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I glance at the beer suspiciously. “This looksreallygreen, Mitch…”
He shrugs. “Those are pale IPAs. The green shows up more in them.” He gestures to a group of women waiting at the end of the bar. “This order’s for them. I already checked IDs.”
I nod approvingly before heading over to hand out the drinks. One of the women pouts. “We were hoping to talk to Mitch.”
“Sorry, ladies. He’s a bit busy tonight.”
She flashes a smile at Mitch over my shoulder, and I wince. Her teeth are so green that I wouldn’t be surprised if they glow in the dark.Dammit, Mitch.
“Hello, Mikki.” I cringe at the sound of the no-nonsense voice. It can only belong to one person: Phoenix Griffin, Mercury Ridge Fire Department’s Chief. Still, when I turn to face the speaker, I say a silent prayer that it’s not him.
No such luck.
Suppressing a sigh, I plaster a smile on my face. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Chief.”
He doesn’t return my smile. “You appear to be over your maximum occupancy.”
I lift my ball cap an inch to allow air flow to my sweaty head. “Do we?”
He raises an eyebrow as patrons shove past us to the bar, hoping to grab one more green beer before closing time.
“This is the last call for alcohol,” I tell him.
Staring me down, he folds his arms across his chest. “So?”
“So, we’re closing in twenty minutes. The restaurant will empty before you know it, Griff…Chief Griffin,” I add quickly, kicking myself for addressing him informally. Despite knowing each other since kindergarten, Griff can be a tight ass when he’s on the clock.
An intoxicated woman passes by with her fresh cup of beer. Spotting Griff’s lack of green, she pinches his arm. Hard.
He stares at her back incredulously as she walks away as if she hadn’t just pinched the hell out of a public servant. Then he whirls on me. “Mikki…” he growls.
“You can’t possibly blame me for that, Griff!” I protest. “You’re the one who didn’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Griff’s face turns so stony that he looks moremountainthanman.I catch Jared’s eye and wave him over. He’s always had a smoother hand with Griff.
As Jared takes over, I’m struck with a feeling that everything is about to change. I rely on Jared for so much, from dealing with the fire chief to handling the finances to bouncing ideas off of. I simply can’t imagine Mercury Ridge without him.
But when the night ends and we’re left alone to close the pizzeria, Ihaveto talk to him. No matter how hard it will be—or what the outcome may be. It’s time to step up and be a good friend to him. Even if it breaks my heart.
As the night winds down, I hold the door open for diners as they exit. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”
“Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” they echo back to me.
A couple skips toward the door with their arms linked. “You should serve the Leprechaun Slice all year,” the man says. His date nods in agreement.
I return their smiles. “If we served it all year it wouldn’t bespecial,would it?”
The group of women that have been mobbing the bar hoping to talk to Mitch are the last to leave. They’ll be brushing their teeth extra vigorously tomorrow.And maybe investing in Crest whitening strips…
Mitch catches my eye and grins wickedly. Running a finger across my throat, I mouth, “You’re fired.”
He laughs and returns to wiping down the bar.
I sense Jared behind me before I feel his hands on my shoulders.
“You really instill a sense of fear in your employees,” he whispers in my ear. It sends a shiver down my spine and my knees tremble. Jared steadies me with his hands.God, those hands.“Whoa. Are you dizzy? Maybe you should sit down and rest for a minute.”
“I’m okay,” I assure him.
