Chapter 15
SUTTON
I finish wiping down my prep station while Kelsey and Rich put away the mixers from the bar well.
We ended up staying open a little later after an unexpected rush right before closing.
I was pleased how easily she picked up the drinks from him.
It took her less than an hour to master our three most popular drinks.
Fittingly, one of them was our version of an espresso martini made with Cowgirl Coffee’s beans.
It’s not a simple drink by any means with six different ingredients, but she nailed it.
I’m not surprised though. I think she’d be good at anything.
Her laugh cuts across the empty restaurant and I look up to see Rich making hand gestures while she watches him.
I know he’s telling a joke because that’s what he loves to do with anyone with ears.
I also know he’s totally harmless because he’s the biggest golden retriever for his wife.
It still doesn’t change the fact that he just pulled one of those rare smiles from her and that does get under my skin.
Great. Now I need a new bartender that isn’t funny.
Rich looks my way and our eyes meet. He says something to Kelsey before walking over to me.
“Hey, Chef,” he says, draping his bar towel over his shoulder. “Need help with anything else?”
“No, I think we’re good here.” I pat him on the shoulder. “Get out of here and get home to your wife.”
“Thanks. You staying in town tomorrow night or off to New Mexico?”
“Off to Seattle actually, but I’ll be back.”
My jaw tenses answering his question because I can’t get back here soon enough.
I’d love nothing more than to stay here and find an excuse to visit Cowgirl Coffee twice a day because Kelsey is actually talking to me now.
But of all the weeks Slade could have picked, this is the one he chose to have me come check out the new restaurant.
He nods and pats me on the shoulder. “Cool. Well, I’ll see you soon.”
I step to the side and he walks past me toward the front door. The creaky door opens and a second later, he’s gone and I can finally start to relax. He just reminded me that I have a long day tomorrow starting with brunch service at Gloria’s and then a flight to Seattle as soon as we close.
“Hi, Chef.” Kelsey’s voice makes the hair on my neck stand.
She emphasizes Chef in a way I know is supposed to be teasing, but it takes on just the slightest, sultry tone that lights a fire in my blood and makes my cock twitch again.
Fuck, this is going to be hard to have her around, but it’s so worth it just to be near her.
I look over to see that she’s standing right next to me, leaning her back against the counter. She folds her arms over her chest and I notice the amused smirk on her face.
“What’s so funny?”
She lets out an unimpressed hum and shrugs. “The whole chef look. It’s different seeing everyone bend over backwards for you.”
My lips pull up into a grin. “Is it a good look or bad look?”
Her eyes drift up to the ceiling in thought before they land back on me. “Undecided. I think I need to see more of it before I can make an informed decision.”
“Well, you’re welcome to pick up as many bar shifts as you want.”
Hell. She could run the bar for all I care if it means I get to see her this close more often.
“We’ll see.” She tosses me a wink. “I still haven’t stayed in this apartment yet. Who knows, maybe Grandma is secretly haunting the place?”
A laugh rumbles up my chest. “I haven’t noticed her yet, but grandmas also seem to like me, so maybe I’m excluded from her haunting schedule.”
I watch as she tries to fight a smile and ends up rolling her eyes. “Dork.”
She unties her apron and loops it over her head.
I extend a hand. “Here, I’ll put it away.”
She hands it to me and our fingers graze each other’s. Just like two years ago, I feel that same spark of electricity that makes my pulse quicken.
I shake it off and tip my head toward the office. “Actually, come with me. I’ll show you around.”
She scrunches her nose, which draws my eyes to her piercings. “Show me around? I already know how to get up to the apartment.”
I walk toward the office, gesturing for her to follow. “Come on, Shadow. Stop being stubborn and let me show you the shortcut.”
“Shortcut?”
I nod, reaching into the office to hang the apron and my chef’s coat on the back of the door.
I point down the hall to the staircase. “That goes to the bigger apartment that I’m in, but they’re actually connected.”
She makes a funny, skeptical face and I realize that might be a bit creepy to a single woman.
It might feel like we’ve known each other for ages, but it dawns on me that there is actually a lot that we don’t know about each other.
I could see how it would be weird that I just invited her to come up to my apartment that’s attached to the one she’s going to be staying in.
“Let me clarify. They’re attached but there’s a deadbolted door separating them and you already know about the separate entrance from outside.”
She still looks at me with that same, questioning expression. I feel my palms get sweaty and I fumble for words. “I… I just figured there’s no reason to make you go outside to come right back in.”
I thumb over my shoulder toward the stairs. She looks up the flight of stairs and then back at me and furrows her brows. Shit. I’m fucking this up so bad.
“Or if you want to go the long way, tha—”
Her lips finally curl into a grin and she laughs. “I’m fucking with you. You made that too easy.”
I sigh. “Oh, thank god.”
She pats me on the cheek twice. “You’re so lucky that you’re pretty.”
I let out one sarcastic laugh as she walks past me and starts heading up the stairs. I quickly follow which is a huge mistake because now I’m face to face with her ass. Great. I’m definitely going to have to take an extra long shower tonight.
