman I plan on taking out on dates and getting to fall in love with me doesn’t mind being on my bike. In fact, she loves it. She also didn’t snarl her nose at my truck but happily had her hand out the window as we drove. So, to make sure this shit doesn’t happen again, and since females gossip like frat houses, the rest of you can be sure to inform anyone that thinks I’m available that I most definitely am not.”

Then he stepped around the bar, locked his eyes with mine, and strode over to me.

Everyone else in the bar faded away.

My breaths started coming out in pants.

What was he doing?

“Boss Man?” I asked him once he stopped right in front of me, upon his walk, I had straightened from the wall.

Abel didn’t say a word as he brought his big hand to the side of my face, and tilted my head carefully, then he winked down at me, “Only ever had one woman on my bike, and I plan to keep it that way.”

“What about that woman?” I asked him as I tried to fight leaning my face even deeper into his touch.

“There’s only you, Baby girl. Been only you since I saw you in my bar for the very first time. Gave that woman drinks on the house for her trouble and went home alone. I’ll make that shit up to you. Whenever you’re ready to give me a second chance. All you gotta do is just say my name, and I’ll bend over backward to earn that chance.”

And with that, he leaned in, pressed a kiss on my forehead, dropped his hand, and went back behind the bar.

Frank was the first to speak, “Told you so.” And with that, he moved away.

Shelly turned to me, and snickered, “Did you see Jewell’s face? That was priceless.”

Tabitha whispered, “I want a man to do that to me.”

And it was Isla who leaned in, wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and led me back to the kitchen, “Okay, I so wasn’t off. The two of you need to sit down and get all the dirty shit out into the open. Because I am here for the fireworks that are about to explode when the two of you get together.”

With that, we got out onto the floor and started taking orders and serving drinks.

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