Page 27 of Duty

It wasn’t another run where they ran into one another again.

“Did you now—where? Oh, wait, let me guess. Probably on the running trail again, right?”

“No, the club actually. The night I had to do your special.”

Valeria whistled low. “Damn. Bet that was not what he was expecting to see, huh?”

Haven laughed. “He wasn’t what I expected to see, either. To be fair.”

“Was he wearing a suit again?”

She smiled slyly. “He was.”

“Still gorgeous?”

“Very much so.”

Valeria grinned, and arched one perfectly manicured brow high. “Now, for the better question—did you get his number?”

“Didn’t get the chance.”

Her friend cursed. “Shame on you.”

Haven laughed, and shrugged. “I expect he’ll be back.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, he did seem to like what he saw.”

“On stage, or off?”

Haven smiled a little at the exchange she had with Andino after she’d been on stage, but also the way he’d watched while she was on stage as well. “I’d say both, actually.”

“Well, then. You do you, chica.”

That was usually the plan, yep.

• • •

Haven took the tip a customer slid across the counter to her, and put it in the jar while she wiped down the bar with a rag. She didn’t keep the tips when she helped out at the bar, instead saving them up, and then dividing them between the servers for the night. What the usual bartenders did with their tips was up to them, though.

Once the bar gleamed again, and the stools were cleared of patrons, Haven went to the next task of putting the liquor bottles back in their rightful spot.

She couldn’t say she was a great bartender, but she was decent enough. She could pull off about twenty drinks, and those were the most requested at the club. Should someone come in wanting something she hadn’t heard of, a simple app on her phone could give her all the ingredients and direction she needed to make the drink happen.

She still preferred to be in the office.

Or even … sometimes … on the stage.

“No dancing tonight?”

Haven felt a warm sensation slide down her spine at the familiar, dark tone. Like brown sugar, she thought. His voice was rich, and candy to her senses.

Andino.

She had been right.

He was back.