Page 17 of The Games We Play
For a small-town bar, this was busy,and judging by the unfamiliar faces, these weren’t just locals.
“You!” I called, pointing at a guy standing toward the back of the mass of people.
He was tall, wearing a cowboy hat, his lips moving as he placed an order. I was great at reading lips; you had to be in a job like this.
Round of shots.
He held up five fingers, mouthing the wordtequila.
Nodding, I reached out, and he passed his card over the heads of the people between us. “Open or closed?” He gave me the universal sign for the latter.
Wiping my hands on the towel slung over my shoulder, I turned toward the register before finishing the transaction. When I spun back around and glanced up, she was there.
Penny.
Standing at the door, staring directly at me.
The crowd had somehow parted, leaving a perfect line of sight between us, like the universe was taunting me. Testing me.
My throat tightened, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus on the customers before me, but it was useless.
There was no way in hell I would be able to concentrate when my thoughts kept drifting back to her, when my eyes kept scanning the room, searching for another glimpse.
My obsession—the sheer pull she had over me—was becoming impossible to resist.
And maybe that was the real problem.
The more she ignored me, the worse it got.
I had to talk to her.
But first, I needed to get this crowd under control.
Exhaling sharply, I shut my eyes for half a second, steeling myself before pointing to the next customer.
Once the crowd was under control, I would make my move. Until then, I had to power through the racing thoughts and the itch to talk to Penny and focus on work.
Something told me that was going to be really fucking difficult.
5
MAC
“Shit!”
The sharp crack of shattering glass echoed through the bar, loud enough to make a few heads turn.
Third one tonight.
I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening into fists as I stared at the mess at my feet. I was completely useless—every ounce of focus, every goddamn skill I had, had gone right out the front door the secondshewalked in.
And just my luck, Penny looked fuckingstunning.
Drop-dead gorgeous.
Not that it was a surprise. Penny always looked beautiful.
The way she carried herself, effortless and confident.
