Chapter 4
Luke
“Hey, man, nobody forced you to raise the stakes,” I said as we walked into O’Riley’s for lunch.
It was crowded, so no one seemed to notice our loud voices.
I was still riding the high from the morning.
Alex’s promotion had been officially announced, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of pride and nostalgia.
Like a proud dad watching his kid graduate, except the “kid” could probably drink me under the table and did just that last weekend.
He’d come a long way, and he truly deserved it.
Also, my boss caught me after the meeting and offered me a raise—a good one, too.
Apparently, closing TechDom, AlcTech, and LPH hadn’t gone unnoticed, along with the whispers about a job offer from the competition.
I hadn’t decided whether I’d take it, but after seeing that number on the Post-it, I was more inclined to stay.
Williams was tough but fair, and oddly enough, I owe a lot of who I’ve become in this job to the pressure he’d put me under.
Let’s just say I was leaning toward loyalty.
The team, the new leads, the finally approved vacation—it all felt like I was heading in the right direction.
Even my ego got a little boost thanks to HR Susan in that pencil skirt, and her colleagues pretending they weren’t checking me out.
They were. They always were. It was a good day.
No, scratch that—it was a damn great day.
“What do you mean nobody forced me? You said you’d pay for my kids’ college if I did your ten-shot challenge and the “No Woman, No Cry” solo,” Alex shot back. “I barely survived, by the way.”
While waiting in line, a glimpse of Hazel’s blonde curls caught my attention as she was preparing drinks.
“I’m going to be honest, I was starting to get worried. You began strong. I only relaxed when you puked halfway through. He got it on camera,” I said, nodding at Logan, whose large frame filled half the space.
“Hey, man, not cool.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” Logan stepped in, “it’s only when you climb the corporate ladder and become the CEO that we’ll release it on YouTube.”
“Very funny. Don’t forget, I have some classified files on all of you, too,” Alex warned us with his weak threats.
“Are you talking about the time Logan passed out drunk in the pool on that inflatable flamingo ring with his bare ass facing the sun?” Ethan said way too loudly, emphasizing ass and flamingo, making a few heads turn.
“Hey, at least it’s my ass in the video, not my face. You can’t prove it’s me.”
“Except for the pickle tattoo on the ass,” Alex pointed out.
“Damn, I always forget it’s there.”
We finally got to ordering. Hazel’s bright smile greeted us.
“Did I hear flamingo ring and pickle tattoo in one sentence just now?” she asked, her soft, pink lips twitching at the word pickle.
“Yes, unfortunately, but nobody will believe you fools since I’ve carefully crafted myself into a well-respected lawyer,” Logan announced.
That’s true. Logan didn’t seem like the kind of guy with a horrendous tattoo on his ass, which was the only reminder of his wild partying days. Even so, how he got it was as unbelievable as it was hilarious.
“What can I get you, guys?” Hazel laughed. God, she was so cute when she laughed. She had this undeniable quality that could only be described as sunlight in human form.
“Three black coffees and a double espresso,” Ethan ordered.
“Extra shot?” Hazel asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Please.” I felt warmth spreading through me, but I quickly pushed it down.
I didn’t know when it happened, but I started looking forward to these visits more than I cared to admit.
The thing is, when she smiled, I felt the urge to stay.
Not just in this city. Not just at this job.
But right here, in her orbit, a little longer.
“Thanks for the croissants, by the way,” Alex said. “You literally saved my life.”
“No worries, and, Logan, about the pickle tattoo, you should be proud. That just makes you an interesting human being.”
“Did you hear that?” Logan grinned proudly.
“Yes, yes, another person besides your wife likes your pickle,” I said. “Congratulations! If only you were single, there would be no women left for us. Thank you for your service!”
A thought crossed my mind. “Hold on.” I turned to the croissant goddess. “Sounds like Miss Hazel has a ‘pickle’ of her own. Is it Live, Love, Laugh? Or maybe an infinity sign? A feather tattoo somewhere?” I teased, wearing a mock-shocked expression.
“Actually, I made a bet with your mom about your longest relationship with a woman. I lost, and she made me get your favorite childhood barn animal, which is why I have a huge piglet on my butt now.”
My fake shock turned real as simultaneous Oh damns came from Ethan and Alex, right next to Logan’s pickled ass.
