Page 38 of Nanny for the SEAL

“Oh,” I force a smile, “hi, Amy. Funny running into you here.”

Her eyes go from ultra-wide to narrowed on me and she just raises her eyebrows in a quick pump and heads to the sink.

I follow that direction because, hey, I have to wash my hands, too, and Amy isn’t so subtle about the glares she sending my way.

“This place is really nice. It’s cool that you have such a unique pub here. Is it new?”

Amy doesn’t answer, just buttons her lips together in a tight line and scrubs down her hands like she’s a surgeon.

Okay, then. Fine.

I don’t bother to try and instigate conversation again. Instead, I resolutely stare down at my hands, making sure they’re good and clean before stepping to the side for the paper towels.

As I dry off, I can feel Amy’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my face, and then she shoves her way past me—albeit not overly hard or anything—and snags towels of her own.

She doesn’t waste time drying off very much, and then Amy leaves without so much as a single syllable uttered.

The door swings open and closed as she leaves, and I huff out a breath. “What the fuck is her problem?”

Still, I’m not going to let it ruin my night, so I check my makeup, give myself a smile, and then head back out to rejoin Sam at the bar.

I sit down, moving my purse off my chair and onto the bartop again, and I notice that there are a few missed texts from that same number.

Dad’s harassing me again, but just like Amy, I’m determined to let myself have a good time tonight.

It’s fine. Don’t let him ruin this. You deserve some happiness, Ivy.

Tucking the phone back into my purse, I refocus on Sam, and we’re right back to chatting up a storm in no time.

Another hour and a half goes by with us nursing our drinks, when we finally need a refill if we’re going to stay out.

“Do you want me to get another round? I know it’s getting late, but I thought?—”

“Oh, hell yes, I do. I’m having way too much fun. We can be tired, right? That’s what caffeine is for.”

Grinning from ear to damn ear, I feel that much more grateful for Sam and lean up onto the bar to get the bartender’s attention.

Of course, the guy is thoroughly distracted by the tits at the far end of the bar, and I roll my eyes.If you want something done for you, I guess you need to be more direct.

When I look back at Sam, she rolls her eyes. “Seriously? He’s just going to forget about the people who aren’t falling out of their top? Okay, okay. Not her fault, she’s just trying to work the system, but I don’t have tits that nice.”

I offer a smile, patting Sam on the shoulder. “I’ll go down there and just ask politely. He can’t ignore me when I’m in his face, right?”

She shrugs as we both laugh, but I still walk over there to get the guy’s attention. Sure enough, he has a much easier time seeing me when I step up to the bar right next to the woman he was chatting up.

“Two Last Resorts, please.”

He frowns a little. “Right, sure. Coming up.”

The bartender turns around, leaving to go mix up the drinks, and the woman next to me actually leans over with an exhausted look on her face.

“Jesus, thank you. I didn’t want to just tell the guy I was done with that conversation.”

I can’t help but laugh, and when I look closer at her, I realize that as much as she’s working it tonight with her tight dress, she isn’t actually throwing around her sexuality.

“Oh, no. My friend and I thought you were flirting with him.”

She shakes her head vehemently, her eyes wide. “Oh, no, no, no. I’m gay. I just wanted a drink.”

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