Page 5 of Fortune's Control
We ordered our usual wings while I picked the closest bottle and sipped. Cold beer and old friends meant there was no reason to check the label first, because it didn’t matter.
I took another sip and set the bottle back on the table, catching a trickle of sweat as it fell down the side.
Aiden gulped half of his bottle. “I have news.”
“She’s suing for full custody,” Jack guessed, causing Dean and me to choke back a laugh at Aiden’s scowl. “She has a boyfriend, and honor’s sake demands you meet him in the town square.” Jack’s dry humor would earn him a punch one day.
“My dumbass brother made a dumb decision,” Dean said. He leaned back, directing a smirk towards his brother. “It’s a lot of work.”
Aiden huffed. “Will you chuckle fucks shut up and let me explain?”
“Then tell us. What’s your news?” As much as I enjoyed heckling Aiden, curiosity won out.
“I bought the building next to the fire station,” Aiden said. The two brothers both worked as volunteer firefighters. “I plan to renovate both spaces, the larger one for me and the smaller one to rent out. I want extra room.”
“You want the space?” Jack didn’t believe him. “You’ll have a tenant.”
“So?”
“You’ll have to maintain an actual business relationship with her.”
“Don’t assume my tenant will be a woman.”
Dean piped in. “No assumption required.”
Fraternal twins, the two brothers differed in both looks and personality. Dean’s reserve contrasted with Aiden’s more outgoing nature.
I butted in before their bickering could grow. “Congratulations, man. I hope it works out for you. Make sure you get permits before construction starts. Business licenses, too. And don’t overextend yourself. How many car jobs do you have now? Two, right?” My friends blinked at me. “What did I say?”
“Sure, Dad. Great advice, Dad.” Aiden’s amused smile said my suggestions didn’t bother him. “That’s why I’m bringing it up. The place needs work, so I’m hiring you two for free. I appreciate your willingness to provide me with an unlimited supply of no-cost labor. We start Monday.” He pointed at his brother. “Not you. You’re busy wrestling gators.”
Aside from his time as a volunteer firefighter, Dean worked as a game warden. “That’s not what I do.”
“Yes, it is. You fought a baby one for Mrs. Bueller last week,” I pointed out. Three sets of eyes blinked at me. “Am I doing it again?”
“Shane, you’re always doing it again,” Dean said, which was fair.
“I have a job,” Jack protested. “Sort of.” Jack’s father taught him construction work from an early age, long before his parents retired to a condo in South Florida. After his enlistment, Jack took up short-term jobs, drifting from one quick project to another while reluctant to commit to anything morepermanent.
I rubbed the soft skin of my left knee through the blue denim and down to the more rigid material below. Before I arrived, my leg had already protested its long day, and it would continue to do so until I returned home later tonight.
The front door opened, sending a light gust of air into the sports bar. I expected familiar faces, locals on a date, or friends meeting up after work. The antiquers preferred Gainesville for its more sophisticated options, leaving local restaurants for town residents, which suited us fine.
It was her. My beer lay on my lips, forgotten, while my leg ceased its evening ache.
She took in the Gator Tale,her gaze roving from the couples to the wall decor before settling on me.
I offered her a half-smile as something warm bloomed in me.
Our eyes held, and Lilah’s features relaxed. Her hazel brown hair’s curls haloed her face and loosened into thick waves down her back. The restaurant’s soft light brought out its natural shine. Dark eyes, pink cheeks, and a pointed chin combined to make a tempting package.
She offered a shy smile, seated herself in the bar, and checked to ensure I still watched her.
“Shane,” Jack said.
I first noticed Lilah as she walked past one of the tourist stores, heading towards Willard’s. Her shoulders were pulled close, and she moved with a grim determination in her step. Instinct told me to follow her, and I listened. She rejected my offered help twice, and I let it be, as we were strangers, and it wasn’t my place to force my unwanted attention, no matter how intriguing I found her.
I raised a finger, catching Diane’s attention as she passed our table.
