Page 46 of Shortcake
“That’s him?” Haylee gushed, twirling her barstool back to me. Even though she was whispering, I was pretty sure the whole bar could hear her. As a singer, Haylee couldn’t help but project… even when she was whispering. I’d always thought it was endearing. Until now.
“Man, he’s even hotter today,” Enzo said. “Too bad you missed him in the uniform, though. Made his butt look like you could take a bite like a burg—”
“You guys!” I hissed. “Stop. Talking.”
Jesus. I was going to have to send a memo banning girl talk at the bar if they kept this shit up.
“Go,” Haylee whispered. “Go say hi to them.”
“Iam.As the owner of the bar and nothing more. And because I have to do my table rounds anyway.”
“Suuuuuure,” Enzo crooned as I crossed out from behind the bar and made my way toward the table they sat down at. I was halfway there, when I heard Enzo add, “It has nothing to do with that biteable ass.”
And it was definitely loud enough for Conrad to hear.
Dammit, Enzo.
“Biteable ass?” Harper repeated as I approached them three seconds later. “Who’s got a biteable ass?”
“Language,” Conrad warned her.
She gestured to me, incredulously “I was just repeating—”
“Me,” I interrupted her. “I have the biteable butt. As in, bite myblank.” I omitted the curse word in an effort to respect what I thought Conrad’s wishes might be. “It’s my favorite thing to say to unruly customers. Anyway, what can I get you? Two chowders, I take it?”
Conrad nodded. “Yep, two chowders.”
“Can I have a Coke?” Harper asked Conrad, not me.
“Sure, Turkey,” he said with a sweet smile. He looked back at me. “One Coke. And whatever local stout you’ve got on draught for me.”
“You got it.”
In the time that it took me to go behind the bar, pour the stout and Coke and spoon out two servings of chowder, Enzo and Haylee had made their way to Conrad’s table and plopped down in the two seats there.
“Dammit,” I muttered and hoisted the tray of their food and drinks onto my palm. I rushed over to the table, sending a glare at Haylee, who at least had the good sense to look ashamed of their actions.
I expected this behavior from Enzo. God love that girl, but half the time she truly didn’t know any better. And the other half? She truly didn’t care.
“Funny,” I said, setting down the Coke in front of Harper. “I don’t recall the sheriff ordering two annoying millennials.”
Haylee stuck her tongue out at me and Enzo just flat out pretended she didn’t hear me.
“Ignore her,” Enzo said. “She’s just stressed out because she knows we’re her better halves.”
“First of all,” I said, ticking off the reasons on my fingers why what she said was ridiculous. “That implies that the three of us are some sort of throuple, which we are not. And technically, you two cannot both be my better halves. What you meant to say was that you two were my better two-thirds, which frankly, just isn’t as effective.”
“See?” Haylee whispered. “We’re the better two-thirds. Clearly.”
Harper’s giggle rang out over Haylee’s voice which cracked through my annoyance, softening it. Even if just a little.
But then, something incredible happened, Conrad’s laugh boomed. And his smile was wide, dimpled, and reached his eyes.
He was so stunning, that the sight knocked the breath right out of my lungs. “Your friends are a hoot,” he said, smiling up at me.
“Hmmmm.” I narrowed my eyes at these hootalicious friends of mine. “Aren’t they?”
Conrad’s deep blue eyes twinkled. Theytwinkled, for God’s sake. I didn’t even think eyes could do that in real life. I thought that was just some cheesy special effect in vampire movies. “They’re more than welcome to come over to the house and hang out,” he said. “I hope you know that. It’s your house, too, to have friends over.”
