Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
NATE
“Hey, Murray,” I say as I walk through the kitchen. I entered The Gold Room through the back door to check inventory on my way to my office. “Hey, Kira.”
Murray turns off the tap. Then he turns around and looks at Kira with a confused look on his face. Kira, on the other hand, stops walking toward the bar.
I stop too. “What?”
“That’s it?” Murray asks.
“Huh?” I ask.
Murray looks at Kira. “Are you worried?”
Kira grins. “Yeah. A little bit.” She looks at me. “There’s nothing else?”
I sigh, putting my hands on my hips. “What’s going on, you two?”
“I’m waiting for it,” Murray says out of the side of his mouth to Kira. “I think it’s going to be bad.”
“It has to be. There’s always calm before the storm.”
“Have you two lost your minds, or are we talking in code today? And if we’re talking in code, leave me the hell out of it. I’ll just stay in my office until it’s over.”
Murray and Kira watch one another, their grins lifting higher and higher. Finally, they start laughing.
I have no clue what’s going on with them and start to wonder if we don’t have a carbon monoxide leak or something.
“Did you guys mix bleach with something?” I ask. “Just tell me. Do I need to open the vents?”
They laugh harder.
I hold my hands out to my sides.
“Nate, my man, there has not been one day in all the days, months, I’ve worked here that you’ve just walked in with a hey,” Murray says. “It’s always—why didn’t you restock yesterday? or the storeroom looks like two gorillas fucked out there.”
“I’ve never said that.”
“Okay, raccoons then. The point is the same. Right, Kira?”
I level her a look.
She grins. “You do seem to come in with more than a hey.”
Well, I’m a task-oriented person.
“Fine. Some kind of sauce is smeared all down the wall leading to the back door like someone was taking the trash to the dumpster and just let the bag drag against the drywall. Get it cleaned up.” I look at Kira.
“There are new pour spouts in a box in my office. Get them all washed and put in the liquor bottles before the rush hits tonight.”
“There’s our Nate.” Murray laughs. “Glad to have you back, brother.”
Kira laughs too. “I don’t know what it says about me, but I missed this Nate for the whole five seconds you weren’t him.”
I roll my eyes.
If I didn’t like these two so much, I’d fire them.
I grin. No, I wouldn’t. It’s not time to fire Murray yet this month.
“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Murray says cheekily. “Should we assume something has changed in your life and potentially drained you of the testosterone that makes you an asshole.”
“I—”
“Wait.” Kira turns to Murray. “First of all, are you admitting that testosterone is what makes men assholes?”
Murray shrugs. “I don’t know. I was just talking. Don’t corner me like this.”
“Second of all, if you’re inferring that he’s had sex with Paige—which clearly he has—sex increases testosterone.”
“Can we not—”
“It does not.” Murray looks at Kira like she’s lost her mind. “I’m a man. I know.”
“Clearly not. Low testosterone can cause a low sexual desire, but having sex can increase it.” She smiles smugly. “Look it up.”
Murray pouts. “No.”
I wave a hand in the hair. “Okay. Let’s stop biology class here and circle back to the topic of me having sex with Paige.”
“So you did?” Murray asks. “Atta boy!”
Fuck. “No. It’s none of your business,” I say, trying to get a grip. “But if I even catch wind of you saying anything to her about this … I mean it, Murray.”
“Yeah. He’ll fire you and won’t let you come back for three weeks instead of two!” Kira giggles. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. Continue with your threats. I like hearing him get roasted.”
Murray glares at her.
I rub my forehead and wish I hadn’t come here. It had to be done, though. I had to let them know that things are fine because I’m sure word has spread about the show I put on the other night. And I haven’t been back in since.
My stomach clenches as I consider how Paige may take the ribbing from Murray. The last thing I want, the last thing I need, is for him to say something stupid and strike fear in her.
I drop my hand and exhale.
“I’m going to ask you as your friend instead of telling you like your boss to please not say shit to Paige,” I say, nearly pleading with Murray. “I know it’s funny and whatever, but when she’s here, she’s at work. Keep it to workish topics, okay?”
“We never talk about work.”
“Murray …” I warn.
“I get it. I’m just screwing around with you, Nate. While I do find it funny and the opportunity to tease her is just …” He touches his fingertips to his lips like a chef’s kiss. “I won’t do it, mostly because I really like you, and I don’t hate her.”
His wide smile does nothing to ease my anxiety.
“Now go wash your hands after they’ve touched your filthy mouth,” Kira says.
Murray sighs and turns toward the sink.
“Hey, Paige,” Kira says, her voice bright.
I look over my shoulder as Paige walks in. She’s adorable in a pair of black joggers and a tight white shirt. I love how her body dips and curves—especially now that I know my hands fit in those bends perfectly.
Paige smiles in a way I didn’t expect. I hold my breath, letting her take the lead. What is she going to do?
She comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist. I grab her hands at my stomach and hold them there. She presses a kiss against my spine, nestling her face in my back.
I hold my breath, shocked at her public display of affection.
Not that I’m against it. I’d fuck her in the middle of the bar if I wouldn’t be pissed that others saw her naked.
But I hadn’t thought about what it might be like for us in front of other people without Ryder around.
