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Chapter Four
“Although, if I’d known you would remember anything about last night, I probably wouldn’t have said it,” Zack said. “Probably.”
“You—you—you want to…” She let her voice trail off.
“Make love to you? Take you to bed? Hit the sheets with you? Do the horizontal tango? Hook up? All of the above? Should I go on?”
She had to laugh. “No, I think I get the picture.” Zack wanted to go to bed with her. Her mind was completely blown. Had that been why he’d come to Jalisco’s every Saturday night for the past several weeks? She’d wondered, but dismissed the idea as too far-fetched.
He gave her a rueful smile and shook his head. “Didn’t it occur to you that I had a reason for eating at Jalisco’s every Saturday? Something besides liking Mexican food?”
“Yes, but then I thought I was imagining it.” And wished she wasn’t. But Zack had never hit on her. Even though she wouldn’t have minded. Minded? She’d always liked Zack. Always had a little bit of a crush on him. Marriage, kids and divorce had changed her, though. In ways Zack couldn’t know about. And she hoped he never would. “You never asked me out. Or did anything besides flirt with me. Not in all the time I’ve known you.”
“So I’m slow.”
“Why?”
He gazed at her and she thought he was going to answer, but apparently he thought better of it.
“It doesn’t matter. I was going to ask you out. Last night. But that didn’t work out like I’d planned.”
“Neither did my night.” So she’d been right. Improbable as it had seemed, he’d been coming to Jalisco’s for a reason. And that reason was her. That made her feel, if possible, even worse about what had happened the night before. Regardless of the fact she hadn’t intended to get drunk, she had. And she’d behaved badly. Stupidly. Losing her job was no excuse for acting like a fool.
“I owe you an apology. Not just for Travis but for…throwing myself at you last night.” Which had to have been frustrating for him. Zack was a good guy, though, so he hadn’t taken her up on her offer. “I was feeling reckless and pissed and you’d sent… Damn, what was his name?”
“Nathan.”
“Yes, him. You’d sent Nathan away. I wouldn’t have gone off with him.” She hoped. “But I wasn’t thinking too clearly. I guess losing that job upset me more than I thought it would.” And that was a massive understatement.
“Don’t forget the guy who started it all by grabbing your ass. I’m sure that had an impact. Otherwise you wouldn’t have dumped a pitcher of water on him.”
Remembering, she frowned. “I wish I’d kicked him in the nuts. Since I got fired anyway.”
He laughed. “Yeah, he deserved worse than a little cold water.” Sobering, he asked, “Did things like that happen often?”
“No. Most guys just flirt a little.”
“Most? Meaning it’s happened before?”
She shrugged and didn’t answer.
“Damn, Laurel. You shouldn’t have to put up with that. Any other restaurant owner or manager in town wouldn’t have allowed that shit to happen.”
“I needed the money. None of the other places wanted a Saturday-night-only waitress.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“Look for another second job. I really like my job at Kelly Boots, but it’s barely enough to live on since… Well, since my divorce.”
“Because of your ex’s debt that he saddled you with. Bastard should be flogged.”
“How did you—Oh, Travis told you.”
“Don’t get mad at him. He worries about you.” He wiggled his jaw and grimaced. “Obviously.”
“I know, but I’m tired of Travis and Harlan treating me like a child they need to protect.”
“I have a feeling you might just have to put up with that.”
