Page 196 of The Bluffing Game

“What are you doing here anyway?” I ask.

There’s a twisted smile on his face as he looks at me.

“Like I said, I’m having a drink.”

“You’re having a drink at the same place I happen to be.”

“Coincidences happen all the time in life, and this isn’t a big town. How would I have known you would be here?”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. Why do you look like you want to laugh?”

“I just think it’s really funny that we’re both here at the same time, but you seem to be spending more time with me than your actual date.”

“I’m not spending time with you. I just …”

“It’s going to make me think that you wish I were your date instead.”

“I do not wish you were my date instead, Dalton, far from it.”

“If you say so.” He offers me a grin. “Good luck.”

“I don’t need luck. I just …”

He leans forward and kisses me on the cheek.

“What was that for?”

“That was to inspire you to have the best evening ever.”

“You’re weird.”

“You’re only just realizing that?” he says with a wink. “Try not to have too much fun with Grandpa. Unless you love wrinkly balls.”

“You suck, Dalton Leone.” I can’t stop myself from giggling. “And with that, I’m off to let down your look-alike.” I smirk. “I bet looking at him is like looking in the mirror, huh?”

Chapter 18

DALTON

“The two new girls seem to be doing well.” Jimmy the Fish eyes me over a shot of whiskey. “Seems like they’ve always been here.”

“Yes, Rosie and Sage are good additions to the team.” I down the whiskey from my seat at the bar and look over at them as they greet customers and take orders. “Don’t tell Lucia I said that though, or it will go to her head.”

“Lucia seems to be on that dating app so much that she and the other girls are unlikely to notice anything you have to say.” He grunts as he pours me another shot.

Then he makes his way back down the bar to greet two new diners who want to sit at the bar. I turn around in my seat and observe the dining room. We’ve got ten tables seated, which is good for this time of year, but we’re still not turning the profits we need to stay in business for years to come.

I get up and make my way to the kitchen to see if Gracie needs any assistance, and I can’t help but notice that there’s smoke coming from the stovetop and someone is at the back of the kitchen, cursing up a storm.

“Everything okay in here?” I call out, and I see Izzy’s head popping up from the back. “Where’s Gracie?”

“She went to the store to grab some fresh tomatoes,” Izzy mutters as she flips something in a pan. “She told me to watch this fish, but I think I messed up.” She wrinkles her nose. “I thought the pan needed more butter, but it just started smoking, and I think I might have burned the fish.”

“Why didn’t she ask you or me to get the tomatoes?”

Izzy shrugs, and before I can say anything else, Gracie is back in the kitchen, sniffing like a bloodhound.

“Oh Lordy, what burned?” She waves her hand back and forth in front of her face and grimaces as she heads toward the stovetop. She mumbles something under her breath as she removes the pan from the fire. “You go on back to the front, Izzy.” She places a plastic bag down on the countertop. “I’ll fix this.”