“Interestingly enough, I’ve been visiting with these gentlemen. They have had some fascinating information to share about your current living arrangements.”
She looked at them over her shoulder. They wouldn’t meet her glare. Parker had managed to work his way down the bar like he was debating making a run for it.
“Your mother had one of her ’feelings’ that something was going on,” he continued. “She sent me to find out. Imagine my surprise to learn you’re living above a bar with the bartender. I think I’ll hang around for closing time. The three of us can discuss this situation then.”
“Yes, sir,” Astrid answered. She walked down the bar where her tray sat. Parker started to meet her when her father called out his name. She noticed all three regulars mumbled something at Parker before slinking out the door. She grabbed her tray and returned to work. Andrea squeezed her arm on the way by.
She took a quick peek at Parker. He was back at the farthest end of the bar from her father. The vacated stools had quickly filled up and he was bent over a cocktail he was mixing.
At least she could be grateful it was her father that had shown up and not her mother. The bar would have emptied, fleeing from the scene she would have made. Her father, however, was a reasonable man who would never embarrass her in public. He saved his bloodletting for private.
Parker looked like a man about to be sent to the gallows when Astrid turned the lock at the end of the night. Weren’t badass, tattooed bartenders supposed to have a “fuck everyone” attitude? Somewhere he had missed that memo. He looked like he was seriously rethinking every decision he had made in the last year.
As for her? She was tired of caring. Sometime during the rest of her shift, she decided she was an adult and allowed to make her own decisions. The first one was she was hopelessly in love with Parker.
She slumped into one of the seats at the table across from her father. Parker sat in the seat next to her, making sure they didn’t come in contact. He could pretend all he wanted that they hadn’t had amazing sex, but that ship had sailed. And she planned on climbing on that boat as much as possible.
She needed to focus on the man scowling across the table from them instead of the hot, sweaty piece of man meat sitting next to her. Her father cleared his throat. It brought her eyes off of Parker so fast it’s amazing she didn’t sprain one. She felt Parker scoot just a little farther away. He knew she was always wound up at the end of the night.
“So why are you living here now?” her dad asked.
“That’s my fault, sir,” Parker answered. She had to give it to Parker, the man had balls. Of course, she already knew that since she had had them in her mouth on several occasions. But these were the metaphorical balls everyone talked about. Great, now all she could think about was his balls and the other part of him that resided in the same region.
“I’ve got this,” she said, cutting him off. “Daddy, I appreciate you coming here. But I’m an adult now. I get to decide where I live and who I sleep with.”
“Or maybe just explain the problem with your current living situation,” Parker said. Both men were staring at her. Parker had a dumbfounded look on his face, her father not so much.
“You know what,” her father said. “It’s late. I’m going to go. I’ll see you tomorrow for brunch at ten, Astrid.” He rose from his chair. “Parker, I’ll be back for the bangers and mash.”
He gave Astrid a quick hug and followed Parker to the door where a car was waiting to take him back to his hotel.
“Did he just leave you here,” Parker asked in confusion. “After that outburst?”
“Appears that way.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea, but I do know one thing.” She walked over to him until there was barely a breath separating them. “Either we go upstairs now so I can ride you in the shower or we do it right here on this table where my dad can see us if he’s still out there. Your choice.”
After a beat, Parker took her hand. “Upstairs it is.” She laughed as he quickly pulled her toward the stairwell.
The next day went better than Astrid could have hoped for. She met her dad for brunch at a little diner near his hotel. She sat patiently while he explained his objections about her current situation. He sat patiently while she explained how she was now an adult capable of making her own decisions.
Parker treated him to bangers and mash that evening. He watched how Parker handled the bar, met his brothers, and visited with the contrite-acting Declan, Jackie and Alan. He finally resigned himself to the arrangement. But only until the dorms opened back up and Astrid could move into her new apartment.
Astrid joined him, after closing, in a booth. They sipped on sodas while the three Donnelly brothers worked on cleaning up.
“I’m still not thrilled with this,” Andrew Aaronson said, watching them work. “But they seem like a decent family,” he added when she began to protest. “Did you know he calculates all of the bar tabs in his head?”
“I do. He has some kind of learning disability, a form of number dyslexia. Liam keeps the books, but he’s been teaching me how to do it.”
“It’s impressive to watch him rattle off orders and totals from memory.” Andrew watched them working for a few more minutes. “The guys were saying his father had a stroke and has been living in a rehab facility?”
“He’s supposed to move back in at the end of August. Parker has been trying to save money for a lift to get him up to the apartment. He’s very independent and won’t want help. Parker wants him to be able to come and go in the bar whenever he wants.”
“Hmm,” her dad said, considering. “Has he had anyone look at it?” Astrid shook her head. “I’ll see if I can pull a copy of the blueprints before I go back. Maybe I can make some recommendations. There might also be some grants out there to help with the expense you could check into.”
She smiled at him. Her dad was amazing. Though unhappy with the situation, he still wanted to help Parker’s family. She knew at that moment the tattooed bartender was starting to grow on him.
