Page 14 of Approved

“I have to jet, I don’t have a date I have to go to.” They looked at me.

“Okay? So you are leaving to meet a guy that isn’t a date in the middle of a shift?”

I grinned foolishly. “Yup. That’s exactly it.”

“Well Dayummmmmmm.” Spark looked me up and down. “Look at you. This must be some guy. You’ve never left on a work night.”

They were right. I took days off—well, they were scheduled—but I never left once I was working. Spark honestly could run this place without me for weeks. Spark ran a tight ship, as long as I kept up on orders, they could run everything else. Sometimes I thought they were more on top of things than I was.

“Wish me luck. I am hoping this non-date will lead to some actual dates.” I grabbed my jacket.

“Good luck, Mr. Parker,” they yelled as I headed out the front door.

When I was in front of the diner, my palms were sweaty. Before I got out, I used the rear view mirror to fluff my hair, then, when I stood up, I straightened my clothes. I wore my work uniform—jeans, Dapper Duck shirt, and black boots. I was one of those guys who wore work jeans and ‘good’ jeans. Spark and I wore button-downs with embroidered bar logo, whereas the wait staff wore vests over white dress shirts with the same embroidery.

I wiped my palms on my jeans. Okay, I was ready. I was nervous, but I was ready.

Chapter six

TYLER

Why did I think this was a good idea? West had been nothing but nice to me, which made me want to get to know more about him, but I still wasn’t ready to date him—I think. My brain told me it never hurt to learn more about a person, and he certainly had contacts that could come in handy, plus I could use more friends, since Jamie was the only one I had. That was the story I told myself as I sat here and waited for West instead of being at home reading a romance book with Larry. I left Earl home tonight since he had already settled into his bed when West made the offer.

When I saw him get out of his car, my insides swooped, and I felt tingly. I shook it off as fatigue and watched him walk to the front door. He was handsome, and my thoughts wandered to what was underneath that dress shirt. I could tell he kept himself in shape without knowing him intimately, and my mouth watered thinking about his flat stomach and developed pecs. Tonight, he had a bit of a five o'clock shadow, which meant he probably had a solid dusting of chest hair, and you could seesome dark hair on his forearms, which was another indicator he was fuzzy. It was only a few moments, but my mind wandered to running my fingers through that hair while I lay cuddled against him. He entered the diner, looked around, and grinned when we made eye contact. My cock thickened while I thought about how much I wanted to explore all of his body. I needed to get under control before I embarrassed myself.

“Hey.” He looked nervous and raised his hand.

“Hey.” I waved back and felt myself blush—the situation in my pants didn’t improve. This was ridiculous.

He slid into the booth across from me. “I’m so glad you agreed to meet me. The pie here is amazing.”

The waitress came over and smiled at us both. “West, who’s your friend?”

“This is Tyler, the best florist in the city. Tyler, this is Irene. She is the proprietor of the best diner in the city.”

“Is that right?” She flipped over our coffee cups and filled them. “Are you getting your usual tonight?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He answered her with a smile, then looked at me with that same smile.

“What can I get you, Tyler? Did he bring you in for the pie, or are you looking for food too?”

“Just pie for me tonight, Irene. I just don’t know how to choose.” The pie menu was two long columns, with probably thirty varieties.

She smiled and gave a little laugh. “I’ve heard that a few times. How about you do the same as West, he always seems happy when he’s done.”

He looked at me and nodded. “Yes. Do that, it’s my treat.” He told Irene, then looked at me, obviously excited.

I shrugged. “Pretty big deal that I trust you with my pie.” Irene headed to the kitchen, and my attention returned to West.

“Do you bring all your non-dates here?” I had no idea why I asked the question. His dating or non-dating life was none of my business, but something in me wanted to know.

“You’re the first person I have ever invited here. This place is too special to share it with just anybody.” His answer surprised me.

“Really?” He raised his eyebrow. “I am sorry that was rude, and it’s none of my business. There is no reason for me to be asking.”

“Are you curious about my dating life, Tyler?”

I swallowed. “No.” I looked around, and I could feel him staring at me. “A little.”

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