6. Levi
6 LEVI
"You keep saying you’re retired, but that dress tells me otherwise." It was strange enough that I was on a pizza date with a model on a Tuesday afternoon, but it was nearly surreal with her in that itty-bitty green dress she said she’d picked out because it matched my eyes.
She smiled prettily, and her eyes darkened with desire. "This old thing?" Rob laughed at her own joke. "I like to dress up. Is it too much?"
"Hell no." The dress was hot as hell, short enough to enhance her mile-long legs and tight enough to show off the curves that molded her petite frame. "It’s just right." I leaned across the table, inhaling her earthy scent. "Definitely the best-dressed woman in Mistletoe Pizza."
Her smile faded, then reappeared brighter than ever as she tossed her head back and let loose a throaty laugh that drew a few eyes our way. "That’s not too hard to do, but I’ll take the compliment anyway." She smiled at me, and it was equal parts hot and affectionate. It felt as if all eyes were on us, but Rob’s were on me. Only me.
It was crazy to be the sole focus of this beautiful woman’s attention. She smiled and nodded when I spoke, and she asked questions as if she really wanted to get to know me. I wasn’t just a hot bartender to her. I was a man.
"So, Levi, tell me why you make such good Irish dingle pies." Her lips curled at the corners, and her eyes glittered with amusement.
"It was just me and my mom growing up, and she was a terrible cook who often worked two jobs. Meals usually fell to me, and after a while, the usual suspects weren’t as appealing. I found I had a knack for it, and since my grandparents are Irish, I started there." No one cared about my cooking skills until I came to Holiday Grove.
"Why don’t you cook at the pub?"
That wasn’t the question I expected. "Because I tend bar."
She rolled her eyes, dissatisfied with my answer. "I smell a story there, but I won’t pry just yet."
"Thank you?"
"You’re welcome. Now, I have a really serious question." She leaned over the table with a mischievous smile.
I matched her movements, and just a few inches separated us. "Isn’t it a little early for serious questions?"
She shook her head, thick waves falling around her shoulders. "Not this one."
"Okay, shoot."
"Top three, all-time favorite pizza toppings. Go."
Her words teased a chuckle out of me. "You never say what I think you will. Mushrooms, sausage, and hot peppers."
"Add caramelized onions to that, and I’m in."
A gorgeous woman who wasn’t afraid to share a pizza was like a unicorn. "Done." We ordered the pizza and a salad, then returned to getting to know each other.
"Well, isn’t this cozy?" Edith Rockwell stopped at the table with a gleaming smile.
"Hey, Edith," Rob’s greeting was bright and genuine.
"Mrs. Rockwell."
She rolled her eyes. "I came over here to tell you how good you look in that flannel, and you’re calling me Mrs. Rockwell? Just plain rude."
Rob giggled.
I glared at her, and she only giggled harder.
"Sorry, Edith."
"That’s better," she said, turning to Rob. "Since you’re back in town, I wondered if you wanted to be my co-chair for Easter Fest."
Rob shook her head immediately, still smiling even though it was clear she had no interest in co-chairing anything. "I would love to, Edith, you know I would, but I just promised Levi here that I’d be his bartender while he gets back in the kitchen." She smiled so sweetly, I almost believed her.
"What?"
Her eyes brightened, as if willing me to go along. "Did you know that Levi is a wonderful cook?"
She didn’t even know that.
Edith’s penciled-in brows jumped up. "Is that right? Does she actually eat the food you make the morning after?"
I coughed to cover my laugh.
Rob smiled sweetly at the old woman. "Wouldn’t you like to know."
"Every dirty detail," she shot back with an even bigger smile.
"A lady doesn’t kiss and tell," Rob replied.
Edith scoffed. "I’m not asking as a lady—I’m asking as a hungry ol’ woman who wants the details. Just tell me how good he looks without all these clothes."
"Edith," Rob chided. "Don’t make Levi blush."
"Oh, pish!" She waved a hand in the air before turning her stare my way. "If you won’t co-chair, you both have to participate in a few of the activities to get others involved."
Rob tapped her chin, a devious smile on her face. "What are the options?"
"Like you don’t know."
"Fine, I’ll do the glow-in-the-dark egg hunt and the basket-making contest."
Both women turned my way, and I sighed. I’d seen the flyers around town and groaned. "Fine, giant egg decorating for me."
"Perfect! I’ll put you both down for all three activities. See you soon!" She hurried off with the speed of a woman half her age.
"I think we’ve been bamboozled," I muttered.
Rob laughed. "Good word, and I think you’re right." She didn’t seem upset at all by Edith’s tactics.
"We have another problem." Rob’s eyes widened, showing off the golden-brown flecks in her jade eyes.
"We do?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "I’m not a liar, and you told Edith you were filling in as my bartender." Maybe it was a bad idea to push the issue. Having her so close, tempting me while I was on the clock, was probably a really bad idea.
She let out a loud laugh and licked her lips. "Are you offering me a job, Levi?"
"Maybe. Do you know how to mix cocktails?"
She shrugged. "It’s been a few years, but I am a certified mixologist, so yeah, I know how to mix cocktails."
"No shit?" This woman just kept surprising me.
"No shit." She flashed a satisfied smile. "Impressed?"
"Maybe. I’ll need to test out your skills first." Rob was fun as hell. She was beautiful, but she didn’t take herself too seriously.
"Of course. Right after you soak up these carbs," she said, pointing to the pizza between us. "And then I’m hired, right?"
"Can you start this week?"
"I leave tomorrow morning for Cancun, but I’ll be back Friday morning. How does that sound?"
"Friday works. Now, I have a serious question for you, Rob."
"I’m listening."
"Do you need a ride to the airport?"
Surprise flashed in her eyes, but then heat darkened them. "Absolutely hell yes."
That answer left no room for doubt.