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Adam had talked about something he’d been trying that involved a marionberry liqueur and white chocolate, but I wasn’t asking merely to be supportive. Darn him and that perceptive mind for making it hard to play casual.
“You’re in a different sort of mood,” Adam said cautiously as he grabbed a glass. “Your shift go okay?”
“Yeah. We were quiet today. Everyone’s outside enjoying the last of the season. Couple of sprains, dehydration, and a nasty broken finger, but nothing too bad.”
“Still…something has you in the mood for drinking.” Adam’s cool blue eyes seemed to bore into my soul. “Are we cool?”
“After last night?” Cheeks heating, I dropped my voice lower. “We’re more than cool. I came in for a late dinner. And to celebrate something, but it’s a bit silly.”
“Try me.” Adam slid me a pretty-looking cocktail in a small glass. “I’ll put in an order for you of the roasted veggie pasta thing Logan has on special?”
“Sure. That sounds good. And about the other thing, before you say anything, let me say that I didn’t intend to check social media.”
Adam made a warning noise. “Quinn…”
“I know. But your sister tagged me in a birthday pic from your party.” I’d been fiddling with my phone after work, condo too quiet with only me there, all restless and counting down until I might see Adam after his shift. As it turned out, I should have walked on the beach, not checked my notifications.
“She tagged me too. I took the chance to update my status.” Adam gave me a sly look, but there was a question in his eyes, an uncertainty that made my heart clench.
“I saw.” I smiled at him, but the vulnerability stayed in his expression.
“That okay?” Adam’s cheeks were uncharacteristically pink.
“Of course. I like being claimed by you. I did it back.”
Felt a little juvenile, announcing relationship status publicly like that, but also right. Quinn Strauss is in a relationship. Couldn’t argue with that or deny the warmth that spread through my torso when I’d clicked the button.
“Good.” Adam nodded sharply. “Now, what else did you discover on social?”
Of course, he wasn’t going to drop this. I took a quick sip of the cocktail, which was sweet with a warm kick on the way down. “Paloma is going to be a big sister. I wasn’t looking, but I saw an ultrasound and thought it was Ramona’s, but it was Julia announcing that she and Luke are having their second.”
“And you got in your feels?” Adam twisted his mouth, but his tone was kind.
“Actually, no. That’s what I’m celebrating. No jealousy. No weird twinges even. I’ve got my life now, and I like it a lot. I’ve moved on. It’s okay that they have too.”
“You have.” He was back to the sly smile. “On. Over. Under. You’ve moved all over the place this summer. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here too.”
“Your opinion is worth a great deal.” My neck was all prickly from his innuendo, but also from how damn happy I was to have him and this thing between us. “You are too.”
“Eh. I’m just a bartender.” He snapped a bar towel.
“You’re my favorite philosopher bartender, and you’re not just anything. You’re mine.” I tried not to be too dismissive of his doubts, but I’d never paid attention to any class differences between us. His career choice was a part of him, but it had little to do with how intensely he made me feel.
“Even though I don’t have some fancy letters after my name?”
“I don’t need fancy. Only you, Daddy.” My voice was a bare whisper as it was the first time I’d used the term here. My pulse raced a little, even knowing few here would care. And Adam’s answering smile was worth any discomfort.
“I need you too, baby,” he said as Horatio arrived with my dinner.
“You need me to close?” he asked Adam.
“Yes.” His ready answer surprised me. He’d said he was going to work less, but I hadn’t been sure how much I believed him on that front.
“You don’t have to leave early for me.”
“No, but I do for me. You matter to me, Quinn.” He spoke directly to me as if Horatio wasn’t right there. “And keeping my word matters.”
“You two are too cute. I’ll see to closing.” Horatio laughed as he turned back toward the kitchen.
“You matter too,” I said to Adam, not wanting to drop our earlier conversation. “All of you matters to me, your health included.”
“Thanks. I’m trying on the health front. My mom is going to hire a handyperson as an assistant.” He wiped down the bar like this was no huge deal, but I knew otherwise.
“Really?”
“Yeah. We had a good talk. Long time coming.”
“I’m glad it went well.” I reached across the bar to pat his hand.
“It did. Let me finish up while you eat, and then I’ll take you on home.”
