Page 3 of Approved

“Okay. Do I do anything special?” I had wondered what it would be like to light up someone’s day, at least with something other than alcohol.

“Confirm their name, have them sign that they received the bouquet, and smile.” It sounded like something I could handle.

I took the flowers to the front door and knocked. A guy about as tall as me but much broader answered the door. He looked at me, and I gave him my best smile. “I have a delivery here for Angela.” I handed the clipboard to him so he could sign for the delivery. As soon as I got the paperwork back, he smashed the vase against the stucco wall. “Angela! Who is sending you flowers?”

I backed away, unsure what to think, when Angela appeared at the door. “What are you talking about?” She plucked the card from the ground where the glass had shattered. “These are from my son, you idiot.” I laughed to myself, thinking the whole time, stupid holiday.

I got back in the truck. We had been at it for nearly four hours, and I was long overdue for work, but I had enjoyed my time with Tyler and Earl. While we made the deliveries, we had discussed our dislike for the holiday, but agreed it was nice to see how happy some of the recipients were. Even the last customer would make a good story.

“We did it. Everyone got their flowers. Some of them were late, but nobody seemed mad about it. I appreciate your help.” I hated the idea of him leaving. We had fun, and his company was top-notch.

“Yeah. We got them all delivered. I hope you won’t have to close your shop now.” I looked at him, knowing he would comment on my teasing.

“I guess not. It’s a shame, too, because I was going to become a stripper.”

“I’d pay to see that.” He looked at me with his eyes wide. It was a little bold, but why not? He was a hot guy, and I bet he looked amazing naked.

“Oh.” He continued to look at me, a little surprised. “Thank you?”

“What? You’d kill it.” This time, he blushed and smiled. Before the guy combusted, I decided to bail him out with a topic change. “How about I make you an amazing martini while I stop and check on my bar?”

“You know what? I think that is a great idea. You gave up your day for me, the least I can do is let you give me booze.” I liked his sense of humor, and was glad I’d get more time with him.

“Yeah. It’s the least you can do.” I was excited to show him my business after spending the day learning about his. I had a new respect for florists because they had to hustle on big holidays like this. As we headed to The Dapper Duck, I decided I’d like to take him out on a proper date. What I knew about him so far, I liked, and getting to know him more appealed to me. Still there was familiar feeling that was nagging me.

Chapter two

TYLER

West pulled into a parking spot behind some high-rise buildings; the sun had set, and I wasn’t sure where we were, but I knew it was the nicer area of the city. He got out of the van and locked up. “Come on, booze awaits you.”

With a harness and leash on Earl, I followed him into the building and looked around. We were in a small kitchen, and some people made chicken wings and other bar foods. Earl spun on my shoulder and watched while they cooked. I could tell immediately he was interested in the fried snacks. West walked through the kitchen into a gorgeous bar, where all the wait staff were in black ties, the men in slacks, the women in skirts or slacks, everything was clean and modern. I could see from the logo that we were in The Dapper Duck, and I knew that it was one of the most prestigious bars in the city, often mentioned as one of the best in the country.

I grabbed West’s arm. “Your bar is The Dapper Duck?” I said it quietly.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

“The Dapper Duck is your bar?” I said it louder this time, and I watched as a smile lit up his face.

“Yeah.” He looked proud. When he said his bar, did he mean he owned it, or maybe he was just the manager? This place was the very definition of classy. After spending the day with West, I would say he was cool and funny, but I wouldn’t use the term classy—I had seen and heard him swear. I knew managers of places got attached and referred to the business they ran as theirs.

“How long have you managed it?”

He chuckled. “Owned.” He responded quietly. “It’s going on five years.”

I willed myself not to look surprised. His house was in a nice suburb, but certainly not fancy. He drove a middle-grade SUV, and he was very easy to be with—certainly not what I would have imagined the owner of this bar to be like.

“Have you ever been here?”

“I can’t afford the drinks here, West.” He smiled, put his hand on my lower back, guided me to a table in the corner, then grabbed a bar stool and had me sit. My skin was still warm where he had touched me, and I wanted him to do it again. One of the bartenders walked over to West.

“Glad you could join us tonight, boss. We’ve been swamped.” She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. I didn’t like that she touched him.What the hell was that about?

“Did you actually need me, or are you just busting my balls?”

She laughed. “It’s so rare that you aren’t here before us all, I thought I would bust your balls a little. Everything is well under control. What kept you away from us on your favorite holiday?”

“I was helping my friend here. It was much more fun than spending the evening watching people trying to get laid or crying because they can’t get laid.”

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