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Then I put in my headphones to drown out his screams. “Oh, I love this song!” I give him a big smile and then get to work harvesting his organs while humming along to Marvin Gaye.
Stella
David:
Still on for dinner tonight?
Yes! Just tell me when and where :)
David:
Where do you want to go?
You pick!
David:
What are you in the mood for?
I groan and set my phone down on the Den’s oak bar. For fuck’s sake. I said just tell me when and where and this joker starts playing twenty questions. At the Den, my days are full of scheduling shifts, dealing with vendors, refereeing spats between servers—and Fox brothers—and soothing customers’ ruffled feathers. It would be nice if I didn’t have to continue making decisions for everyone on my night off.
I hear Lochlan’s singing before I see him. He comes dancing out of the back room, head bopping with his headphones in. He spins toward me and wiggles his hips while crooning the lyrics to “Sexual Healing.”
I yank out an AirPod when he leans over the bar next to my stool and gives me a crooked smile. “I’m going for burgers, you in?” He raises his brows and my stomach rumbles.
“Can’t.” I frown. “I have a date.”
He nudges me with a laugh. “Why do you look so upset about that?”
“It’s nothing.” I try to brush it off. “At least none of his profile pictures are of him on a boat with a fish, so that’s a good sign.” What is with white men’s obsession with showing off the fish they caught anyway?
Laughing, Lochlan rests his back against the bar and leans back all casually. “What’s his name?”
“Nope. No way.” I shake my head, laughing. “I am not telling you his name so you can have Finn run some insane background check on him.”
“Hey.” He throws his hands up. “We’re just looking out for you, Stella Mae.” Stella Mae. My full name hasn’t felt the same ever since he said it on my birthday. I try to ignore the way my cheeks are burning with the memory and notice a helpful distraction: a streak of blood by his ear.
I tap my own cheek in the same place. “Missed a spot.” I don’t ask him how it got there. I don’t need specifics. I know exactly who the Foxes are.
Veronica exits the staff room, walking past us with her bag slung over her shoulder, clearly done with her shift. Her long, dark hair hangs in a braid down her back and she’s changed into a flattering pair of bike shorts and matching crop.
Lochlan catches sight of her and pushes off the counter. “Hey, have fun tonight,” he says hurriedly as he catches up with her.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he beams his typical charmer smile at her. “You ever been to Betty Bay’s Burgers?”
She looks at him coyly but is obviously delighted by his attention. “No.” She shakes her head.
“Well, no time like the present,” he offers, and she giggles in agreement. I roll my eyes. Poor girl has no idea what she’s in for. Most of our staff keeps a wary distance between themselves and the brothers. They can be charming when they want to, but most of the time they come off as intimidating and disinterested. Except for Lochlan.
And shit, this boy picked a girl, a restaurant, and a time all in the matter of thirty seconds. It’s not that hard, David.
But then Lochlan glances over her shoulder at me with a wink and makes the okay symbol discreetly with this hand. I can practically hear him say, Nice. And I remember that’s why I avoid men like Lochlan—most of the time. Everything’s a game; women are just conquests.
Sighing, I pick up my phone and text David.
Let’s do Nonna Rosa’s. Meet me there at 7.
Then, with a small smirk, I text Lochlan.
