AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Pierce takes me aside and reads me the riot act. Tells me we’re not supposed to drink with the customers at the bar.”
“Did you know that?”
“No. No one’s told me that rule, and it’s never come up before. I mean, it wasoneshot. He’s had us taste new wines before at the back-of-the-house meetings, so I guess I assumed one drink was fine. It’s not like I sat down with them and got rip-roaring drunk.”
Avery frowned. “Well, now you know the rule and can be sure not to break it again.”
“Yeah,” Brett said, shrugging. He got a distant expression. “It was more than him yelling. You know? It was the tone. His level of anger. I’d never seen it before and to be honest, it kind of scared me. Then later that night, he tossed those same betas out—and it seemed like the reason behind it was that they werestillflirting with me. I was working my ass off the whole time. Running orders, helping make drinks… all of it. I wasn’t falling down on the job. Then he tears me a new asshole. When did flirting become a no-no? Hell, I flirt a little with most of my customers. Gets me better tips.”
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s stressed about something?”
“Maybe,”Brett murmured.
Avery eyed his friend. There was definitely something more to the matter. “What?”
Brett shrugged again. “Nothing.”
“It’s clearly bothering you.”
Brett met his stare. “I just…” He cringed. “I feel weird around him lately.”
“Weird… good or weird bad?”
“Justweird.I can’t put it into words.”
“Could it be that little lingering attraction I noticed.”
“I do not have the hots for Pierce,”Brett snapped, his face growing red.
“Wow… there’s a lot of emotion for not having the hots for him.”
Brett’s face grew deeper red. “Enough about me. I came here to check on you,” he snapped.
Changing the subject. Yep… he’s got it bad.“Not much to tell. I’m stuck in here for who knows how long.”
“No light at the end of the tunnel?”
“Not even a tiny spark.”
“I’m so sorry, Abe.”
“Avery,” he corrected. “There’s no point in hiding it anymore. My name isn’t Abraham Norcross. It never was.”
“It was a shitty name,” Brett said with a wide grin. “Avery suits you much better.”
Avery chuckled, but the mirth was fleeting. “I wish…”
“What?”
“I wish we could be outside these walls, waiting tables, irritating Pierce. Or walking campus. Hell, I’d even take Statistics again over this place.”
“That’s sayinga lot.I might choose prison over that.”
“Trade?” Avery asked with a wink.
“If I could, I would.”
Avery met Brett’s serious stare. “You don’t mean that.”
