Page 32 of Hot and Bothered
“And now I’m realizing just how lucky I am to have escaped.”
I snuck a glance around the bar, but Lizzy had gone back to swiping at the tables. I interlaced Evan’s fingers with mine.
“Every day, I think about how lucky I am that I found you,” I said. “I could have ended up in any old bar that day, but for some reason, I stumbled into Sin and Tonic. I stumbled into you.”
“You didn’t quite stumble so much as fall out of your chair into my waiting arms.”
“How cliche of me.”
We shared a secret smile.
Mason came out of the backroom with some papers, and we quickly separated. Mason didn’t look our way as he cleared his throat.
“The first person should be here soon,” he said. “You guys ready to start grilling?”
Evan had told me they were interviewing for a new bartender to help cover Grant and Lizzy’s shifts. Masson wanted them all there to get their opinions, especially Evan. If they were all going to be working closely together, it was important to make sure they’d all get along.
I wasn’t going to be involved, but I’d needed a ride so I’d come in early with Evan before the bar opened.
Mason handed out a stack of resumes so each of them could assess the potential employees before they got there. To my surprise, Mason handed me a few papers as well, but it wasn’t a resume.
“You were able to fix Lizzy’s problem with the new tip calculation system,” he started. “I was hoping maybe you could take a look at this spreadsheet? It’s for our ordering system, but somehow the numbers aren’t adding up, no matter how many times I do it.”
I took the papers cautiously.
“You really want me to help with this?” I asked.
“These guys go green at the sight of spreadsheets,” he said, jabbing a thumb at the others. “Artistic types, you know? They faint at the sight of numbers.”
All three of them protested loudly, looking offended. I stifled a laugh.
“Okay,” I told him. “I’ll take a look. No promises, though.”
The door to the bar chimed as someone walked in.
“Hello?” a woman called out. “I’m here for the interview?”
I glanced up from the papers. My jaw dropped.
The woman had bright, fire-engine red hair, beautiful deep blue eyes, a handful of piercings, and a sleeve of tattoos down one arm. She was the coolest looking person I’d ever seen in my life, and she attracted every bit of attention from simply walking into the room.
Mason welcomed her in and gestured for her to take a seat at one of the tables.
“We’ll be over here interviewing,” Mason told me. “You can use my office while you look over the numbers.”
I was a little taken aback at how much faith Mason had in me. I had fixed the other system, though. Maybe this would be similar?
I took the papers to the back and started going through them. I didn’t understand what any of the numbers meant, not at first. But I didn’t give up. I took my time and looked over the spreadsheets, taking notes on a spare pad of paper. Eventually, I thought I had a handle on what was going on. I didn’t want to screw up and end up causing more mistakes than I fixed.
I looked out the office door to the bar. They were still interviewing. Evan caught my eye. I gave him a little wave. He threw me a covert wink and a thumbs up.
You’ll do great, he mouthed to me.
My heart beat a rapid little trill. When was the last time anyone had encouraged me like this? When had anyone had believed in me like this? When had anyone believed in me at all?
I shuffled the papers again as my heart swelled.
Evan believed in me.
