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Kip eventually made his way over. “Take a break, man. Go talk to her.”
“You sure? It’s crazy.”
“Remove your name tag and stand next to her. If I need you, I’ll wave you back over. And you’ve been here since noon. Grab some food. We won’t have time to eat before we …” He shot me a knowing look.
The crushing burden of my secret weighed on my shoulders. The hidden truth screamed at me, reminding me that I had no right to even glance at Ella—or any other woman, for that matter. With a shake of my head, I pushed away the thoughts. I was done sidelining myself from life. Ella’s presence offered a glimmer of hope, suggesting she might be open, at least, to conversation.
“Sure thing, Mom.” I laughed as I ordered a burger and fries from the kitchen before I removed my name tag and hurried over to Ella and Cami on the other side of the bar.
“Kip is making me take a break. Hopefully, hanging with you ladies for a few minutes is okay?” I could have sworn Ella’s expression clouded. Had I said something wrong?
“We would love to.” Cami flashed a big smile at Ella. “Right?”
I tilted my head at Ella and chuckled, amused as a soft pink dusted her cheeks. She was a breath of fresh air compared to most women who came into the club.
“Right.”
Damn, she’s beautiful.
“So, Ella, are you a college student?”
Open mouth, insert foot. She was definitely too young for me, but she didn’t need to know that. Unfortunately, I had just opened that can and couldn’t slap the lid back on fast enough.
“Wow. I must look really young.” She laughed. “I graduated eight years ago from the University of Oregon. I’m twenty-nine.”
“Almost thirty,” Cami added. She nibbled on her stir straw, watching our conversation occur.
Too bad I couldn’t tell what Cami was thinking. I wasn’t stupid. I knew how this shit would play out. The best friend held the power to make or break a relationship, which meant I had to impress Cami as much as Ella.
Not to mention, I was eleven years her senior. It was better than I first thought, though.
“What kind of work do you do?” I stared at Ella’s full lips as she drank her mai tai.
“I’m a paralegal at Barnaby and Smooch.” Her forehead creased. “I have no idea why attorneys have such strange last names. Anyway, they’re criminal lawyers. The work is interesting. I mean, I have front row seats to their cases. If I am really honest, I’m fascinated with some criminals. Why do they do what they do, hurt, or kill people? Is it psychological? Sociological? Were they born that way?”
“And some of us can’t help but love the bad boys,” Cami said.
Ella shook her head. “Ignore her.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Just my damn luck.
I shoved my fingers through my hair, then instantly regretted it. Hopefully, it wasn’t sticking up at an awkward angle. “I bet it’s fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes of the legal system.”
“Sometimes it’s scary. Like when you know someone is guilty, but the attorneys are so damn good they get them off the charges. But it’s not my job to judge.” She gave me a half-shrug, and I wondered if she ever battled guilt about her work.
“Here ya go, Bass.” Kip set my food at the end of the bar.
Ella pointed behind me. “Someone’s trying to get your attention.”
Kip and I turned around to see what she was talking about.
A playful grin slipped over Kip’s face as he approached the woman at the other end of the bar. The brunette handed him a red jacket that I immediately recognized as his.
Kip tipped his chin at the lady before he walked away. “At least she didn’t keep it. I get tired of replacing jackets. Be right back, I’m going to put it away.” Kip laughed as he held it up, then disappeared through the door that led to the inventory and locker room.
I scooted the plate over. “I realize that you two just ate dinner, but the fries here are amazing. Help yourself, ladies, otherwise I’ll feel like an asshole eating in front of you.”
Ella’s smile reached her eyes as she snatched one up and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm, you’re right, those are really good.”
