Page 21 of Bad Boy Crush

“Who’s the bartender?” May asked on the way. “I’ve never seen her before.”

“Me neither,” Elli answered. “Xavier must have finally taken a day off.”

“Good for him.” Lou had seen Xavier out from behind the bar maybe twice since she’d moved here. He was almost always working whenever she came in.

At their table, everyone ordered Mai Tais. Menus in hand, they gabbed about the gorgeous weather, the upcoming lumberjack games, and who was planning to attend. After the waitress checked in three times, they finally looked at the menus and decided on appetizers to share: truffle fries, coconut shrimp, and fried mozzarella cheese triangles.

“Now for the juicy stuff. What’s everyone really up to?” May sipped her fruity drink. “I feel like I haven’t seen you ladies in forever.” She elbowed Lisa. “Except for you. You’re like a growth.”

Lisa let out a loud, appreciative laugh. She and May had been friends since middle school. When Lou and Lisa had become friends, May had come with the package. Lou adored May, and if pressed could admit that she was closer with May than Lisa.

“Elliott got a promotion,” Lou sang. Elli, sitting to her right in the booth, gave Lou a light shove. “I knew you wouldn’t brag, so I’m doing it for you.”

“Congratulations,” Lisa and May said in unison.

“What’s your title?” Lisa asked.

“Lead Bean Queen.” Elli waited for the laughter to die down before sharing that Jo, owner of Cup of Jo’s coffee shop, had promoted her to marketing and shift manager. “It means less time at the counter and more working on employee schedules and ordering supplies. But the most exciting part is that she’s going to let me stock the shelves with fun T-shirts.”

“An Elliott McKinley original.” Lisa touched her fingers to the shoulders of her T-shirt.

“No!” Lou gave Elli an admonishing gesture. “You didn’t tell me you were distributing. Where’s mine?”

“I’ve been shy about it. I wanted to wait until they were good enough to sell. Now they are. You three have a free custom print for your first one. Because I love you.”

“Aww. I love you too.” May reached her hands across the booth and held Elliott’s wrist. “You are the sweetest. I’m glad you didn’t run back to Chicago forever.”

“Me too.” Lou lifted her own drink. “She and I see each other almost as often as you and Lisa. Speaking of seeing people, how’s it going with the new guy, May?”

May put her straw in her mouth and sucked for longer than necessary.

“Uh-oh,” Elli put in.

“Exactly,” Lisa commented. “This is why I don’t date.”

“It wasn’t bad. It just…fizzled.” May shrugged her bared, bronze shoulders. Their appetizers arrived and everyone fell silent until the server left.

“It ‘fizzled’ because you date men you’re not attracted to.” Lisa pointed at May with a cheese triangle. Lisa wasn’t wrong. Lou had never seen May act on her attraction to another person.

“Hot guys are assholes.” May shot Elli a look. “Except for Brady. You lucked out.”

“Don’t forget Ant.” Elliott dragged her own fried cheese through the bowl of marinara sauce. “He got naked and leaped into the lake from Lou’s dock the other day.”

Lisa and May shrieked “What!” as Lou frantically chewed and swallowed. Then she stopped the rumor in its tracks.

“He was not naked. He was at my house removing a tree—”

“Along with his pants,” Elliott interjected.

“—and he was hot—” Lou tried to continue.

“So hot.” Elliott interrupted again.

“—and he jumped in the water to cool off. The end.” Lou narrowed her eyes at Elliott, who grinned in response.

“I would have liked to see that.” May clucked her tongue. “I appreciate looking at a gorgeous male specimen. I just don’t want one.”

“Speak for yourself.” Elli waved dismissively. Since she had arrived in the Cove, she had fit into their friendly circle seamlessly. Lou loved how comfortable former gun-shy Elliott was now. In some ways, Lou hadn’t adapted as quickly. She’d been on a dating hiatus similar to Lisa’s since her split from Liam, and Elli had dived in with Brady with hardly a second thought. Or, well, with hardly a third thought.

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