“Extra cinnamon,” Hazel whispered, handing me my coffee with a warm smile.
“Thank you. Now I’ll be thinking of that piglet all day,” I said, slowly picking up my coffee and giving her a slow, sarcastic smile. I pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and put it in the tip jar. “For your troubles with my mom.”
We made our way to the free booth right next to the window, and once we sat down, the conversation quickly shifted to work talk.
Their voices faded into the background as my mind lingered on Hazel.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her work, effortlessly engaging with customers.
She seemed to enjoy being here. Her smile was always bright towards any person, colleague, or customer, even the grumpy assholes in the morning.
Most customer service workers hated rude customers, especially those who hadn’t had their morning coffee yet or who were just a huge pain in the ass without any apparent reason.
But Hazel didn’t seem bothered by it. I guessed she thought their negativity wasn’t personal and just focused on getting their orders done quickly, trying to make their day better with kindness.
I admired her for that, even if I thought no one should have to put up with other people’s bullshit.
“...which is why this year, somebody actually plans this trip,” Logan said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
This was the first time Ava, Summer, and Norah were joining us on our annual trip.
I didn’t mind. We were all friends more than couples, so the ladies could have their time while we chilled.
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I’d say we were a healthy group of friends, although I could do without the constant pressure to find my ‘lobster’, as another famous blonde would say.
“It wouldn’t hurt if someone knew what we were doing instead of drinking ourselves into oblivion for two weeks,” Ethan said, eyeing me.
“Hey, I can hold my liquor,” I shot back. “It’s the rest of you who have problems with it.”
“You guys going somewhere?” Hazel’s voice cut through our conversation as she brought a plate of freshly baked goods to our table. Her shoulder brushed against mine, and I caught a hint of mango scent.
“Hazel, you’re a devil and a saint. I’ll get fat from eating these soon,” Alex said, grabbing one in each hand.
“If only there were something to stop you from getting obese. Like a little voice in your head saying Stop eating,” Logan mocked him.
“Every year, we all go on a vacation together. This time, it’s Portugal,” I explained, ignoring their banter.
“An excellent choice, Portugal is gorgeous, especially this time of year,” Hazel said, while cleaning a nearby table.
“You’ve been there?”
“Yes. Once, a while ago,” she averted her gaze with a smile that hinted at a story behind it. “You’ll need a lot of sunscreen, even if you think you won’t. The sun’s brutal there. I’d kill for a sunny trip right now,” she laughed. “Feels like my vitamin D is in recession.”
I caught myself disliking the thought of her being in distress.
“So, what do you do on these trips? Just relax, drink, and sunbathe your asses in the pool? Or do some daredevil stuff like arm wrestle locals for beer money?” Hazel laughed, emphasizing each question with more excitement.
“We try to do a bit of everything.”
“Although Mr. Luke Davis usually picks up some ladies at the bar and disappears,” Ethan exposed me, but I wasn’t bothered. I think.
“Well, see, Hazel, all these boring chumps have settled down, and now they expect me never to find happiness? Hypocrites!”
“Oh, and let me guess. You’re really trying to find your one true love in a foreign country.
I’m guessing she doesn’t speak much English, you forget her number, or you have to leave soon because it’s a vacation, right?
You’d love to stay, but you can’t. You have responsibilities here at home, am I correct?
” She called my bullshit again. I loved it.
“The circumstances aren’t important, but if it’s meant to be, it’ll happen, you know?” I grinned. I almost forgot anyone else was at the table.
“You, poor thing, I hope you find it,” she said sarcastically. “Just make sure you remember her name when you meet your true love.”
“Hazel, you know, we’ve never tried our luck ourselves. You never know, maybe you and your croissants are the love of my life after all,” I said, biting into the butter-filled treat. “It seems you’re already on good terms with my mom.”
“I doubt that,” she replied. “I may bring you coffee, but my standards are a little more refined than barnyard level.” She was humiliating me in front of the guys. So spicy today.
“Mark my words,” I said, gazing directly into her eyes seductively. “I’m gonna kiss you someday.”
“Don’t worry, Hazel. We’ll tase him in the parking lot if he comes onto you,” Logan said, giving her a reassuring look.
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” she said, lowering her head between me and Alex.
