Ezra stood at the bar when I came back out. “Can we get a round of G&T’s?”
“Sure.”
“You doing all right?” he asked as I lined up four glasses side by side.
“Peachy.”
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
I blinked once. Twice. Then I met his gaze.
He blanched at the look in my eyes.
“I’m fine, just tired.” God, why couldn’t I be better at pretending that I didn’t care about what was currently playing out in front of me? And whydidit bother me so much?
Ezra frowned as he noticed me shoot a gaze at the booth. “You know they came to us, right? We told them we’re not interested, but we thought we’d at least have a round together to soften the blow.”
I sniffed. “I’m not sure why you’re telling me this. Both of you are single, so I have no qualms about you hooking up with those two. They seemed nice when I was chatting to them earlier.”
Ezra’s hands curved over mine when I pushed the first two drinks towards him. He held on tightly, not letting me out of his grip.
“I’m telling you this because you’re shooting lasers out of your eyes, and you weren’t when we first came in. It’s a reasonable guess that your change in mood has something to do with the girls coming over to us.”
I huffed. “Well, reasonable or not, you’re wrong. Why would I have a problem with two pretty women throwing themselves at you?” I tried again to jerk my hands away, but he only squeezed them tighter.
“You tell me.”
The blue of his eyes was a storm, and I was in its center. I let out a shuddering breath, and at last, he let go of my hands, his expression contemplative.
I averted my eyes, unable to withstand the tension crackling between us. “Let me help you with those.”
We walked to the booth, a drink in each of our hands, and this time, I forced myself to study the redhead that was still stuck to Cole. The way her thigh was pressed against his jeans, the lustful look on her face, the hand that played with the fabric of his shirt.
I wasn’t angry at her.
I just wanted tobeher.
The realization slammed into me.
“Can I get you anything else?” I asked, my throat suddenly dry.
“We’re fine, thanks,” the brunette responded without looking at me.
I walked back to the bar in a trance.
I wanted them. Fuck it. I was done denying the desire that had been building up over the past few weeks. The fantasies I replayed in my head were never going to be enough, not when I knew I had a shot at the real deal.
It was just sex, after all. It didn’t have to be complicated, and maybe by actually doing it, the compulsive need I’d been battling ever since that walk with Ezra would disappear.
The rest of my shift went by in a daze. Ezra stayed true to his word, and after they had finished their round, the two girls stood up and left—but not before giving both of the guys hugs that seemed much too tight and way too long to me.
The guys got another round, and this time, I managed to summon a real smile when Ezra came up to the bar. His shoulders seemed to relax a little at that, and he watched me make the G&Ts in easy silence.
They got up to leave at around ten thirty and came to the bar to bid me goodbye.
“Thanks for taking care of us tonight,” Cole said as he paid both theirs and the women’s tab. “I was right. It was fun watching you in action, even if you seemed a little…tense at times.”
I flushed. “Yeah, sorry.”