We get close to the top of the stairs when I hear a faint meow. Damnit. I need to feed her.
“Do you have a cat?”
“Yeah, that’s Oscar. She’s harmless.” I reach into my pocket and fumble for my keychain.
“Why is she named Oscar?”
“It’s a long story.”
We continue up the stairs and I look down to find the key for the apartment door. When I take my next step and look back up, I come to a screeching halt when my face is met with soft, worn denim. I open my eyes and my heart stops. Well, this is awkward and definitely won’t help my growing erection.
“Well, I’d love to hear about it when your face isn’t buried in my ass.”
I take a step back. “Shit. I’m sorry about that. Here.”
I hold out my key for her. To her credit, she doesn’t seem phased that I just face planted into her ass.
“You keep this locked?”
“Yeah. With the bathrooms right next to the office, you’d be surprised how snoopy a customer that’s had a couple glasses of wine can get.”
“Noted,” she says, taking the key from me and opening the door.
I follow behind her and see Oscar rolling around on the rug in the middle of the living room.
Kelsey hands my keys back. “How did you end up with a cat?”
Her eyes fall to the black cat rolling at her feet.
“Cat distribution network. She just kind of showed up one day. I noticed her following me around when I was looking for Agnes by the creek a couple times. Then one day, she was at our dumpster behind the restaurant. I guess she must have followed me home.”
She lets out a short hum. What I didn’t mention is that after she ghosted me, I walked down by the creek almost every night, replaying my one night with her.
I went over every little detail, obsessively trying to figure out what went wrong.
That’s when Oscar found me and started following me around.
“And the name?” She still watches the cat on the ground skeptically. So I reach down and scoop my cat up.
“Not much of a cat person, are you?” I hold Oscar to my chest and she purrs, flexing one paw out toward Kelsey.
She shakes her head.
“Well, no one’s purrfect.” I grin at Kelsey as she rolls her eyes at my cat pun, but I keep going.
“As for the name, she just kept hanging out around the restaurant’s dumpster.
I assumed she was a he and they were kind of grouchy and kept squawking at me, so Oscar it was.
A week later, I took ‘him’ to the vet and found out Oscar is a girl, but the name had already stuck. ”
“Who takes care of her when you’re gone?” Her eyes follow to Oscar’s still outstretched paw. The motion exposes her claws and I laugh when Kelsey rears back just the slightest bit.
“That’s why I like her. She’s got claws just like you.” I wink and Kelsey glares back with just a hint of the playfulness I remember. “Rich pops up here to check on her most of the time. Sometimes Grace checks on her.”
Kelsey reaches out and taps Oscar’s toe beans with her nail. She flexes her little paw around her fingertip.
“Who’s watching her while you’re in Seattle?”
I feel my mouth go dry when our eyes meet again—her stunning gray eyes. There’s a softness to them that makes me wonder if she’s actually curious about me, asking because she wants to know more about me.
“You heard that?”
“I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping.”
I bark a laugh. “I wouldn’t mind if you were, but Rich is going to check on her this time.”
“How long are you gone for?” she asks, I think trying not to sound too interested.
“Normally I’m gone two or three nights, but this week only for a night. I’ll be back home late Monday.”
She lets out a short little hum and I watch while she keeps playing with Oscar’s paw. “Is that where you normally go?”
“Seattle? No. That’s a new thing. I go where my family needs me.
” I don’t want to unpack Sly and Dad’s issues, so I give her a different partial truth.
“I’m helping with some family stuff back in our hometown.
Like right now, I’m dealing with my sister’s wedding since her caterer canceled on short notice. ”
“Oh.” Her eyes fly up to mine. “That sucks.”
A lazy grin spreads over my face. I love her brutal honesty. “Yeah, it really fucking does. I love my family, but one of them always has a fire to put out.”
“Is it always you that puts them out?”
“Feels that way.”
For the first time that I can remember, it feels like someone is looking at me with genuine concern and understanding, as something other than a solution to their problem.
She is so fiercely stubborn and proud that she will do everything in her power to fix her own problems. I literally had to snatch keys from her and run off with them just to get her to let me fix her car.
It reminds me of the night we talked about our lives walking along the creek.
A low whine comes from the other side of the apartment and all three of our heads turn to the door.
“That’s the connecting door. I take it that’s Felix?”
“Shit. It’s late. I better let him out.”
She boops Oscar on her head before heading to the door.
I guess fate has other plans for tonight.
“Your key locks that door, but you’re welcome to hang out in here if you want when I’m gone. Pour a drink and make yourself at home. I know that studio apartment gets cramped. So, whatever you need.”
She turns and nods once. “Thanks, Sutton.”
I just stand there and smile back at her as she walks into the other apartment. I know I’m grinning like a madman because she called me Sutton and not Pretty Boy for a rare change. Not only that, I don’t hear her lock that door behind her. Today, I’ll count that as a tiny victory.