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“I’m watching this cute guy wipe down tables,” I tease, smiling as I watch him. He stands up straight with his brows pulled in.
“What did you say?” he huffs.
“Oh, did I say cute guy, I meant my cute husband,” I tell him, holding my laughter in. He registers my words, his eyes looking around before they land on me. The anger instantly relaxes from his face as a blinding smile shines at me. I feel it in my gut with his smile, he cares about me. My dad is wrong. Lorenzo is nothing like him.
“Damn I gotta go little bird. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen just walked into my bar,” he says, as his feet hurry towards me. He hangs his phone up, pushing it into his jeans and I hop off the bar stool as he reaches me. Lifting me off the ground he pulls me into his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck as I hear him take a big inhale. “I didn’t realise how much I missed you until I saw you,” he whispers in my ear, before placing my feet back on the ground. Looking at me he tucks my hair behind my ear.
“I missed you too,” I admit, realising the unwanted feeling in my gut from earlier had vanished the moment I laid eyes on him again.
“There’s the happy lad I know. Now if I knew all it would take to get a smile out of you was to call your lady in then I would have rung her myself,” Ted chimes in, drawing a chuckle out of Lorenzo.
“How can you not smile around this beautiful face?” Lorenzo says, caressing my cheek with his thumb, making my skin heat under his touch.
“Too right kid,” Ted agrees. Looking at the clock over the bar he adds, “Give me another hour lad then call it a night and you can head off with your lady. I don’t want her waiting on you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I tell him, not wanting to inconvenience him by having Lorenzo finish early on my account.
“It’s fine darling. We’re quiet tonight anyway and it usually dies down soon.”
“I won’t be long,” Lorenzo tells me, kissing my cheek before heading back to get the glasses he’d left behind on the table he was cleaning when I rang. I plant my butt back on the stool, facing Ted.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks.
“Can I get a ginger beer?” I ask, pulling out my wallet from my bag.
“Put that away darling. Your money's no good here. As long as you're with Lorenzo, you drink for free.”
“Thank you,” I say, blushing again.
“I’ve known him since he was a wee lad. Good kid that one,” he informs me, and I watch Lorenzo as he moves around from table to table, clearing them and wiping them down. Ted places a coaster in front of me before he places the glass with the light brown drink on top of it.
“Ted, can I grab two beers?” one of the patrons yells, from down the other end of the bar.
“I’ll be back,” he tells me.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t hurry on my account,” I reply, which has him nodding before he walks to the guy and fills his order. I sit there and take a sip of the cool liquid as I watch the linedancers. They gracefully fall into their steps with each other. Huge smiles on all their faces as the happy vibe floats through the bar. As I drink, I keep watch, trying to learn the steps but then a new song plays and they start a different routine of steps again.
Ted gets busy down the other end of the bar with more patrons coming and asking for drinks. Lorenzo walks behind the bar to help him at one stage when it gets too much for Ted on his own and then he steps back over to me when Ted has a handle on it.
“You wanna dance?” Lorenzo asks, as he crosses his forearms across the bar top leaning towards me.
“Huh?”
“You wanna dance? You haven’t taken your eyes off them the whole time you’ve been sipping your drink,” he explains, as he nods to my now empty glass.
“They look so happy doing it.” He stands up straight, glancing at the clock.
“Ted I’ll be on the dance floor if you need me, but my hour is up,” he says, and the old man looks between us before gesturing for Lorenzo to go. “Come on little bird. I’ll show you my moves,” he says, holding out his hand for me to take as he walks around the bar. I reach out grasping his hand and he leads me to the dance floor. The music changes to another country song and cheers through the crowd make Lorenzo smile and I laugh. “Don’t worry, it’s a favourite song they have,” he explains, as he positions me next to him. “Follow me,” he instructs, before he starts crossing his legs one in front of the other. Everyone else around us knows the moves so I keep my eyes on Lorenzo’s feet.
He turns pulling my hand to follow him before he shakes his hips in time with the music making me laugh. I notice Lorenzo and several others place their hands on people’s shoulders, letting them know they are behind them andspreading positive vibes. The crowd smiles as they jump, twirl and step in time. At one point Lorenzo ends up behind me, placing his hands on my hips to shake them in time with his. My carefree laugh fills the air, loosening me up and I lose myself to the energy surrounding us. Lorenzo’s laugh joins in before the crowd is jumping in step again. He pulls my hand, turning me so I try my best to keep up with him but laugh at myself when I miss a step or fumble over my feet.
The song ends and people smile and laugh with each other, happiness radiating off them.
“Did you enjoy that?” Lorenzo asks, as he tugs my hand to pull me into his embrace.
“It was so much fun,” I beam at him, as I wrap my arms around his waist.
“You can come every Thursday night if you want. You’ll be a pro in no time,” he suggests, smiling down at me. “You wanna dance some more?” I bite my lip before I decide to be honest.