And I wasn’t sure how she’d take to the whole relationship thing.
Guess she took it well.
I smile.
“This isn’t fair,” Murray says, drying his hands off.
“What’s not fair?” Paige presses another kiss on my back and then slides around to my side. “What are we talking about?”
Murray looks at me with the blankest face I’ve ever seen. I struggle not to laugh.
“Well …” Paige says, looking up at me. “What’s going on here?”
I wrap my arm around her waist and grin. “I was just dancing around the topic of you and me.”
“Are you embarrassed by me?” she asks, grinning back at me.
There’s no way in hell, baby.
“Apparently, I’m not allowed to say a word to you about this whole thing, but you can do that,” Murray says, pointing at us, “and I have to, what, be blind?”
“No. You have to be polite and not an asshole. Big difference,” Kira says.
“Murray not be an asshole? Is that even possible?” Paige asks.
He points at her again. “She’s teasing me, and I can’t tease her. That’s favoritism.”
I start to pull away from Paige and escort Murray outside to lay down the law when Paige laughs.
“What’s there to tease about?” she asks, stepping to the side and out from under my arm. “I’m going to tell you right now that I’m going to kiss him every time I see him. Do you want to tease me about that? Cool.”
Well, all right then.
Shocked, I watch her silently.
Murray looks at me with big, pleading eyes.
“I mean, I’m not going to use my leverage here to make sure I get to work with you on Friday nights or anything,” Paige says, trying not to smile. “That would be unfair.”
“You told her?” Murray’s jaw drops. “Come on, man.”
Paige puts her hand on her hips. “I’m just teasing you.”
“And I can’t tease you.”
“Yes, you can. Because sooner or later, you’re gonna like me too.”
He slumps against the sink. “Eh.”
“Why don’t you like me? Huh? Tell me.”
She gives him the look she gives me that makes me squirm. It seems to have the same effect on him.
He shifts his weight back and forth, unable to stand still. Finally, he sighs.
“You’re so loud. And bossy. And you get your hands in everything, and you won’t listen to anyone else’s opinions.”
She grins. “Okay.”
He flinches. “Okay? That’s it?”
“I’m just listening to you. Do you want to say anything else?”
He drops his jaw, realizing she’s one step ahead of him.
That’s my girl.
“Murray, I want to be friends. I’ll be quieter, and I’ll attempt to listen, but I’ll probably not be as bossy. Sound like a plan?”
“What just happened here?” Murray looks at Paige, then Kira, then at me. “What did you do to her?”
“You don’t want to know,” I say, smiling.
Paige laughs, returning to my side. Where she belongs. Then she looks at Kira.
“How are you? I’m sorry for running out of here the other night like that.”
Kira smirks. “It’s fine. He stayed and helped me close, and it all seems to have worked out. I’m a little jealous about that, but I’m happy for you.”
“Why are you jealous?” Paige asks.
“Boyfriend problems. It’s fine. We’ll talk later. I have to get back out to the bar.”
Kira gives us a little wave and returns to work.
“You good, Murray?” I ask.
He nods. “I’m confused but good.”
“Hey, Murray,” I call out.
When he looks up, I wink. “Get that sauce off the wall before I get back out here.”
He rolls his eyes and flips me the bird.
Is it time to fire him yet?
Paige laughs as we walk to my office. I shut the door behind us.
“I—ooh,” she says as I capture her words with my mouth.
I hold her face in my hands and show her how much I missed her today. This will never get old.
She pulls away, grinning, and catches her breath. “That’s one way to say hello.”
“That’s not my preferred way, but it’ll have to do for now.”
I take her hand and lead her to my chair. I sit and pull her on top of me, wrapping my arms around her.
Hopefully, if she’s having any second thoughts about being so open in front of her co-workers, this moment will reassure her that everything will be fine.
And it will. I’ll make sure of it.
She rests her head on my chest. “I needed this.”
“So did I.” I kiss the top of her head. “Did you have a good day?”
“I got a lot of stuff done. So that’s good.”
“That is good.”
“What about you?” she asks.
I sigh. “I had a meeting this morning with Landry Security. I took Lincoln a bottle of tequila so he’ll quit hounding me about it.”
She grins against me.
“I told them I’d work a job coming up,” I say.
“Do you like that job better than this one?”
I consider that. “Well, I like that I built this myself. It’s mine.
I can be sure it won’t fail because I wouldn’t let it fail.
But I enjoy working with the security company more.
It’s a bit of an adrenaline shot sometimes, and the pay is great.
And it’s not all on my shoulders. I can show up, do my job, and come home. ”
Paige toys with the button on my shirt. “Makes sense.”
“I could sit here and hold you all night. But if I make you get up and get my stuff done, I can come home, and we can do this there. Privately.”
She hops up. “I like the sound of that.”
I lean on my knees. “You do, do you?”
She nods eagerly.
“Get your sweet ass out of here and let me get payroll situated and the order in for wine. If it’s not busy, I’ll be home around seven or so,” I say.
She plants a soft, chaste kiss against my lips. I try to deepen it, but she draws away.
“Nope. I want you to need more so you’ll come home,” she says, heading to the door. She winks and walks out, closing the door behind her.
If she only understood that needing more will never be a problem.