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Maybe I should just make a phone order and come in the back entrance? Fuck.
“Murphy.”
I turned toward the breathless voice. Only one person called me Murphy. Not even my mama did. My cheeks burned as I looked down at Vee. “Hey, Veronica.”
Her eyes drilled into my chest and down to my belt buckle before traveling up to my neck. Instead of looking at my face, she swallowed and took another slow perusal past my buckle this time.
“Wow. I didn’t realize all that was under your clothes.”
I crossed my arms. Fucking Lucky. Way too damn tight. She was probably horrified. “I had to borrow a shirt.” I blew out a breath. “Just a hot day at work. Sorry, I don’t usually show off this much of myself.”
Her eyes darted to my face finally. “No, you do not.”
My gaze drifted to my boots. Stupid. Now I was making it a thing. And I was officially a loser trying too hard with a tight shirt on a body that definitely should not be accentuated no matter how much rowing I did on the lake.
“Yeah, sorry. I…”
I want to take you to dinner.
I want to impregnate you.
I want to try as many times as possible.
I want you to see me as more than a customer.
I want everything.
“I need to make a lunch order.”
“Oh.” She tipped her head in that sweet way, where her bottle green eyes sparkled with a touch of some inner joke I was never quite privy to. “Sure, we’ll fix you right up. Sorry, I’m not working the counter right now.” She lifted the empty dishes in her hand. “We’re swamped.”
“Right. That’s okay. I’ll go make an order with Jodi.”
“Okay.” She paused and her dark lashes fluttered down as she stared at my chest one more time before she bustled away. “Oh, have a good day, Murphy.” Her smile was wide and kind.
And I was a chump. “You too.”
I fisted my hands at my sides and stalked to the line. I made my order and my gaze kept seeking her out as she wound her way around tables. She talked to everyone with such ease. Except me. When she was near me, she tried to work with my bumbling conversational skills but invariably, she had to give up.
It was always too busy to stay and deal with the social anxiety king of Crescent Cove.
And I wasn’t always like this. That’s what sucked. My little circle of people, I was fine with. The minute I got within twenty of feet of Vee, I became a freak.
The sharp whistle brought me back into the present.
“Ready to order, hot stuff?” Macy flicked her ponytail behind her shoulder.
I felt the stain on my cheeks again and cursed this damn muscle shirt. I dug out my phone and rattled off the order for me and the rest of the guys. “And put it on Gideon’s tab.”
“You boys are definitely racking up his tab. Who’s drooling over the crew today?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Not like you to show off your guns, Moose.”
I rubbed my arm. “Yeah. Hot one today. We’re over at the Shannon house.”
“More babies. She was in with her son recently.” She shook her head. “Ramping up the baby fever that’s already raging in here. Next it’s going to infect—”
“You?”
“God, no. I was going to say Jodi, but she’s still a child. If she gets it too, then I’m moving out into the middle of the freaking lake. Order up,” Macy shouted over her shoulder and tucked a paper under the overflowing stack. “You tell Gideon he owes me.” She shoved a six-pack of smoothies across the counter.
