Page 34 of The Bartender Special

In his new setting, instead of panic, Benny donned politeness.

“I'm sorry I slapped your butt,” he whispered to Jack. “I got swept up in the moment and the moment felt very slap-appropriate.”

Jack snorted.

“Never had anyone call me darling before today and never had someone apologize for smacking my ass. Hanging out with you, Benny De Carlo, has been a slightly wild ride so far.”

They kept their hands together as they moved past pots filled with flowers that looked like they belonged in a painting, a picturesque stone wall covered in vines, and then finally into the heart of the Robertson garden.

The fountain—not made for throwing coins into, according to Cal’s insistence the last time they’d been there as kids—was smaller than Benny had remembered. That, however, didn’t take away from how fairy-tale it all looked.

Just like the greenhouse beyond it.

Steel and aged glass and flora well-kept yet strategically wild, antique gold and green café tables and chairs. The wall facing them was nothing but two large accordion doors, pushed open so the people seated inside still felt like they were dining in nature.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Nature meeting romance.

Benny glanced up at Jack to see if the same impressions were washing over him.

However, Benny paused in his list of adjectives for the Robertsons’ garden.

Jack Knox looked good.

Standing among the greens, glasses and stone statues, a barely-there smile and a shirt collar that had come open enough to show smooth, sun-kissed skin. Benny couldn’t help but think he looked better than some fairy-tale fountain with a no-pennies rule.

Just standing there in silence, holding his hand.

It was…nice.

It was…

“Wow,” Jack breathed out. “I guess I can see why almost everyone in Arbor Bay gets a hard on about this place.”

Distracting.

Benny shook his hand out of Jack’s.

“And just like that, you’ve killed the aesthetic for me.”

Jack laughed, following him around the curve of the fountain.

“Think of my feelings, finally realizing everyone’s gotten their panties wet for this,” he added on with a little laugh. “You do know most everything in here can be bought at a Lowe’s, right?”

Benny decided not to reward that with a response and instead turned his focus to the party already in attendance, now coming into view as he and Jack approached the open greenhouse doors.

Ruby, Carol’s best friend, sat facing them with a champagne flute in her hand and was dressed like she was about to watch the Kentucky Derby—her own big hat crowning her own big head. Missy, the Robertson matriarch, was a little less flamboyant in comparison, a feat considering the older woman was wearing a salmon-colored pantsuit and pearls as big as grapes. A woman he didn’t recognize was sitting down between the two and made Benny feel a bit better about his lack of flair with his button-up and khaki dress pants. She was in a polka dot dress that Benny knew came from Target.

Because he’d passed it on his way into the men’s section to buy the shirt he was currently wearing.

“I guess I should have grabbed my white linen suit, huh?” Jack whispered. It startled a gasp from Benny considering he’d bent down to do so against his ear.

A gasp loud enough that it stopped all three women on the spot.

Suddenly, all eyes were on them.