Page 56 of Royally Embraced: RBMC

Fred laughed as he noticed it was almost midnight. They still had over an hour and a half to work, and the idiots in the bar all appeared to think drinking was an Olympic sport.

“Jinx, do you see that table in the corner over there?” Taeloree asked, pointing toward the section near the dart boards.

Blair filled a glass of draft beer from Taeloree’s order as she eyed the twelve-seater table. “Yeah, I see them. What’s up?”

“They want to know if you’re single. Specifically, the guy in the sweater vest who looks like a cross between Glenn Powell and Kellen Lutz.” Jamie stood on her tiptoes and leaned over the bar, whispering near Blair’s ear. “If you decide to give it a go, you gotta give me all the deets.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Jamie, I will not be giving any of them a go. Tell them I’m in my lesbian era.”

Fred gasped. “Girl, that is like waving a red flag at a raging bull. They’ll be waging bets on who can turn you strictly dickly again.”

Blair finished with Jamie’s orders. “Here you go, hun. Tell them I’m with him.” She hiked her thumb toward Fred.

Fred, being the fool she loved, tossed his head back and laughed. “Sure, I’m sure they’ll all believe that.”

She rolled her eyes but moved down the counter to wait on the next customer. There wasn’t time in her life for a man. Her mother had taught her well what needing one could and would do for a woman.

Over the next hour, she and Fred worked their asses off until finally they said last call. Taeloree and Jamie rushed to get their orders in and out, wanting to keep everyone happy.

“I can’t believe we made it through an entire evening without one fight,” Jamie exclaimed.

Blair and Fred froze. Taeloree dropped her tray. It was an unwritten, unspoken saying that you didn’t mention the wordfight in a bar. You definitely didn’t say one didn’t happen, or you would invite said fight to occur.

“What? What did I say?” Jamie asked, spinning in a circle.

The music played at a low decibel as the DJ began shutting down for the night, so those in close proximity easily heard her little announcement.

“You are not the brightest bulb in the pack, are you?” Cheryl, a regular, asked.

Jamie glared at her, then at Blair. “How rude. All I said was—”

Taeloree slapped her hand over the other girl’s lips before she could utter the same words again.

“Jamie, have you ever heard of jinxing? That is literally what you just did,” Fred muttered.

The girl’s eyes widened.

Taeloree nodded, then removed her hand. “Exactly. Now, spin in a circle three times and say I’m a dumb ass.”

Jamie started to turn around.

“Don’t,” Blair said. “Jamie, for future reference, don’t say anything about such things. After you’re home and tucked safely in bed, go right ahead. Okay?” Blair asked.

“Got it, Jinx. Oh, is that why they call you? Never mind. Shutting up.” Jamie spun on her booted feet and walked away.

“That girl done lost her mind, or maybe she ran for a train when they said brain,” Fred muttered.

Jinx locked the back door after she and Fred walked out. “It is freezing out here. I swear I could cut glass with my nipples,” Fred said, shivering exaggeratedly.

“If you wore a bra, you’d have extra padding for them titties,” she joked.

“Sounds like someone needs warming up.”

She and Fred spun at the sound of the male voice. The sight of three men leaning against a pickup parked next to her jacked-up Ford F350 pissed her the fuck off. “What’s up, guys?”

“Not much. We just wanted to make sure you got home okay. How about we give you a lift?” the man Jamie had said reminded her of a mix between Glenn Powell and Kellen Lutz asked. She saw the resemblance, kind of. He definitely looked a lot like Glenn but had the bulk of Kellen. Yet, the guy was a complete dick; the assholery literally oozed off him.

“Thanks for the offer, but I got a ride. I hope you had a Merry Christmas,” she said, trying to sound chipper.

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