Page 10 of Five Days to Be Mine

The fact that Mara doesn’t look surprised makes me more confident in my guess.

“Kyle is fond of betting on sports,” she bites out the words, and her face drains of colour. I want to soothe her, to chase away whatever caused that expression to appear. “It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone what you said.”

She shakes her head, sending those curls bouncing. “I believe you.”

“I never bet on anything I can’t win.”

Mara laughs. “You’re telling me this restaurant wasn’t a gamble?”

I shrug. “My brothers made sure I had a whole team behind me, guiding me so this thing didn’t flop.”

All of my brothers pitched in, and even Noel, distracted in his grief, still put me in touch with a great team of people to get Sinful Bites from something in my fantasies to the reality it is now.

“You’re lucky to have them.”

“Yes, I am. So, Mara, what do you want to do tonight?”

Her eyebrows raise in an arch. “Evan, you weren’t serious about the invitation to play?”

A sequin covered hip bounces our table.

Sabrina giggles and grabs Mara’s shoulder to steady herself.

“Oh, there you are, Mara. We’re going to continue to party at home where there aren’t so many restrictions,” Sabrina says. “Want to come?”

Kyle comes up from behind Sabrina, roaming his hands over her hips; the two other people in their party are behind them.

So quickly I might have missed it, a look of slight discomfort flies across Mara’s face.

“No, that’s okay, you go ahead.”

“Aww, poor Mara, all alone on Christmas!” Her blonde colleague shouts, leaning down to hug her.

Mara shrugs her off. “I’m good, Jenny. Merry Christmas. I’ll see you guys after the break.”

“You better!” Kyle says, pointing a finger at him. “Remember, you’re under contract.”

Sabrina laughs, slapping Kyle on his shoulder. “I don’t think Mara is going anywhere. She’s too timid for that. Merry Christmas!” Sabrina yells.

From my periphery, I see Javier and the other security guy, Paulie, and I subtly shake my head. These guys are going. The place is winding down, and the only table I needed to keep in good graces tonight was the Bear Daddies, who had complained about Sabrina’s group when they sat down, and they already got comped another visit.

“Bye, Evan!” Sabrina blows me a kiss.

“Merry Christmas,” I say to them.

Finally, they are out, and other than whoever is left in the private dining room, which for this evening was turned into a dungeon, it’s just Mara and I and an elderly couple by the far window.

“Did you come with them?”

“No, I took an Uber.”

“I’ll make sure you get home safely tomorrow.”

“Evan, it’s okay. You don’t have to pretend.”

“Mara, I never say anything I don’t mean.”

Dawn comes by and sweeps away our plates and empty glasses. I smile my thanks at her, then lean across the table and take both of Mara’s hands in mine.

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