Page 2 of Spreading Her Wings

“I’m sure you already do,” he said with a wink, brushing past me. When he did, I caught a whiff of musky amber and sage and took a deep breath.

I couldn’t stop the small giggle that escaped when I closed the door behind him. “You’re right. I do. The laundry room is this way.”

As he followed behind me, he looked around the house. The walls were still empty, and with the exception of the couches in my living room and the unpacked kitchen, the house was decorated with stacks of taped cardboard. Some might have called it the worst case of buyer’s remorse, but it was really just a fear of commitment and a lack of time to actually do the work.

I made a mental note to unpack the living room next and grabbed the hose off the counter, handing it to him. He raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to the side and pasting on an amused smile. “What’s this for?”

“Are you serious? I thought you said you knew what you were doing!” My face flushed. This was why I avoided Auston if Andy wasn’t forcing us together.

Tossing the hose from one hand to the other, he laughed. “Of course I’m kidding. Relax.”

I scoffed and crossed my arms, leaning my back against the opposite wall as he effortlessly hooked the hose to the machine. Within minutes, he was brushing his hands together while I stared at the machine against the wall.

“Ta-da,” he said, smirking.

Part of me considered testing it to make sure it would work, but I knew it would. “You’re so full of yourself,” I said instead.

“That’s a funny way to say thank you.”

I looked back at my dryer, relief rolling over my shoulders, followed by annoyance that he was right. Maybe having my own house would be okay, even if it meant having to accept help from my best friend’s annoying twin brother. “Sorry, um, thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Call me if you need more help.” The way he brushed his hand through the back of his hair almost made him seem nervous, but when he looked back at me, he still had the same amused gleam in his hazel eyes.

I nodded as he moved towards the door to let himself out. Before he closed it, he turned to me with a cheeky smile. “I mean it. I’m happy to help any time,kitten.”

“I told you not to call me that!”

“Motherfucker!”

I turned from where I was wiping down the classic old wooden counter as a glass shattered against the ground. “Really, Logan? What is that, like three glasses this month?”

He rolled his eyes, adjusting his round glasses before tossing the wet towel he was holding at me and moving to grab the broom from around the corner. “Eat my ass, Auston. The damn thing slipped.”

“You keep offering that. One day I’m going to take you up on it, and when you chicken out, I won’t let you live it down. Don’t forget that,” I said with a wink, earning me a groan from him and a roaring laugh from the stool across the counter.

“He alwayshassaid he’s an ass man, Logan!” Simone said, running her hand through her blonde hair.

“Why are you even here? You’re off tonight!” Logan tossed a playful glare in her direction, dragging the broom across the old hardwood floor that has warped in more than one spot from all the drinks spilled over the years.

She leaned forward on the counter, tilting her head to the side. “I’m here because I’m dating the brunette bartender withthe wavy hair and great eyes,” she said with a wink. “The really clumsy one who keeps dropping the glasses.”

“Okay,” he said, dragging out the word and tossing his hands up in defeat when Simone reached her hand out for a high five.

I clapped my hand against hers, leaning my hip against the counter. The clock above the register ticked. 8:15. I looked around at the crowd that had started to fill the small bar. Pour Decisions was known for drawing a strange but particular crowd. On a normal night, there was usually a group of regulars consisting of local garage musicians, starving artists, wannabe social media influencers, and the girls who put taxidermy rats in costumes.

Logan dumped the glass into the bin under the counter, putting the broom back before strolling back to where his girlfriend sat. Leaning over, he planted a kiss on her lips, and I smiled.

He had been my best friend since I moved out of my parents’ house, and we met Simone when she started working here a few years back. The two of them had tried to fight their attraction to each other, but ultimately, they’d ended up very much in love and attached at the hip.

Some days it was sickening, but sometimes it was endearing. It made me believe that one day it’d be about more than regular hookups with wild girls from the bar. The sex was good, but sometimes I wondered if I’d want more, especially after seeing my sister so happily in love with Demetri. People never thoughthe’dsettle down, so who knows.

“Excuse me, hot stuff!” a woman shouted over the music playing through the speaker system, drawing my attention in her direction. She fluttered her eyelashes before tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder and leaning against the counter. “Do you think I could get a drink?”

Six weeks ago, I’d have offered her more than a drink. Shit, sixdaysago. But I was growing tired of the rotating door on my bedroom. “Sure thing. What can I get ya?”

Disappointment crossed over her face briefly before she steeled her spine and fixed her hair again. “Vodka cranberry, please.”

Figured.

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