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Shawna
“Here you go, Todd. Your usual.” I set the plate down with a meatball sub on the bar, along with a glass of beer. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks, sweetie,” Todd replies with a kind smile. He’s been a regular here for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I always thought he was old, but the wrinkles that cover his face tell me that he must be well into his eighties now. He’s a nice man, although a little old-fashioned, including the way he treats women. Being called “sweetie” by any other man would make me cringe, but I know Todd doesn’t mean it in a derogatory way.
I step away to fill a pint glass with beer, then deliver that to another one of my regulars sitting at the other end of the bar. As a typical weekday afternoon here, I’m mostly serving regulars their lunch, but we do have other customers who stop in. Our location is ideal, right on the main street of town near many local businesses and hotels. We’re also kind of a niche bar with a cool history. We’re called The Cellar because we’re in the basement, and back during Prohibition, this place operated as a speakeasy. Tourists love the ambiance here, and we keep it interesting by providing delicious food, drinks, and live entertainment on the weekends.
The door swings open, and two men walk in. I don’t recognize either of them, and I can’t help but notice how good looking they are. One has short brown hair while the other is practically bald with a buzzcut. They both have broad shoulders and are obviously fit. The short sleeves on their Polo shirts are taut around their bulging biceps. Honestly, they look like cops although I don’t see either of them wearing a badge.
They approach the bar, and the one with longer hair—although it’s still really short—smiles at me. I suddenly realize I’ve been staring at them since they walked in. Shit.
“Hi. Can we sit here and order lunch?” Longer Hair asks. Up close, I notice he has the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. Along with his dark brown hair and tan skin, I have to admit he’s one of the most attractive men I’ve seen in a very long time.
“Of course,” I reply, trying to remain cool as I turn around to grab two menus.
Get a grip, Shawna. I haven’t had a reaction like this to a guy since I was a teenager. My heart rate has increased, my cheeks are hot, and I feel self-conscious. So what if they’re hot as hell? No biggie. They’re only customers, for crying out loud.
“What do you recommend?” Shorter Hair asks as I set the menus in front of them.
“Really, everything is great. My cooks are amazing. They don’t make the typical greasy bar food.”
“Your cooks?” Longer Hair asks, pulling my attention back to him and his gorgeous green eyes. “Are you the owner?” His lips crack a smile. God, he’s attractive.
Smiling back, I lean my hip against the bar. “I sure am.”
Both guys’ eyebrows raise, showing their surprise. I’m used to it, though. Most people are shocked to discover I'm the owner of a bar at my age. I’m twenty-five, but I look even younger.
“Well, that’s awesome,” Longer Hair says, then holds his hand out to shake. “I’m Nate, and this is Rob.” He gestures to his friend sitting next to him.
I reach out to shake his hand, and the moment we touch, there’s a static shock.
“Whoa,” I say with a laugh.
“That was weird.” He laughs as well, but we continue shaking hands. His hand is warm, strong, and feels massive against my own. I like the feeling, which takes me by surprise.
Confused, his friend asks, “What was weird?”
Realizing we’ve been shaking hands a little longer than what’s considered normal, I pull my hand away as Nate answers him. “There was a static electric shock between us.”
Rob nods, then turns his attention to the menu, seemingly unamused.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to look over the menu. I’ll be back in a minute to take your order,” I say, then walk to the other end of the bar to check on my other customers.
Truthfully, I really just need to put some distance between Nate and me. What was that? Sure, static electric shocks happen, but the way he shook my hand, the way I’m attracted to him … this isn’t like me. I mean, of course I’ve found men attractive before, but I’ve never had a moment that involved an actual jolt of electricity.
Shaking it off, I ask the other customers if they need anything, to which they all answer no. I glance over at Nate and Rob, and Nate happens to look up from the menu at the same time, making eye contact with me. His lips curl into a smile, and I can’t help but smile back.
Then it occurs to me that maybe he has a question about the menu, so I walk back over to them.
“Do you have any questions?” I ask.
Rob looks up at me, then glances at Nate. “Are you ready to order?” Rob asks him.
Nate nods, then looks back down at his menu. “I think so,” he says, reading over the selections again before looking back at me. “I’ll have the Reuben sandwich and a Rainier Lager to drink.”
“Good choice,” I say, trying hard not to look at him longer than necessary.
“And I’ll have the barbecue bacon burger with the Elysian IPA,” Rob states.
