Page 16 of Seein’ Red

Buns.

“Holy shit, buns…” I say out loud, everything snapping into place.

“That’s fucking brilliant,” Bronwyn declares. “Seriously brilliant.”

“I don’t get it,” Sylvie injects. “And just what is this place?”

“Welcome to Bunz, ladies!” KatieRae Michaels says. “A female oriented sports bar. Think Hooters, but for us girls.”

I look around, and KatieRae is right. Every last member of the wait staff is male—with the exception of two female bartenders and the hostess—and all of them are wearing jeans that look as if they were painted on and no shirts. Well hot damn. I like this place.

When KatieRae had suggested this place as our second stop for Kenzie’s bachelorette party, both Sylvie and I were a little skeptical. Our original plan for dinner after our long afternoon full of luxury spa treatments had been a fancy meal somewhere. One where we could get all dolled up to fill our bellies on decadent, rich foods, before heading back to the hotel to binge all of Kenzie’s favorite movies.

Now I can see why our old family friend thought this would be a good way to mix it up. It’s fun, but not too over-the-top, and based on the signs on the front door listing their local awards, the food is good.

One thing about Atlanta, they don’t tolerate bad food, no matter how clever the gimmick is for a restaurant. Half-naked hot dudes is not enough to save mediocre food.

“First rule of Bunz, no mansplaining,” KatieRae continues. “Second is that ordering a sandwich without the bun here is like ordering water at Coyote Ugly. It can be done, but there are consequences. Which you just witnessed. This is the team hangout when they’re in town. It’s where I met Parker.”

KatieRae beams, not hiding a single bit of her excitement over her husband, Parker Michaels, captain of the Atlanta Rising Football Club, the local professional soccer team. Their whirlwind relationship is now the stuff of Hickory Hills legend, having kept the rumor mill working overtime for months. The two started out as boss and nanny, having met in a bar—this bar, apparently—after KatieRae left Hickory Hills to escape the gossip surrounding her long-term boyfriend being caught cheating red-handed.

“Now I’m extra sad that Matty is sick and Moira couldn’t make it,” Kenzie pouts. The last-minute cancellation from her older sister had been a bummer, since we all knew that Moira would be the life of this party, but understood with a sick kiddo at home. “I bet she’d love this place.”

“Oh, she does,” KatieRae says. “She’s been up a few times to visit and well…she’s not always on her best behavior.”

“Moira has best behavior?” Sylvie jokes.

“No,” Kenzie, KatieRae, and I all say in unison.

“She’s not that bad, is she?” Bronwyn asks.

“She used to be. She’s actually the reason Dustin didn’t kiss me after our first date.”

“What?” Bronwyn asks.

“Yup. She was grounded, but snuck out to go do God knows what with Stacey and this one,” Kenzie explains, gesturing toward KatieRae. “Dad was sitting on the front porch waiting on her. Dustin walked me home from the Slice, saw Dad sitting there, and it freaked him out. So all I got that night was a high five. Took him two more weeks to finally work up the nerve to kiss me.”

“Worked out okay in the end,” I say.

“It did.”

She sighs, a dreamy look on her face. It’s enough to make even the happiest single person jealous. Especially when paired with that sweet, saccharine smile that could make your teeth ache. Or in my case, my tummy. Which still isn’t quite right after chugging that beer last night.

Fucking Nash…

My phone buzzes against the table, the sound vibrating through the wood. I don’t have to look to know it’s him, like just thinking his name summoned him from the primordial ooze. What about my single-word response to a question he was twelve hours late in asking—one he shouldn’t have had to ask in the first place—made him think he should respond again is beyond me.

But that’s Nash Keller—unable to take a hint.

One word. That’s all I sent back. Hours after he’d texted. While sitting across from me in the limo.

Part of that is because I’m pissed. Of all the jackass things he’s done over the years, last night was up there. More than anything though, I didn’t respond because I’m determined not to let him ruin today. He is not going to sour my mood while I’m celebrating the woman who has been by my side my entire life, solidified with a pinky promise at age five.

The friend I’m keeping a very large secret from.

“Ladies, welcome to Bunz!” a tall, sandy-haired waiter says, providing the distraction I need. His perfect smile is borderline blinding, his tanned skin almost shining under the bright overhead lights, showing off a chiseled stomach that looks like something my ancestors would have washed their laundry with. “My name is Link, and tonight, I am all yours. Whatever you need to make dreams come true, I’m your man.”

“Anything, huh?” I double-check.