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She looked around. Yep, that pretty much summed it up. “Let’s get everyone served as quickly as possible, then, once it’s under control, I’m going to see if I can find someone to come in and cover.”
Ava nodded and they both got to work. Evangeline was swallowed up in the noise, in the smells, in theenergyof working a bar when there’s a hundred people all clamoring to lose themselves, if only for a night. When she finally got a minute to look up and breathe, she saw Beau walking toward her with a smile on his face and a takeout bag in his hand.
He waved it at her. “Ready for dinner?”
Was she ready to take a break from this hectic night? Absolutely. Could she? Probably not.
“As much as I’d love to, I don’t think I can leave these guys yet.”
His gaze gravitated to the left, seeing how slammed they were. With a determined nod, he walked off. Confused, Evangeline followed him with her eyes, seeing him duck under the end of the bar.
“Put me to work,” he told her.
She blinked.
“Vee? Come on. I can clear tables if you want me to.”
She nodded, clearing her throat, “That’d be great. After you’ve done that you can help serve for a while.”
He gave her a mock salute before grabbing a large white wire basket and disappearing into the crowd. She couldn’t believe he’d given up his night to help her.
“Who was that, boss?” Ava asked, reaching up to get two martini glasses.
“None of your goddamn business,” she growled. “Get back to work.”
The color seemed to drain from the other woman’s face right before her eyes and she seemed smugly satisfied. Her reputation for being a bitch was still firmly in place. Turning to the next person waiting, she asked, “What can I get you?”
“Two extra dry martinis.”
With a nod, she got to work measuring and mixing. She glanced up a few times to find the woman watching her with an intensity she found unnerving. People normally watched when their drinks were being made, but Evangeline felt like the woman was watchingherrather than simply watching what she was doing. Pouring out the mixed liquor, she placed them on the bar.
“That’s sixty dollars.”
The woman slid over a credit card, her gaze unwavering. Evangeline ran it through the machine, then handed her the slip of paper to sign.
“Thank you,” Evangeline said, taking the receipt back for her records.
The woman inclined her head slightly, tucked her pocketbook under her arm and whisked the two drinks away. Evangeline watched her go, an unsteady feeling settling over her.
“Hey,” Beau said with a smile as he walked behind the bar and placed his full basket of dirty glasses on top of the dishwasher. He popped the machine open and started loading. “How’s it going?”
“It’s starting to settle down.” Then to Ava she called, “I’ll go make some phone calls.”
Beau followed her back into the office, shutting the door and the craziness behind them. She watched how his eyes darted to her desk, and a satisfied grin pulled at his lips. She sat down, nudging her mouse to wake up her computer. Beau approached, rounding the desk and massaging her shoulders. She groaned as he applied just the right amount of pressure to her tight muscles.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Beau.”
He chuckled but didn’t stop. “Maybe I don’t want to stop. Maybe I want to have you on this desk again.”
Evangeline could’ve sworn she felt her blood inch a degree higher. She cleared her throat. “We can’t now.”
Letting out a theatrical sigh, he stopped and went to sit in the chair opposite her, a smile still playing on his lips. “You were considering it though, weren’t you?”
With the roll of her eyes, she picked up her phone and dialed the number of one of her bartenders. A few minutes later, she had it all arranged.
“As soon as Toby gets here, we can have dinner.”
“Good. I’ll run out and get us some fresh food, then.” He stood up and kissed her on the forehead, the little action meaning more to her than she wanted it to. She was getting comfortable with him—thinking of him like she did back in college—and that both scared and exhilarated her. The question was, was she willing to give Beau her heart again?
