Page 25 of Her Irish Boss

What a damn night.

Selena grabbed the to-go boxes and went back to the bar to shuttle drinks out to help the overworked waitstaff. She'd rather do that all night than deal with Simmons again.

All three men appeared at once, walking down the stairs. After a brief word to each other, Brogan disappeared into his office, slamming the door.

“Dang. They mean business, don't they,” Katie said, propping her elbow up on the bar.

“I feel bad. Maybe I made it too big a deal and overreacted.” What if Brogan was actually mad she cut their meal short?

Katie patted her back. “No. It was a big deal. Men like Simmons think they get to touch any woman they want.”

“Would you have kicked them out?”

“No. But I don't have that authority.”

Selena winced. “I don't guess I do, either.”

Katie chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

Lingering on Katie's statement took too much focus at the moment. She waited until Cathal was back behind the bar, Rian pausing beside her. “So—?”

Rian smirked. “We printed out their tickets. Cathal will go up in a few minutes to run their payments.”

They'd supported her decision. A little of the anxiety that she'd messed up left her body.

“Let's say that asking them to go ahead and settle up and leave was the nicest thing we could've done. Simmons did it to himself. He made a mistake and mentioned you to Brogan.”

“Me? What for?”

Cathal poured a beer. She wasn't sure who it was for. “After Simmons told us that he would miss the food, but with the money he'd make, he'd be able to fly to Ireland and eat anytime he wanted to, the idiot actually told Brogan about his proposition.” Cathal grinned. “And that you'd seemed interested.”

Selena knew her mouth fell open, but she couldn't help it. She'd kicked them out. How did that convey interest?

Rian leaned on the bar beside her, his eyes looking green. “Don't worry, none of us think you are.”

“Hell no! Slimy old bastard.”

Cathal glanced in the direction of Brogan's office. “I'mnot sure how much of Brogan's tirade Simmons actually understood. Rian and I thoroughly enjoyed the creativity.” He chuckled. “Only certain things will push Brogan outside his nice neat world.” He didn't continue the thought, but Selena knew what it meant.

She’d pushed him.

“What's so funny?” Katie asked as she set an empty bottle on the bar beside Selena. “I'm ready to lug up the forty to-go boxes if you are.”

“No. Brogan told them to pay or else. They'll pay seeing how they'd all eaten at least half of the food. We're not wasting to-go boxes on them.” Rian held his hands up. “Brogan's words. Not mine.”

“Or else what?” Selena asked. “A lawsuit over a seventeen-dollar fish and chips plate?”

Cathal gave her an amused look. “Or else they'll have to deal with him. My oldest brother annoys the hell out of me half the time, but the other half, I'll claim him. I'll head up to process their payments in another minute or so.”

Rian pushed away from the bar. “I'm headed back to the kitchen. Call me again if I can help.”

Katie set the boxes she'd picked up back down on the counter. “I knew I loved working here. Why don't you let us come back up and help clear the checks? There are forty people, all paying separately. That way we can work the three computers up there and get them out quicker.”

Cathal looked to Brogan's closed door. “Sure. I suppose.”

Katie patted her hands on the bar like a drum roll. “Then let's go so we can help all the other deserving customers.”

He motioned Selena forward, lowering his voice. “He's not going to like you being back up there.”

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