Page 55 of Teasing a King

Luke nods. “I wish I could take on more small accounts, but I don’t call the shots, I’m afraid.”

“I thought advertising was a dying field?” Finn asks abruptly.

I expect Luke to get angry, or at least annoyed. But he laughs. Nodding, he says, “It was. The old, outdated way of advertising is dying out. The ad days of my father’s youth are gone. Print ads are nearly extinct. The ones that still exist are expensive and rarely see a return on investment. Nearly everything is digital these days. I helped bring the company into the 21stcentury. Despite my father’s wishes.”

Luke knocks back the rest of his drink. I get the feeling he doesn’t like talking about his job. Or maybe it’s his father he doesn’t like to discuss. I’d like to ask him more questions. I want to find out more about Mya as a child. I want to get to know her brother and hear more about her family. But I don’t know how to dig deeper without revealing how little I do know about Mya. How little she’s told me.

The awkward silence returns, and no one makes a move to fill it. We all sit and sip our drinks quietly. Until Wyatt stands up.

“You guys are about as much fun as a funeral,” he says. “Who’s ready to get this party kicked off with a shot?”

To everyone’s shock, Finn raises his hand. We all turn to look at him in surprise.

“What?” he asks. “I’m not allowed to have a shot?”

I open my mouth to say something, but I have no response. I can’t remember the last time Finn drank shots. He’s spent so long being the responsible older brother that I never really got the chance to see him cut loose. I don’t know if he ever had the chance to do so.

I remember when he and Hannah had first started dating and her ex had shown up in town. Finn had thought Paul was looking to rekindle things, so he’d come to Mack’s and gotten shitfaced. After I’d served him a ton of beer, he’d tried to ask me for liquor. But he’d already been drunk by then and Wyatt and I had refused his request. I’m still convinced that had been for his own good. But tonight? He’s stone sober and in his right mind. If he wants a hangover, that’s his choice to make.

“Hell yes!” Wyatt shouts with a clap of his hands.

“What the hell,” Luke mutters. “Count me in.”

Wyatt points to Ronan who just shakes his head. “I’m sticking to beer.”

Wyatt rolls his eyes but doesn’t press the issue. He looks to me. I sigh. “Fuck it. Pour me one.”

When Wyatt looks to Garrett, he shrugs. “I’m in.”

My twin grins back at Garrett. “I knew I liked you. Guy’s night just got a lot more interesting,” he says, reaching behind the bar for a bottle.

Ronan looks at Garrett. “You’re letting them talk you into this?”

Garrett grins. “There was a time you could drink me under the table, King.”

Ronan rolls his eyes. “That was a long time ago,” he says with a small smile. “And I remember carrying your drunk ass back to base more than once.”

Garrett waves off his words. “No more than twice,” he says with a grin.

Ronan just shakes his head at us as if we’re all unruly children he’s going to have to babysit. That may not be far from the truth, though. It’s been a long time since I’ve had shots, and I’ve never had all my brothers with me. Wyatt pours 5 shots, and we all grab one. Ronan pulls out his phone to snap a photo.

“Evidence,” he says.

“You’re such a cop,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“To family,” Wyatt says. “Sometimes you’re born into it. Sometimes you choose it. Sometimes it chooses you. But they’re the ones who stick by you, no matter what.”

“Cheers,” we all say in unison, touching our glasses together before knocking back the shot.

The whiskey burns going down, but it’s smooth. Wyatt must be pouring the good stuff tonight. After a second rounds of shots, Luke asks if anyone wants to throw some darts. When no one else speaks up, I volunteer. My dart game is pretty solid, having had a lot of practice over the years. I picked it up in college and decided Mack’s needed a board. The customers often bet one another rounds of drinks on who will win, which helps the restaurant make more money. It’s a win/win scenario for us. I’m hoping that spending some time one-on-one with Luke will help me get to know him better. And maybe find out more about Mya while I’m at it.

We head to the back of the restaurant where the two dart boards are located and take turns throwing to warm up and get the feel of the darts.

Luke isn’t half bad, I realize. He’s got a decent throw. At least, he’s hitting the board each time instead of the wall behind it. We decide on a game to play and set up the scoreboard. We throw to see who goes first. I win but defer to Luke, and the game begins.

We play for several minutes, without talking about anything that’s not related to the game. We’re sizing one another up, I know. It’s obvious we both have questions for one another. I get the feeling he’s waiting for me to break first, to be the one to ask him something. I hold out for a little longer, though. When I’m about to give in, Luke speaks.

“How long have you known my sister?” he asks.

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