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We chat about the upcoming holidays and the events the local shops are putting on. I'll make sure the bar's open for the tree lighting. We're pretty much always open, so it won't be a problem, but maybe I could set up a mini tree in the window or on the bar. Hell, maybe we could even raise money in a tip jar for the middle school band.
Might not be a bad idea, all things considered. With the town budget being the way it is, the middle school band can probably use all the help they can get.
We're in mid-conversation after a half-hour when Renee comes in through the front door. The second the door shuts behind her, she turns her head and looks at me, and our eyes just lock. A shiver goes down my spine and the grin slips. Something’s wrong.
I can't look away from her. She normally has a warm smile on when she's working, but today she looks a little worried, or sad, and I almost want to ask her what's going on or give her time off or pour her a drink. Renee probably wouldn't appreciate any of that, since she picks up shifts whenever she can, so instead I just stare at her like a fool not knowing what to say.
Finally she looks away. “Hey, Robert,” she calls, and makes her way to the back to get set up for her shift.
When I turn back to Robert, he's grinning at me the same way my mom did. Damn it, I've been caught again, and this time it's one of the guys who literally knows everyone in town.
I clear my throat. “What's on deck for the new year, then? Big party on Main Street? Has the town invested in a ball we can drop from the second story of the bank?”
Robert huffs. “When are you going to ask her out?”
“What?” My heart beats loud in my ears and I know I've gone red in the face again. What this woman does to me…hell I don’t know why she gets to me like she does.
“What do you mean…what?” Robert gives me a skeptical look. “I think?—”
The door bangs open again, and two guys from town come inside, laughing. “Robert!” one of them calls. Once again, I’m grateful for the interruption.
I know I should stay in my spot behind the bar, but the worried expression on Renee's face has me worried for her. If it's something I can help with, I should find out what it is. I should at least check in with her before she picks up any tables. That's just what a good boss should do, right?
“Be right back,” I tell Robert and offer a short wave to the two guys who just walked in. “One second,” I tell them, and they nod, smiles on their face as they chat it up with Robert.
I head to the back to the employee break room. Renee's standing at one of the cubbies, tugging on her uniform over her shirt.
She's gorgeous. Her auburn hair is pulled up in a high, sleek ponytail, and she's not wearing much makeup but enough to pink her cheeks and deepen the color of her lips. The sight of her body in the uniform as she tugs it over her waist is enough to make me hard, but I ignore it. She’s gorgeous head to toe, but from the way she's standing, something's off.
“Hey.”
Renee turns, her eyebrows going up. The worried expression stays on her face for a couple beats before she smiles. It’s forced and fake and the sight of it makes my heart race. “Hey,” she says.
“You doing okay?” I ask, keeping it light even though I’m sure she can see right through it.
“Of course.” Renee flips her ponytail and gives her uniform one last tug before giving herself a once-over in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the corner. She catches me looking in the mirror and smiles again. “Why wouldn't I be?”
I pause a beat, wondering if maybe I’m thinking too much into it. Maybe I was wrong?
I don't know what to say, because I want to say too much to her. Renee's eyes drop in the mirror. Her cheeks are flushed, and she's been inside for long enough that I know it's not just the cold.
“I like your hair like that,” I say and motion to her swinging ponytail. Instantly I feel foolish. It’s a freaking ponytail, man. I couldn't come up with anything better?
Renee turns around and smiles directly at me, which makes my heart race until it pounds. Her eyes are all lit up with the compliment and I don't think she's faking it anymore. It's a real smile. A warmth flows through me and I want to take her ponytail and twist it around my finger just to feel how sleek it is. I wonder if she'd laugh when I did that. Or maybe lean closer, her smile remaining until I tipped her face up so I could?—
“Thank you,” she says graciously and with a hint of flirtation when her eyes settle on me. There’s a moment, but it ended just as quickly as it started. Then Renee's moving, approaching me slowly across the break room. I'm in deep trouble, because nobody should look that sexy when they're wearing a waitress uniform.
She steps carefully to the side when she reaches me, but it's not as careful as I thought. It doesn't leave enough room between us, and I don’t get out of the way in time, so when she passes by, her arm brushes against mine.
It’s electric and the tension immediately heightens between us.
Renee stops when we make contact, taking a short breath like she just remembered something. I didn't think my heart could beat any faster, but it does. Maybe she's going to tell me what was bothering her, or maybe—I'm not sure, but she's close enough that I can smell her shampoo and a light, sweet scent that’s all her. I want to lean down and breathe in so I can be sure, but I stand up tall, my body still but my heart beating a hundred miles an hour.
“You know...” Renee bites her lip and glances up at me through her lashes.
“What do I know?” I ask her, trying not to look like I'm breathing too deep. My face is definitely red. I can't deny it this time. Luckily there's nobody to see but Renee and she's blushing, too.
“I might be doing a little better now that I saw you,” she says softly, just for me to hear.
