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That eased some of the tension that was sitting in his gut like a heavy stone, and he managed a full, cleansing breath before turning the lock and walking back down the short hall. He walked into the main dining room and looked at Beau, who was scrolling on his phone.
Except…no. He wasn’t scrolling on his own phone.
He was scrolling on Ben’s. His date had taken his phone again. Was this some new first-date etiquette that he’d missed? Was he supposed to be stealing theirs too?
He moved without thinking, but as he lunged for the device, Beau held it out of reach. “What the fuck?” Ben demanded. He moved his arm out of the way with a small pulse of fear that he’d get bit again, though Beau didn’t seem as unhinged as the last guy.
“Chill,” Beau said, giving him a flat look. “I’m just deleting people off your followers list.”
Ben froze, blinking at him. “I’m sorry…what?”
“Your Instagram? It’s obvious you don’t use it much, but there are enough hot guys on here that it makes me a little uncomfortable.”
Ben took a shaking inhale. “How did you unlock it?” he asked tightly.
“Oh,” Beau said, then laughed, “your face unlocked it when you were getting up, so I took advantage of it. Don’t worry, I was going to have you do it anyway. Like this guy? There’s no fucking way you’re talking to this guy again.” He turned his phone and displayed the last photo Aaron had posted from three months ago.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s my brother.” He held out his hand and made grabby fingers, but Beau ignored him.
Instead, his eyebrows shot up. “It makes me feel really uncomfortable that you have such a hot brother. I’m not saying the two of you are, like, freaky or anything, but…”
“Are you serious?” Ben interrupted, his voice rising. He reached out again, but Beau held the phone away once more. “Please stop acting like a toddler and give that back.”
Beau looked immediately pissed off. “It’s completely reasonable for your boyfriend to want you to limit contact with attractive men.”
Almost choking on his own tongue, Ben dragged a hand down his face. “You’re not my boyfriend. I don’t even know your last name, not that I want it,” he added before Beau could give it. “I want my fucking phone back, and I want you to leave.”
“You asked me out,” Beau said, getting a little louder now.
Ben bit his lip and counted to ten before speaking again. “My brother was the one who set up the date, and obviously, it’s not a good match. Now, please just—”
“Ben, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He almost passed out in relief when Nova spoke from behind him. Swallowing heavily, he looked over his shoulder and was instantly lost in Nova’s eyes. “Um. I’m…”
“On a date in the middle of your shift. Again,” Nova said.
Ben spluttered. “Uh…”
“Hold the fuck up. You’re awaiter?” Beau demanded. “I thought you were a teacher!”
Nova put his hand on Ben’s shoulder and gently eased him to the side before reaching out a long arm and snatching the phone from Beau’s fingers. He shoved it into his apron pocket. “He’s actually the bartender, but this has been a problem. I don’t care if you date here. The employee discount is really nice. But you can’t do it on shift.”
“I—uh. Sorry?” Ben tried.
Nova rolled his eyes, then gave Ben a small shove toward the bar. “There’s six tickets up there waiting for you.”
Ben turned and walked off, moving past the swinging doors and into the kitchen before he froze. There were two cooks behind the line watching him with small smirks on their faces, and a second later, the server from his table came through a side door and burst into laughter when she saw him.
“What date number is this?” she asked.
Ben flushed with embarrassment so hard he got dizzy. “Six.”
“You arenotgood at this,” she said, then winked and moved past him.
Ben flailed for a second, but before he could turn on his heel and run, Nova appeared and held out his hand. His fingers were powerful and strong and warm, and Ben felt immediately comforted as he was tugged down a long hallway that smelled like raw grain and into what looked like an office with massive wire shelves holding huge bags of white flour.
Ben groaned loudly the moment the door was shut, and Nova burst into laughter. “I’m starting to think I’m cursed.”
