Page 42 of Some Like It Fox

Relief blows through me. I’m really glad I won’t have to reject Eve. We already had that uncomfortable conversation once. “It’s fine. No worries.”

They take off and while Taylor is hustling around the bar, I bus vacant tables.

“You don’t have to do that,” Taylor says as I pass by.

“I know,” I call back as I’m entering the kitchen.

The sink is piled high with dishes overflowing onto the counter.

Rolling up my sleeves, I get to work.

I fill up the dishwasher and run it, leaving the remaining dishes to soak before heading back out to the bar right as Taylor rings the cowbell, letting the crowd know it’s last call.

I help where I can, filling pints and water glasses, taking tabs, and giving people their receipts after Taylor rings them up.

We’re passing each other behind the bar when she stops me with a hand on my arm. Fire shoots up the limb, igniting my nerve endings.

I stop and meet her eyes, the heat of her hand on my arm like a brand.

“Thank you for staying,” she says, the words soft.

“You’re welcome.”

After a few seconds, she moves away and we get back to work, shifting around each other behind the bar as if we’ve done this a million times, the movements nearly synchronized.

The next hour rushes by as people trickle out of the bar, taking the noise with them until it’s just the two of us and the low strains of music coming from the jukebox.

“Will the oven be fixed by tomorrow night?” I stack a chair on a table.

“I really hope so. I’m going to call someone in the morning to come and take a look at it.” She finishes wiping down the bar, tossing the dish towel into a bucket underneath.

She sighs and stretches an arm up, twisting her head to one side to work out a kink, exposing the creamy skin of her neck.

Heat rushes through me with such ferocity that I almost drop the chair in my hands. I cough to stifle the groan trying to climb up my throat. “What about the rest of the staff? Are you going to have coverage tomorrow?”

She winces. “Not tomorrow night, but hopefully by Monday we’ll be back at full force.”

I finish stacking the chairs and walk over to the bar opposite her, leaning my elbows on the top. “I can help out tomorrow night if you need it. I’ve never worked in a restaurant, but clearly, I can stack chairs like it’s no one’s business.”

She grins, her head tilting to the kitchen. “And do dishes like a champ.” Then her smile fades, and her eyes grow serious. “Thank you. Really, I appreciate your help here and earlier, when that customer got riled up.”

“Of course. I didn’t do anything but stand there.”

“And look intimidating, which was very effective. I appreciated that you had my back. You’re serious about coming back tomorrow night? Are you sure you want to spend your free time, you know.” She waves a hand at the room.

“Being your bitch? Absolutely.”

She throws her head back and laughs.

My chest squeezes, my heart skipping a beat and then resuming a frantic pace.

God, she’s beautiful. I am so fucked.

How did I ever think I could resist her?

ChapterTwelve

Taylor

---