Page 12 of Approved

Attached was a picture of tons of flowers, and I knew they would undoubtedly be turned into something gorgeous. Maybe The Dapper Duck needed more fresh flowers, something with long stems. I’d talk to Spark and get a weekly order set up; fresh flowers would certainly make the place nicer.

While I did chores, I let myself get excited that he was messaging me. I had been patient all week, and it apparently worked. Tyler and I texted every day for about ten more days. I was slowly making progress, and starting to know him.

“Look at you already smiling.” One of my bartenders said as I walked in the door.

“It’s a glorious day. Why wouldn’t I smile?”

“Fair point. Do you know where Spark is?”

“They are in the back room talking to one of the new guys, who made a few mistakes last night, and Spark wanted to discuss it with them.”

Spark had been with me since I opened the bar. We had no idea The Dapper Duck would blow up like it did. Having high-end drinks with incredibly friendly but discreet staff paid off. Word of mouth brought in more and more people.

I walked into the back office, where Spark sat at the desk, and a terrified bartender was in a chair in front of them. “You called the owner? I dropped three drinks. Am I getting fired?”

Spark laughed. “No, you aren’t getting fired. Just be more careful. You don’t have to rush to your customers, it’s okay if you slow down and don’t drop glasses.” The kid got up and returned to the floor, pressing against the wall to avoid me.

Spark looked at me. “You seem happy. Were you looking for me?”

“I was. There are two things I need from you. I’d like fresh flowers around the bar, maybe five or so centerpieces, replaced weekly. Have Flower Power supply them, please. Also, until further notice, I want one of the seats at the end of the bar reserved for Tyler Brooks.”

I felt like Tyler and I were moving slowly forward, and I’d given him an open invitation to come to The Dapper Duck any time he wanted. The idea of him being here while I worked made my heart flutter, and when his beautiful bouquets were all around my bar, they would always put me in a good mood.

Spark raised an eyebrow at me, curious about my directives, but didn’t ask. “Alright. Consider it done.”

I thanked them and headed to the front, where my doorman was already stationed. “Hey, Angus.”

He turned and smiled, then reached out a hand and pulled me in for a bro hug. “What’s up?”

“I texted you a picture. If that gentleman shows up at any time, he is allowed in and has a seat at the bar waiting for him.” Angus wasn’t as reserved as Spark.

“Oh really? You’ve never done something like this before,” he gave me a crooked smile.

“Never met someone worth it. I don’t know if he will ever show up, but in case he does.”

Angus slapped me on the back. “I hope he does show up. That smile looks pretty good on you, West.”

“Here’s hoping.” I returned the slap and went back toward the bar. There was so much nervous energy running through me because I’d started to get addicted to Tyler’s attention.

Spark walked up to me. “Can you ring up a few tickets? I need to go to the kitchen.”

“I got you,” I told them and headed to the POS system. As I started the tickets, two had receipts from Flower Power, so I gave them the twenty-five percent discount. I hoped the little promotion I ran helped Tyler’s business. It wasn’t much, but he might get some new customers. We had some really famous people in here all the time. It would be great if he were hired for one of their events.

I knew that Tyler closed his shop at 6:00 p.m., which was late enough that people could still get flowers on their way home. He would probably go straight home. He wouldn’t have time for me until 8:00 p.m. I had at least an hour before he might text me. To give myself something to focus on, I tended bar because making drinks gave me something to focus on, and made time pass quickly. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I couldn’t help but get excited. It had to be Tyler.

TYLER

How is your evening going? Is the bar busy?

I answered immediately, knowing I showed my hand, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t a secret that I liked the guy.

WEST

Not too bad. The wait to get in is about forty minutes at the door.

TYLER

That sounds busy. I’d never get in.

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