One #2
“Not at all,” she said. “We’re happy to have you. We’ve put you up here, in the guest room. Is this the same room you had at Jagger’s?”
I followed her up the stairs, trying my damndest not to stare at her ass. She was with my cousin. My grumpy, former marine cousin. My cousin who could kick my ass from here to Seattle without breaking a sweat. Besides, I was in love with a different blonde. Brooke did have a very nice butt, though.
Once we reached the top of the stairs, she turned right and went through the open door.
“Uh, yeah, same room,” I said, setting my backpack down on the floor.
“Unfortunately, you’ll have to share a bathroom with Talia. But she’s pretty good about not making too much of a mess.”
I gave her another smile. “It’s all good. I’m just grateful my cousins can put me up. If I have to get shuffled around, that’s okay.”
Her nose wrinkled in a cute way when she smiled.
“That’s the spirit. You’re welcome to eat with us, or not.
Just shoot me or Clint a text so we know to save food for you.
Otherwise, come and go as you please. You’re an adult, so there’s no curfew or anything.
Just be respectful about noise, since Talia goes to bed around eight and then is up at seven in the morning. ”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She shrugged and smiled again. “Other than that, welcome to the blue house.”
“Thanks.” Oh, fuck, were my cheeks red again? Probably. They were certainly on fire.
Fuck.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, saved by the bell—sort of—and I grabbed it. It was a text from Renée.
Red Hat Society from the mainland just came in. They all want sangria! HELP!
Oh shit. “This is from Renée; she’s covering for me on the bar. Apparently, we just had a big group come in. I’ve got to get back.”
Brooke stepped out of the way. “Of course, of course. Good luck! See you later.”
I gave her a quick, cursory nod, then bolted down the stairs, slipped into my shoes, and raced back down the hill.
“I’m here. I’m here,” I said, out of breath as I burst through the pub doors, my hair and hoodie damp from my sprint in the torrential rain.
Renée gave me an exasperated look as she made pitchers of sangria behind the bar. Penny was busy pushing tables together to accommodate all the older ladies in ostentatious red hats.
“Let me do this,” I said to her, giving my hands a quick wash behind the bar. “You go help Penny.”
She nodded, and dropped the bag of frozen mixed berries we added to the sangria onto the counter. “Thanks.”
“Thank you for watching the bar,” I said, taking over for her. With a weary sigh and playful crazy eyes, she went to help Penny.
Three hours later, just as Chloe was coming behind the bar to relieve me for the night shift, Renée and Penny said goodbye to the red hat ladies and moved the tables back into their regular configurations.
While the thirty red hat ladies weren’t difficult, there were just a lot of them for the three of us to manage.
They all ordered food, had the sangria flowing, and were quite loud.
That said, they weren’t terrible tippers, so all things considered, I’d call it a successful bout of chaos.
Renée came up to the bar and blew out a big breath, inflating her cheeks. “That was … a lot.” She was grinning though, which meant she felt the same way about the afternoon as I did.
Penny joined her. “I need a drink and not sangria!”
Chloe chuckled as she washed her hands. “I heard you had a two o’clock rush.”
“Red Hat Society—thirty of them,” Renée confirmed just as Jillian, Quinton and AJ the three evening servers on the schedule, came through the swinging door from the kitchen. Behind them was Sofie, one of the bussers.
“Saw a gaggle of ladies in red hats in the parking lot,” Jillian said, scooping her dozens of black braids into her hands then securing them with an elastic. “Did we miss the fun?”
“They weren’t bad,” Penny said. “Just … particular. Very lovely, though. And friendly. There were no Karens in the bunch.”
Renée and I both nodded, then Renée slammed her hand on the bar. “Barkeep, drinks, please. For me and my server friend.”
I smirked. “What can I get you?”
She untied her apron, folded it, and came around behind the bar to store it with the rest of the aprons.
“I’ll just have a cider from Twisted Sister. Apple-cranberry, please.”
“Ooh, that sounds good,” Penny added. “Me too.”
I reached into the fridges behind me and pulled out two bottles of Twisted Sister Apple-Cran-tastic Cider, popped the caps and placed them on the bar. Penny was already relieved of her apron, and she and Renée grabbed stools at the far end, taking their drinks with them.
“Come join us, Logan from Boston,” Renée said, grabbing the POS machine closest to her and punching in what I assumed was going to be her dinner order. She often did that after shift.
“You’re good here?” I asked Chloe just as a drink order Jillian placed came through on the ticket machine.
“I’m great,” Chloe said, tucking a strand of her dark red hair behind her ear and grabbing a pint glass from the back shelf. “You’ve had a busy day; go enjoy a drink with your friends.”
I gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks.”
She shot me a wink. “What can I get you for your after shift drink?”
“I’ll just have the lager on tap,” I said at the same time my stomach growled. “And might as well put in an order for a Cajun burger and the black garlic beer fries. I’m starving.”
Her grin widened as she placed the ale she poured for Jill’s order up on the bar. “You go it.”
“Logan!” Renée called, waving her arm in a beckoning fashion.
Praying that my cheeks weren’t too pink, I made my way over and grabbed the stool beside Renée. “We pulled it off, ladies,” I said.
“Dream team right here,” Renée said, tipping her cider to her lips. “My gran was part of the Red Hat Society. I think when I’m older I might join, too.” She turned to face me and her knee brushed mine, sending sparks through me until they settled inconveniently in my balls.
Chloe set my pint in front of me, and her smile was way too suggestive as her gaze bounced between me and Renée just one too many times.
“Thanks,” I croaked, taking a sip.
“What do you think, Logan, would I look better in one of those felt bowler hats with all the flowers and jewels on it, or more of a red straw Panama hat?” Her eyes went wide when Chloe placed a big basket of the same black garlic beer fries in front of her.
“I think you could pull them both off,” I said.
Her grin widened. “What about a beret? That lady on the end had a red beret.” Then she went off singing “Raspberry Beret” by Prince as she grabbed the piping hot fries and shoved them into her mouth.
I cleared my throat and sipped my beer again, but not before catching Penny’s eyes and the cheeky smile on her face. She lifted one brown brow, then glanced at Renée.
Fuck, my cheeks were warm again.