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He turned back to the shelves behind the beer and grabbed my whiskey of choice. As he poured it out in front of me, he said, “I don't suppose you want to tell me what you said to get Luca so riled up.”
Internally, I groaned. If Oz had noticed it from over here, what were the chances Ollie had missed it? Especially since Luca was sitting with Ollie’s new flame, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of him. “What do you mean?” I asked, sitting down and playing innocent.
Oz snickered. “Dude, I saw him snapping at you from here.” He pushed the glass of alcohol across to me. “In fact, I've noticed that our normally steady and calm Luca never interacts with you if he can help it. So tell me what happened between you two that I missed.” He waggled his brows. “Is he another one of the men you've left heartbroken?”
I had my drink halfway to my mouth when I stopped. “What do you mean another one? I don't leave a trail of broken hearts behind me.”
Oz raised a brow, reminding me of my aunt when she called me out on my bullshit. “Harrison, come on. You have to know better than that. You're a rich, attractive man who doesn't actively date.” He held up a finger. “Which means, if you're having sex, you're leaving broken hearts in your wake.”
I tossed my drink back, feeling the burn and letting his words stab at the worries I’d carried in the back of my mind for a long time. Could it be true? I'd seen some of my former dalliances in here, and we'd said hi, and that had been it. No one had ever chased me down or cussed me out. Was it possible that one of themhadactually liked me, though? Possibly complained to Luca about me loving and leaving them? I snorted. I dicked them down good, but I never loved on anyone. It wasn't in my nature. I'd seen what obsessive love could do to someone, and I wanted no part of that.
Oz waved me off. “Don't worry. You don't have to say anything. I was just being nosy. I'm sure after they're done with their lunch, while Indie’s here waiting around for Cameron so they can leave, he’ll sit down and spill the whole thing to me.”
I huffed, half mumbling to myself, “That's what I'm afraid of.”
Shit. Why didn't Luca like me? When he’d first started a few years ago, he’d been fine, treating me like he did everyone else. Then, one day, while serving me and the other guys, he’d started avoiding me. When I’d pushed a little for his attention, he’d glared. It bothered me, but he worked here. We didn’t have to be friends or anything, so I'd tried staying away from him. It would be harder now knowing that he was a boy. What if Christian found out that Luca hated me? Or Indie’s boyfriend and Christian’s right-hand man, Cameron, suspected? I didn't want anyone to ever think that I'd purposely mistreat a boy because I wouldn't, at least not intentionally. Hell, I'd never mistreat anyone intentionally. Even in business, I was ethical and fair.
“Here,” Oz said. With a sympathetic smile, he handed me another whiskey. “If you need, I'll call you anUber, or we can call Orson to come get you and drive you home, but it looks like you need this right now.”
He wasn't wrong. I needed something, and my best friend, Orson, would definitely give me a lift if I over-indulged. I sipped this one as Oz went back to work, and I pondered Luca. Luca with his adorable sandy brown hair, soulful eyes that some poor schmuck had probably waxed poetic over, and a smile like sunshine. Not that he’d directed it at me in a long time, but I'd seen it over and over again when he spoke to his other customers and coworkers. What had I done or said to make him think that I was a terrible person? Obviously he didn't like that I didn't commit, but why did he care? I was still respectful and kind.Dammit.Why was this bothering me so much? It wasn't like I could do anything about it, so I needed to get over it.
“Hey, Harrison. You're still here.” Indie slipped onto the bar stool next to me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the new guy, Chip, was standing by the door with a besotted Ollie, and Luca and Julian were gone.
“Where did your friends go?” I asked as nonchalantly as possible.
Indie smiled wickedly, fluttering his eyelashes. “You mean, where did Luca go?”
I shrugged, averting my gaze, trying for nonchalant. “Well, maybe. I'd like to chat with him or apologize or something.” Even to myself, I sounded like an idiot.
Indie snorted. “I don't know what you did to him, Harrison, but if I was you, I'd stay away. He really doesn't seem to care for you, and he’s usually way more chill than that.”
Well, that didn't make me feel any better. Next to me, he hissed at Oz, “Come here.”
Throwing a bar towel over his shoulder, Oz strolled back over. “What's up? How do you like Chip? He's adorable. I'm so happy Ollie found someone. Do you think he’ll stay?”
Indie nodded frantically. “Yeah, yeah. He's actually great. A little clueless about how much Ollie likes him, but they’ll figure it out. That's not what I came to tell you, though.”
A smirk appeared on Oz’s face. He leaned over the counter toward Indie as he side-eyed me. “Please tell me you’ve got the scoop on why Luca was so pissed at Harrison,” he said, like I wasn’t sitting right there.
Indie snorted. “I'm not sure about that one. We'll have to figure it out, but this is about Luca.”
“Ohh.” Oz leaned in closer.
“He's a boy,” Indie stage-whispered.
Oz jerked up, smacking his hands together. “I knew it. I should’ve bet someone.”
“How did you know?” Indie asked the question I wanted answered. I mean, I’d always thought he was, too, but not because I’d noticed anything. It was just a sixth sense or something. But had Oz actually seen signs that the rest of us had missed?
Oz stood, elbows back, twisting from side to side like he was trying to work out kinks in his back. “I see a lot from back here.”
Indie and I both waited for him to continue, but he merely smiled and sauntered away.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Indie said.
Smiling, I shook my head. “No, that’s a good bartender.” He cocked his head inquisitively. “Observant. A listening ear and a keeper of secrets.”
“A stand-up guy,” he mumbled with the same look on his face Toby, my friend Samuel’s boy, used to get right before he started plotting. Poor Oz…
