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Two days has never felt so long. I find myself staring at the clock knowing I’m finally going to see her, and I’ll get a better read on what’s going on between us today. I can’t help the smile that comes to my face when she walks in for her shift. I caved in yesterday and sent her a couple messages, just asking about the time she wants to go to the movies and what one she wants to see, but she only gave me one-word answers. She's playing hard to get.
My little tease.
The first thing I see is her smile. It widens when her eyes reach mine and that beautiful blush hits her cheeks. Everything inside me warms and the anxiousness leaves in an instant. She’s in her typical work attire. Black jeans and her Iron Brewery maroon sweatshirt.
Mary Sue walks in right after her and I’m careful not to show too much as I’m worried she’ll be able to read it on my face just like Brody did. I do my best not to stare and instead offer Renee a “good morning,” to which she laughs and rolls her eyes. “It’s afternoon but good morning to you too.”
We both laugh as she walks past me to get to the back room and everything feels right. Her smile does that to me.
It's Thursday and a little bit slow, so when Mary Sue leaves it's just Renee and I working. I stand behind the bar and pour drinks while she waits tables. All the while my heart races, waiting for a moment when there’s no one left but just us two. When all of the food is out and Renee's done a lap of the bar to make sure everything's in shape, she comes back behind the bar with me and catches her breath.
The tension between us crackles in a good way. Like we know a secret no one else does. My smile widens when she peeks up at me through her lashes and those beautiful eyes hold a flirtation I’m now used to.
Her hands stay on the bar on either side of her as she leans against it. I’m instantly reminded of how I took her right there a few nights ago.
“How are things back here?” she asks. “You doing all right?”
I gesture to all the empty bar stools. “I don't think I'll make it. Way too busy.”
Renee laughs, and the sweet sound makes me hot and bothered. What is it about her? There’s just something I can’t get enough of when it comes to her. The bar's not full, but it's not empty, either. That means there's no kissing allowed on this shift, and I have to remind myself of that.
Wiping down the bar, I gather up the courage to ask her something, “Hey, Renee.”
She turns toward me at the sound of her name, her eyebrows raised with curiosity and her gorgeous eyes bright.
“Yes?” Renee asks and I realize I've been staring at her lips. Her cheeks are pink, so she noticed I was staring, and I still can't bring myself to look away.
“You want to come to Christmas dinner with me?” The second the invitation is out of my mouth I realize just how not-on-the-down-low that invitation is.
Renee blinks, and then her face speeds through about ten different emotions in a row. I'm not sure which one her face settles on in the end. She takes a small step toward me and pats the pocket of her uniform, where she keeps her bill holder and a few pens.
“Christmas dinner?” she repeats, then looks into my eyes again and lowers her voice. “That seems serious.”
I could be her fake non-boss from the other night. I don’t see why it has to be more complicated than that if Renee doesn't want it to be. It feels pretty complicated, though. My stomach flips over. I know she wants to take it slow, and Christmas is weeks away, so we’ve got time.
“I just remembered you told me once that you don’t really do things for the holidays, so I wanted to offer…in case you wanted to do something and get away.” Her eyes catch mine and there’s a vulnerability there. It reminds me of the other night.
I shrug, acting like I’m not nervous as hell. “You can be my fake date,” I offer. I don't want to agree with her that it’s serious cause it’s not. It’s just a night back home in my small town and I think she’d like to get out of here and see where I’m from.
I go back and forth between thinking there’s a real connection between us and not; I can't tell if she's playing around or not.
Renee laughs again and checks her tables, shaking her head slightly. “You haven't even taken me to the movies yet, but you want me to meet your mother?”
She sounds like she's teasing, so I give her a look that gets another laugh out of her. I could get addicted to doing that. Maybe I'm already addicted.
“One, you've already met my mother, and two, we're doing the movies this weekend,” I say. “It’s weeks between now and Christmas. Just wanted to invite you so you know…you don’t have to decide just now.”
Renee chuckles. She's blushing harder than she was before and still smiling when she looks at the bar. Renee shifts her weight from foot to foot, then pats her uniform pocket again. That means she's about to head back to her tables, who probably don't even need anything yet.
“I told my mom I’d bring someone,” I lie to her. “So if you could plan on being my fake date, that could maybe be fun,” I tell her and then swallow down my nerves.
“Please?” I beg, doing my best to sound like I'm mostly teasing too.
Renee glances at me, and then she steps back to the register so that my body is between her and the rest of the bar. She's as close as she was in the break room. If anybody looks too hard, they'll see us standing like this. My heart races, because this is a much riskier thing to do than pretend not to be my employee.
“I'll come with you to Christmas dinner,” she agrees in a low voice. “I do have to leave early today, though. I called Patty to cover the rest of my shift. If that’s okay?”
