“I think you need an impartial second opinion, and I’m not your girl for that.”
“Three hundred.” Parker raised his beer glass to me in greeting.
“Pretty sure you’re not considered impartial either,” Jules said.
“Hey, pretty lady.”
Every head turned as Beck addressed me.
“Nice shirt.”
“Thanks.”
That’s when I noticed Jenn. “I thought she was off tonight?”
“She was,” Beck said. “But I figured you could celebrate easier, and talk to Parker about the kitchen plans, if you didn’t have to worry about customers. So you’re off the hook.”
“Awww,” Pia swooned. “Why did you warn me away from him when I first came?” Pia asked Mason. “He’s a sweetheart.”
Parker nearly spit out his beer. “Not the word I’d use.”
Sidling up to the bar on my newly minted night off, I met Beck’s gaze.
“I don’t know what I’m in the mood for,” I said in my most overly flirty tone. “Can you help me decide?”
“Well, beautiful,” he said, as smooth as ever. “How are you feeling tonight? We’ll go from there.”
“Hmmm.” I leaned my elbow on the bar, pretending to think. “I’m feeling happy. And excited too.”
“Ah yeah? Why’s that?”
I deliberately stared overly long at his forearm before meeting his eyes, sighing dramatically.
“It’s a guy.”
“Ooof, must be one hell of a guy to catch the attention of a woman like you.”
“Oh, he is,” I assured him.
Without hardly even looking away from me, Beck noticed the same thing I did, that Lou was on empty. Without missing a beat, he said, “Let me think about it a sec,” and headed off to refill him.
“So I hear we’re working on some renovations together?” Parker asked.
I turned to the group.
“I can’t thank you enough for squeezing it in. With the business, and your own house, I know you’re slammed.”
“It’s no problem at all. Though like I told Beck, it’ll be about a month before I can get to it. I want to clear at least a week so there’s minimal disruptions to the kitchen.”
I exchanged a look with Delaney, girl code for “you’ve got a good one here.”
“I appreciate it.”
“When you get your drink, how about we go back and take a look? I have some updated plans.”
“Sounds great.”
Beck was back.
