Page 20 of Twisted Hearts

He spotted us immediately, and his smile, so damn white and bright, was enough to light up the entire bar area.

“Holy crap,” I whispered.

Shannon chuckled and squeezed my hand. “I know. Hot, isn’t he?”

“That’s putting it mildly.” On a scale of peppers, he was hotter than a habanero.

“Hey, Shannon,” he said easily, sliding the stack he held onto the bar. He swiped his hands down dark blue jeans that fit his thighs like they were straining to not explode at the seams and made his way straight toward us.

“Hey, Malcolm.”

He gave her one of those sexy-as-sin manly chin lifts and focused on me, smile dropping but his expression no less friendly. “Hey there. You must be Addi.”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat again. Dear Lord I was parched. He sucked all the oxygen out of the room with his hotness. “Yeah, I’m Addi. Adrianna, but Addi, I prefer.”

My lips pressed together. My brain screamed,Shut up!but my stupidity couldn’t be helped. I was used to yacht club guys and golfers and tennis players. This guy was more tractor driving, beer drinking, country music slinging, and holycowthey grew guys hot in Raleigh.

Between him and Shawn…I shook my head.

The guy in front of me was my potential boss. And Shawn? I’d never see him again.

Probably for the best that I got my act together.

“Addi,” I finally said, holding out my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Malcolm Lawrence. Nice to meet you.” He took my hand and shook it, a firm grip with warmth hotter than the sun. “I have an application on the bar for you to fill out, and I have a few things to finish up while you do that then we can talk about what you’re looking for. Would you like a glass of water?”

A bucket of it would have been preferable, to throw over my head and cool myself off with. “Sure,” I said instead. “That’d be great.” I glanced at Shannon, thankful she had let me carry my own show, not even introducing us. “I’ll see you…later?”

“Place is yours whenever you want to get out of the hotel. Do you want me to take you back there?”

“No thanks. I’ll get an Uber or something.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah.” It was time I started trying to do things on my own.

And with that, the tension I’d been gathering in my shoulders since New Year’s Day eased.

I had an apartment.

Maybe a job if I didn’t screw it up.

And, better than I could have imagined…a new friend in the making?

“Thanks. I’ll be there soon for sure.” Turning back to Malcolm, I replied, “A water would be great. Thank you.”

* * *

“One more thing,”I said, taking a sip of my water. “I have a request.”

“A request during an interview—interesting.” He must have seen the way my hands shook, and I bit my lip out of nerves. He sat back in his chair and lifted a hand, waving his fingers in his direction. “Hit me with it.”

He’d been cool this entire time. As handsome as he was, I admired his professionalism more. I wasn’t used to men who knew they were attractive but chose not to use it to their advantage when talking to women. From the moment we sat down, he didn’t take his eyes off mine once.

“I really want this job,” I said, “and I’m happy to wait tables or bartend, whatever you need from me, if that’s what it takes, truly, but well…is there any way I could be paid in tips only?”

If I didn’t need some cash inflow, I’d have told him I’d be willing to wash dishes.

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