She looked at me and lightly slapped me before disappearing, but something on her wrist caught my attention.
Something black. Hazel did have a tattoo, although I couldn’t make it out because her blouse covered it.
Was that hot, or was I just horny? The warmth of her hand on my cheek lingered even after she left.
“Don’t you dare ruin this place for us. This is the best coffee around,” Ethan said, punching me on the shoulder. Why was everybody hitting me today?
“Okay, okay, I’m just messing with her, I’m not interested,” I laughed.
“I don’t know, man, I think he actually likes her,” Alex said. I almost spit out my coffee.
“Why don’t you just ask her out as a normal human being?”
I just gave them a look, the kind that said drop it already, but my gaze slipped back to the counter anyway.
“Oh, what? Am I the only one who thinks that?”
“Has Ava filled your head with this crap, too?” I said, tapping my fingers on the table. Their constant attempts to set me up with someone had all failed. Miserably. Predictably.
“Yeah, man, back off. He’s gonna ruin everything with his huge ego and tiny man nipples,” Logan chimed in.
“Fuck off,” I cussed at him.
“I’m actually on the same page with Alex,” Ethan interrupted. “I think you want her, you’re just afraid your man nipples will be rejected.”
“You’re all way too interested in my man nipples,” I said, trying to change the subject. “Let’s talk about something else. Are we still on for tomorrow?”
“Yeah, the girls have the trip planned. They’ll tell us about it tomorrow at Logan and Norah’s,” Ethan replied.
“Okay, I’ll book the tickets,” I said, setting a reminder on my phone.
Suddenly, a large man in a suit caught my eye. He was our age, but he had a strange energy about him. Hazel was taking his order, but she wasn’t smiling like she did with other customers. I fidgeted an inch closer in my seat.
Hazel, come on, his tone wasn’t pleading. It was sharp, almost like a warning. Something in me tensed. That instinctive alert that kicks in when a man’s voice shifts just enough to signal trouble. I didn’t even think about it. I stood up and made my way to the counter.
“I’m working now, please leave me alone.” Hazel kept her focus on the counter, shoulders tight, clearly trying to brush him off, but the flicker in her eyes gave away a trace of nerves.
“Oh, come on, it’s not that busy. Your friend can manage,” the guy insisted, still pushing.
Alex, Ethan, and Logan picked up on it too and trailed a few steps behind me as I approached.
“I think the lady said she’s working,” I cut in, stepping between them. My voice was steady, polite, but firm. Just enough not to start a scene. Up close, he didn’t seem so big anymore. Funny how that happens.
“Okay, let’s keep it calm, gentlemen,” Logan said, trying to diffuse the tension. Always the rational one, he excelled at resolving conflicts with calm conversation, often insulting people without them noticing.
“Everything okay?” Ethan asked Hazel.
“Yes, I’m fine, guys,” Hazel replied, her tone polite but strained. Meanwhile, I kept my focus on the guy who seemed confused but frustrated by the development of the situation.
“He was just leaving, right?” she asked, trying to keep it together and prevent a big scene. I wasn’t sure if it was exactly fear, but she definitely didn’t want to make this anyone else’s problem.
“Hey, no trouble here,” the man said with a smirk, acting like we were overreacting. He grabbed his takeaway, looked back at Hazel, and added, “Give me a call, will you?”
He backed away, opened the door, and left. Hazel exhaled quietly, a subtle sign of relief.
“Who was that?” I asked. She held my gaze just a second too long, clearly debating whether to be honest.
“No one. Just a pushy customer. It’s fine,” she said, brushing it off with a soft “thank you.” She gave me that warm smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
And that worried me. Why did it worry me?
Damn it. I didn’t like this feeling. I didn’t want to walk away.
What if that creep came back? But the coffee shop was full, and her coworkers were close, so I clung to that as reassurance.
“Alright. Take care, Hazel.”
“Bye, Hazel. Thanks for the croissants,” Ethan added, already at the door, with others following.
Eventually, I turned and headed out last. On the sidewalk, I looked through the glass. Hazel stood near the back, away from everyone, eyes closed, exhaling slowly.
I pursed my lips together, unsure what the hell was bothering me so much. Her smile returned, this time rehearsed, as she stepped back behind the counter. I crossed the street, catching up with the others.