Page 14 of Long Shot

Marco approaches then. “Okay, I can get out of here for a while.” He bends and kisses Carrie’s forehead. “Let’s go to Home Depot.”

Carrie slides off the stool. “Yay!” She looks back at me. “We’re renovating Marco’s house.”

“Sound like fun.”

“Fun for her.” Marco rolls his eyes. “Work for me.”

“Hey, I help!”

“Yeah, you come up with all the brilliant ideas, like, let’s move that wall! Let’s put in French doors! Let’s turn that closet into a bathroom!”

“Those are brilliant ideas.” Carrie smirks.

“Brilliant but not always practical.” He smiles, though, affection warming his dark eyes. He pats her butt. “Let’s bounce, babe.”

I watch them go, smiling.

I tip my head to the side, my stomach fluttering with excitement and nerves. Maybe socializing with my bosses’ wife and girlfriend isn’t a great idea . . . and I’ll even be socializing with my bosses, sort of. But they’ll be busy with all the other customers, so it’s not like we’re all going out for an intimate dinner. It’ll be a big group of people I can get lost in, and maybe have a little fun with Carrie and Hayden.

I press a hand to my stomach, hoping this isn’t the start of another panic attack. They’ve been fewer and farther between lately and I want to keep it that way.

5

CADE

I watch Reese laughing with Hayden and Carrie at the end of the bar Wednesday evening. Reese apparently purchased a ticket and is part of the big group gathered here. Usually she has her hair pulled back, but tonight it’s loose, long, wavy and bright, and she’s dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose camisole top that shows off smooth, lightly tanned shoulders.

“Tonight we have something new to try,” Marco says. I’m always impressed that he manages to convey similar information in new ways, and has something new to tell the crowd every time.

“This is a cristalino tequila. These are becoming quite popular. It’s basically añejo tequila that’s been filtered to remove the color it picks up when it’s in the barrel. So it has the complexity and character of an añejo, but with the bright notes of a blanco. Definitely a sipping tequila.”

I’m always present for these events to help, and sometimes I even try the tequila, but my area of expertise is the business side of things. Not that I don’t like tequila, but my one experience getting shit-faced on the stuff made me vow to never do that again. Drinking too much is a sure way to lose control, and I fucking hate not being in control. No way in hell am I letting my life go down that shit path.

Reese seems to actually know what she’s doing with a glass of tequila—she holds it up to observe the color, tilts the glass on its side to sniff the spirit at the bottom then the middle of the glass, then tastes it. She nods approvingly, eyes downcast, clearly savoring it. “Nice,” she says. “Mellow but turns citrusy and spicy with fruit and cedar. Long finish.”

Marco nods approvingly.

I cock my head to one side. She intrigues me. That episode in the kitchen earlier . . . her comments about our food . . . the way she handled those drunken idiots . . . and now, her face more relaxed and happier than I’ve ever seen her since she started working for us, and demonstrating an impressive palate.

She’s beautiful.

Okay, I noticed that before, but right now . . . her eyes sparkle, her smile lights up her face, and it bemuses me to see her laugh so much and lean in closer to Hayden to listen to something she’s saying, then nod and touch Hayden’s arm.

Tony and Raul told me that the fresh chips and salsa were a big hit with customers. We ran out quickly and reverted back to chips from a bag and bottled salsa. Danny heard about it, and we’re going to have a quick meeting tomorrow about it, to see what we have to do to keep that happening. We’ll need to buy more tortillas, and the stuff Sid used in the salsas.

I find myself moving down the bar toward Hayden, Carrie, and Reese . . . Reese’s smile pulling me in. What would it be like to have that smile aimed at me . . .?

“Cade! Hi!”

I turn to see a woman approaching, flashing me a high-wattage white smile and waving. Carlotta. Ugh.

Carlotta and I met at a club one night and hooked up after at her place. “Hey, Carlotta.”

“I haven’t seen you in so long!”

If I weren’t behind the bar, she would probably throw herself at me in a big hug. “Yeah, it’s been a while.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Reese look over at us, along with a few other people. I catch the expression on her face—lips twisted, the barest of eye rolls. Awareness of her prickles my skin.

I swallow a sigh. “Are you here for the tequila-tasting?”

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