Page 38 of Eight Steps to Alpha

But the server came to the table then, filling the space with their order. “Anything else?” she asked Elliot, not even attempting to hide her flirtation.

He blushed a little, picked up his napkin, and shoved it into the collar of his shirt. “No ma’am, we’re good,” he answered.

Fe waited for the server to walk away, snatched the napkin from his shirt, then sat back in her seat. “Don’t do that.” she laughed. “And don’t call women ma’am either, it makes us feel old.”

He grinned. “Why’s that?” he asked, obviously enjoying her amusement.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It just does.” She took a slider form the tray, and took a bite. Warm delicious juices ran down her throat, and she forgot about everything else. About their argument, or the fact they avoided each other the entire weekend “Oh my God, that’s good.”

Elliot leaned forward in his seat and picked up a bacon wrapped shrimp. “Yeah?” And just like that, she was enjoying another meal with her best friend. Like they always did. Like they always would.

“So, there’s a problem with your plan,” she said with a mouthful of food.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Your brother.”

He dabbed at the corner of his mouth with his napkin. “My brother?”

“If we bring alcohol back to the house, he’ll be there, and that will be…awkward.”

Elliot took another wonton from the plate and bit into it. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“What if we did it tonight?”

“Tonight? On a Monday? I don’t think so…”

“He’s gone, Fe.”

Fe placed her half-eaten wing back on the plate and leaned forward. “He left?”

“Not for good.” Elliot shook his head. “We had a talk and worked things out. He’ll be back tomorrow…after his gig.”

“Oh…” Well there goes her buffer.

“So… I was thinking when we’re done here, we could grab a bottle of whisky, check off the next box.” He took a sip of tea. “What do you say?”

“I don’t know…”

He leaned forward, wiping his face with his napkin again, but there was something in his eyes that told her this was important to him. That told her if she pulled out now, it would crush him. “Come on, Fe. This could be the perfect opportunity.”

She glanced off into the distance, to the line of people gathered on the other side of the bar, and a slow grin tugged at the corner of her lips. “On one condition.”

He laughed. “What?”

“You have to ride the mechanical bull.”

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