Page 13 of If You Never Come Back
“Oh um, sure…”
He spins around and jogs away before I can even mutter “bye.”
I’m disappointed even though I have no right to be. We had an epic one-night stand that turned into morning and afternoon sex. That’s better than what most people get when they hook up with a stranger. It’s not fair to expect anything more.
Remy’s beaming face greets me when I walk into the bar.
“So your gut and your lady bits had fun last night, I take it?”
I roll my eyes. “Good afternoon to you too.” I start swiping origami hearts from the tables.
Remy rounds the edge of one, armed with a giddy smile. “Come on, tell me everything!”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
Remy stares me down, hands on his hips. “That’s some bullshit if I’ve ever heard it. It’s three in the afternoon. You’re sporting a wet ponytailandhe walked you here. You had a hell of a time. Spill.”
I roll my eyes. “We had a nice night and morning and afternoon. After he walked me here, he got a panicked phone call from his friend and then took off.”
“That’s it?” Remy frowns.
“That’s it.” I tug down the construction paper hearts hanging from the ceiling. “Nothing else to say.”
“No asking for your number? No plans to meet up later?”
I turn away from Remy and toss the hearts in a nearby cardboard box. I’m so not in the mood for an interrogation from my well-meaning cousin.
Even in the silence, I can hear the gears in Remy’s head turning. He pats my shoulder. “He’ll be back, don’t you worry.”
I scoff at the confidence in his tone. “I won’t be seeing him anytime soon, Remy.”
I weave through the tables, picking up the leftover dishes of candy hearts from the bar top, Remy trailing behind me.
“He’s into you whether you see it or not.”
I try not to roll my eyes. If there’s one thing more bothersome than a disappointing end to a date, it’s the pep talk loved ones give you afterward to try and help you feel better.
“Look, I don’t know much, but I know that a guy wouldn’t wait outside a bar at one in the morning when it’s cold as hell to ask a woman out unless he felt something strong.” Remy’s hands fall on his hips. “I guarantee he was going to ask you out, but the surprise phone call tripped him up.” He tosses a handful of decorations into a box. “He’ll be back. Mark my words.”
I swallow back a groan. “Can we drop it?
He holds his palms up to me. “Fine.”
I head to the back office to grab the step ladder so I can take down the pink streamers in the back hallway.
Remy’s hollered voice follows me all the way. “You know I’m right, cuz.”
In the privacy of the office, I let out the annoyed groan I’ve been holding in. “Fat chance,” I mutter.
Chapter Four
Two hours till closing time the day after Valentine’s Day and Dandy Lime has hit a pleasant, steady rhythm. Not slammed, but not slow. Customers have been polite and generous in their tips. Remy hasn’t had to frog-march any drunken patrons out the door.
He walks up to the bar and asks for a tray of sex on the beaches. “Twenty-first birthday.” He gestures to the lively group of young ladies in the back corner. “You know how it goes.”
I mix the drinks. Remy picks up the loaded tray before something at the entrance catches his eye. And then he grins, leaning down to my ear. “Romeo’s back. Told you.”
I spin around faster than I mean to, and I have to grip the counter to keep from falling over. Heat flashes across my skin when I see Wes’s smiling face. He takes a free seat at the bar, the one right in front of me.
