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My assistant.
“I’ll call you in the morning, okay?” Paige says into the phone with another glance at me. “Yes, I’ll talk to them about that, too. Okay... Goodnight, Mom. I love you, too.” She hangs up, exhaling hard as she shoves the phone back into her pocket. “Sorry about that.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she answers, predictably. “She’s just… having trouble with a roommate?—”
“Paige! Oh, my god!”
A woman walks up to our table. But the term waddles might be a better descriptor. She’s petite with wide hips, curly blonde hair, and enough stage presence to completely light up our dim corner.
Paige smiles as she hops out of her chair to greet her. “Evey!” They both throw their arms around each other. “It’s so good to see you!” She pulls back with a gasp at Evey’s protruding stomach. “Are you pregnant again?!”
I blink twice as I look down. From a front view, I couldn’t even tell she was expecting. But from the side, I’m genuinely concerned about her ability to remain upright. If she were any larger, she would surely tip over.
Well done, Vincent.
Evey rolls her eyes as she gives her belly a rub. “What can I say?” she says. “That man loves knocking me up.”
“When are you due?”
“August, I think?”
“You’re so big already! It’s not twins, is it?”
“You shut your mouth!”
I laugh quietly, enjoying the banter as I sip my beer.
“Well, congratulations!” Paige says. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Paige sits down in her chair with a gesture at me. “Evey, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is Evey. She owns the bar.”
Evey looks at me, her adorable smile filling her cheeks. “My brother tells me you’re the new boss.”
I nod, extending my hand out of habit. “That’s me,” I say. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She takes my hand, gives it a light shake, and… doesn’t let it go.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Oliver,” she says.
“Likewise. You’ve got quite the line of family businesses around here.”
“We’ve fully monopolized this corner of the street, yes.”
I quietly glance at Paige with my hand still clenched within Evey’s claw. She simply chuckles, offering me no assistance. This must just be Evey being… Evey.
Finally, she releases me. “You know, you’re cuter than Graham,” she says with a wink. “You can tell him I said that.”
“Oh, I will,” I say, enjoying the ego stroke.
She taps her fist twice on the table. “You two holler at me if you need anything at all,” she says. “I’ll make Tommy do it.”
Paige laughs as she raises her glass. “We will.”
Evey offers both of us one more warm smile before she waddles away to talk up the group at the next table down.
