Page 26 of Old Flame

“It’s okay. She’s not here to see the exhibition. She’s here to see me,” I explained.

His eyebrows lifted slightly. “Oh, I didn’t realize you knewanyone in the area.”

I really didn’t. I sure didn’t know the man Rome had become.

“I met her the first night I was here before the interview. She served me drinks at her bar.” I looked back at her. “Pepper, this is Kendrix. My boss. He owns the gallery.” Then I shifted my attention back to him. “Kendrix, this is Pepper, the owner of Paradise Brew. Great bar, live music, amazing fried dill pickles and cocktails.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Pepper. I’m glad Salem is finding some friends. I want to keep her here.” His smile turned back to me. “We should go one night after work.”

Uh, no. Not happening.

“Oh, yeah. I, uh…maybe Marlana would want to go. I’m not much of a bar-at-night person.”

“Is that so? Well, tonight, I can assure you, it will be slow. Monday nights always are. My biker crowd won’t even be there. You both should come. I insist. It’s on the house. Order whatever you want.”

I was stuck. There was no way to get out of this. Maybe that was good. Rome was out of town. No bikers. I could go and appease Pepper and get it over with.

Kendrix was waiting on me.

“That’s very nice of you. I can’t see why not—that is, if it’s good with Kendrix and Marlana.”

Pepper’s expression remained friendly, but it felt as if she knew too much. Could read my mind. That was a little unsettling.

“I’d love to. Thanks. We will be there,” he told Pepper.

“Is Marlana your wife?” she asked casually, but it didn’t feel as if she was asking for her.

Kendrix shook his head and chuckled, as if that was a ridiculous idea. “No. I’m divorced. Marlana is the administrator here.”

Pepper’s gaze flickered to my left hand so briefly that I’d havemissed it if I hadn’t been looking directly at her. The smile on her face grew as she met my gaze. “I’ll see you around?”

“Six thirty at the latest,” Kendrix told her.

“I’ll reserve you my best booth,” she replied. She gave me a smirk, like we were in on a secret that I was clueless about before heading for the exit.

Glancing over at Kendrix, I fully expected to see him watching her leave, but his eyes were on me.

“I hope that’s okay with you. I didn’t mean to push.”

I managed a smile. “It’s fine. I promised her I’d stop in after work if I got the job, and I haven’t done that yet.”

“Who was here?” Marlana came walking out of the employee room with a cup of coffee.

Today, her glasses frame was a radiant blue color. So far, she’d worn four different pairs.

“A lady I met who owns Paradise Brew,” I told her.

Marlana’s eyes widened. “The cool biker bar?” she asked. “You do know that The Judgment MC frequents that place. Their bikes cover up the parking lot. I have been so tempted to go there one night.”

“Yes, but the bikers won’t be there tonight. We were invited, and it’s on the house,” I told her.

“We, as in…” she asked, looking from Kendrix to me.

“As in the three of us and Banner, too, if he is coming in this afternoon,” I told her. Although Pepper might not be expecting four.

Marlana clasped her hands together. “Yay! This is so exciting. I need time to change before we go.”

I glanced down at my pencil skirt, red heels, and blouse. “Do we need to change?”

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