Page 18 of Approved

Jamie stood beside me and looked at everything I had pulled out of the basket. “Did you see this?” I handed her the note and gift card.

“We are going to afancydinner. I like West more and more every day.” She emphasized the word fancy.

“It was nice for him to think of you, too.” A warm spot bloomed in my chest, and unable to control myself, I started to grin stupidly. I knew Jamie wouldn’t let me get away with it, but I didn’t care. Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and started to text West, then I came up with a much better idea.

Business had continued to pick up over the last few weeks, and I couldn’t understand why, but it meant the afternoon went by quickly. When the Valentine's Day deliveries were at risk, I hadn’t been kidding about their importance to my bottom line. With all the new business, I felt like we might finally make some headway. As we locked up, Jamie looked over to me. “Tell West how excited I am for ourfancydinner.”

It made me smile again because he included my best friend in his gift. “I’ll be sure to tell him if I talk to him. You know if forsome reason we talk.” That wasn’t convincing at all, and I knew it.

She started to laugh hard. “If.” She came up for air. “You said if. Come on, Tyler, I’ve known you for years, you will talk to him tonight, probably a lot.”

She had me, so I chose not to address it. “See you tomorrow, Jamie.”

“Have a good night, Ty. He’s a good guy. He deserves a chance.” At this point, I agreed with her; he had kept himself relevant, but wasn’t pushy. That warmth was in my stomach again; it felt different this time.

“What do you think, Earl?” I asked my companion as we drove home. He flapped his wings while he cocked his head at me, it felt like he agreed with Jamie. At home, I showered, took care of my kids, and put on a black dress shirt. I was ridiculously nervous, but didn’t back out, so I put on some nice jeans and a bright blue tie.

I wanted to make a good impression on West because I had decided to go to his bar and thank him for the gift basket. After I stalled as much as I possibly could, I stepped out into the early spring evening, around 8:00 p.m., and I decided to take an Uber, because I figured a few drinks might calm my nerves.

When I got to the front of the bar, a line was waiting outside. As I got closer, I heard the doorman tell a couple it would be at least ninety minutes. I hadn’t thought about it being the middle of the Friday evening rush, and I turned around to head back home when I heard the estimated time.

“Wait, Tyler Brooks.” I turned around. Had he just called my name? “Yeah. Mr. Brooks. You can come in.”

I walked back to the door. “How do you know who I am?”

He was a huge man, with biceps as big as my neck, but he smiled gently at me. “You’re important to West, which means Iknow who you are. I’m Angus.” He held out his hand to shake. “Head on in and have a nice evening.”

I couldn’t help but feel important. Angus returned to the line where people were told they had to wait. When I entered, it was crowded but still felt calm and intimate. Around the room were half a dozen live floral arrangements, which I recognized as my designs. I hadn’t realized the order was for The Dapper Duck, though. Warmth traveled through my chest and limbs, knowing he supported my business; it was something he did, but it was never mentioned.

Once inside the bar, a gorgeous person approached me like they had known me forever. “So you are Mr. Tyler Brooks,” they held out their hand. “I’m Spark. West is my boss, and I keep the man on track. He’ll be out shortly because he wanted to freshen up after hearing you were here. It was super cute.” They nudged me conspiratorially.

I took the proffered hand and shook it. Spark was one of the prettiest people I had ever seen, with colored hair and flawless skin. They radiated a warmth that made you feel immediately at ease. “He knew I was here?”

They smiled. “Oh, yes. We were all on high alert in case you decided to join us. I can’t tell you how excited he was when Angus said you arrived.”

His entire staff was involved in my coming to the bar. “I’m.” There wasn’t a word to explain how my heart danced in my chest. “Surprised.” That was all I managed to squeak out.

“So are we. West has never been like this before, going out in the middle of a shift and leaving a name with Angus. That’s all new and we love it for him. Why don’t you come with me, sweetie? I’ll show you your seat.”

Spark offered me their arm, and I knew we could easily become friends. I followed them to the main bar with my handon their arm. “The bar looks full, I can find a seat somewhere, I’m sure.”

“Oh, we are going to be great friends,” they patted my hand. “You have a seat at the main bar waiting for you.”

“What do you mean?”

Spark walked me to the main bar, and there was an open barstool. In front of it was a plastic holder that said:

RESERVED FOR TYLER BROOKS

Spark patted my hand. “It’s safe to say he is fond of you. Why don’t you take a seat? West will be out in a moment, I am sure.”

I looked around the bar, which was beautiful, classy, and clean. A few movie stars were tucked into corners, and nobody paid them any attention. It was obvious they liked coming here. It was a perfect place to have a few drinks and talk. When I looked up again, West walked toward me with a ridiculous grin.

“You’re here.” I wasn’t an expert, but it was clear that he was nervous. It amazed me that my being here made this confident man feel anything, but the fact that he was nervous was adorable.

“I am. Were you expecting me?”

“Not exactly.” I raised my eyebrow.

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