AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sweet tea,” he said. “I mix it up in the morning and store it in the cooler. It lasts all day. Locals stop by just to get a tea, it’s so good.”
Tea. And sweet at that. In the South, they had a habit of pouring gigantic servings of sugar into their tea.
I turned back to face him, narrowing my eyes. “That’s not going to translate well to the bartenders you’ll be training.”
“I never said I’d be training bartenders.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth now notching up into a slight smile. “Nobody’s even asked my opinion.”
Fine, I’d ask. “What do you think of this idea?”
“It sucks,” he said. “My dad might not love this town, but I do. This town and this restaurant.”
“He volunteered you because they really want to get the bar part of things down,” I said. “He has faith that you’re the guy to make it happen.”
“But you’re the expert. Why doesn’t he have you train the bartenders?”
That was a good question. But no way would I tell him I’d been his dad’s first choice. He only offered up his son when I turned him down.
“He can’t afford me,” I said, which was the truth. “My hourly consulting fee is pretty high.”
Bo’s eyes narrowed. I could see he was doubting me. I knew exactly what he was thinking. How could a twenty-one-year-old possibly know more than bartenders with more life experience? I could pull up some videos that showed me winning competition after competition, but I shouldn’t have to offer credentials. I was not a kid, despite what he thought. I was a woman who’d worked her ass off at something she loved doing.
“Do you want to learn or not?” I said. “Because I’m only going to be here a couple of days. I have to head to California for a trade show.”
His eyebrows rose up. “You’re bartending at a trade show?”
“I’m the keynote speaker.”
There. Chew on that one for a while.
I turned back toward the liquor. “Your setup could use a little work. These bottles should be in back. You want to really emphasize the higher-priced stuff.”
“We don’t get many requests for top-shelf liquor here,” he said.
Was it my imagination, or had he drawn closer at some point? I was afraid to look.
“Nobody asks for a specific brand of vodka or gin?” I asked.
“Nope.” Yeah, he was definitely closer now. “We don’t get that kind of clientele here.”
He stopped just a couple of feet from me, and his woodsy scent wrapped itself around me like a hug. But what I really wanted wrapped around me were his arms as he kissed his way down my neck and ran his hands under my sweater, cupping my breasts through the thin layer of fabric. Maybe even scooting it aside so he could touch my bare nipples.
“Show me,” he said.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. He was talking about work. I was the one with my mind in the gutter.
Somehow, I managed to jerk myself from my thoughts and demonstrate what I meant, moving bottles around and ignoring the fact that he was ridiculously close—always seeming to be a few steps away but filling the area with his presence.
“What’s this?” I spun around, a bottle of liquor I’d never heard of in my hand.
I realized my mistake right away. He was right there, looking down at me. The heat in his eyes was something I’d never seen before. Nobody looked at me like that, and I’d spent most of the past few years around bartenders.
“Brandy,” he said.
His voice was a little hoarse. Was he feeling it too?
All I knew was that I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything. I craved him like someone craved a juicy steak after being on a diet for a long time. He’d awoken something in me I’d never even known existed until now.
“I can see that,” I said, trying to make my voice sound professional…and failing miserably. Mostly, I just sounded out of breath. “I’ve never heard of this brand.”
