Page 8 of Wolf's Forbidden Curse

He laughed but did as I said.

I watched him walk down to the end of the bar just as the woman he clearly had a crush on, Missy, got off her call. They started talking again, but I didn’t want to eavesdrop. Not on a man who had been so good to me thus far. I grabbed a clean rag from under the bar, wet it with warm water, and started cleaning at the opposite end from them. Far enough that I could only overhear when the two of them shared a laugh. Five minutes later, the front door opened and I looked up to see Rory smiling at me.

"You’re back." I frowned. "Al said you left with your friends."

"I was. But now I’m here again."

"Where’s the rest of your crew?"

"I walked them over to the next bar," he said. "Bought them a round, then snuck back here to see if you were done showering. Which you are, and that’s great because I have to tell you again how sorry I am. Truly. Please tell me the glass didn’t cut too deep into your foot."

"No, they were more like scratches," I said. "They stopped bleeding almost right away. I honestly don’t even feel any pain or anything."

"Thank god. And what about your clothes?"

"Those will be fine, too."

"Alright," he said, coming up to the bar. "Still, what do I owe you? I already paid Al for the beers I wasted, but I want to give you something, too. He said this was your first shift, and I want to at least pay some money for what you might’ve missed out on when it comes to tips. You had to go upstairs for a while to clean up, so how much do you think you would have made in that time?"

"I have no idea." I laughed. "But really, it’s fine. These things happen, and it’s not like Al is going to take the cost of the glasses out of my paycheck or anything."

"He better not." The edge in his voice surprised me. Why did he care so much about how my boss handled the situation?

"He’s way too nice for that."

Rory scoffed. "If you say so." He took a seat on the stool directly in front of me and made himself comfortable. "He and I don’t have the best relationship."

"I gathered as much. But you’ll have to forgive me if I take his side in this little dispute the two of you have."

"Ah, c’mon! Is this because I spilled beer on you? You can’t hold that against me forever."

I smiled. "No, it’s because Al has been a really good friend to me ever since I got to town. That means a lot to me. Sorry, but he’s already earned my loyalty. You haven’t."

"That’s fair. When did you get to town anyway?" he asked. "I haven’t seen you around before tonight."

"Yesterday."

He whistled. "And you already got a job? You move fast."

I neither confirmed nor denied this.

"Where did you come from?"

"I’ve lived all over," I said noncommittally. "Are you going to order another drink? Because technically, I’m not supposed to let you take up a seat at the bar unless you order a drink."

Rory looked down at the row of empty seats next to him and smirked. "Really? You’re going to hold me to that rule when the place is basically empty?"

I shrugged. "I’m just trying to do my job." Also, I wanted him to leave. He was doing exactly what I worried he would—distract me. Not to mention, he was asking too many questions. That was one of the other reasons I currently had more loyalty to Al. He didn’t pry.

"In that case, I’ll take a gin and tonic. On the rocks."

I nodded and turned to get going on his drink. When it was done, and I slid it across the counter to him, he sipped and smiled. "Mmm. Best gin and tonic I’ve ever had."

"I highly doubt that."

"No, really," he said. "It’s a grade-A masterpiece. Who do I have the honor of thanking for this perfect drink?"

"Sam Malone."

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