Page 17 of Tall, Dark, & Ginger

“You should step out into the dining room when you get a chance. We have a forty-minute wait.”

His smile grows. “Incredible.”

“It’s your food, man. They wouldn’t beat the doors down like this for shitty wings and greasy fries.”

“Thanks, Rid.”

“Steak up,” Carlos yells.

The other cook adds the fries and I set them on a tray just as the club sandwich arrives.

“Perfect timing as always.” I wink, lifting the tray above my head. “Two hours until the kitchen closes.”

“We’ve got this,” Wren says.

“I know you do.”

I deliver the food to the table then jump back in, taking orders and dropping off drinks. All of us are here tonight except Kit and Stewart, who are attending some university event. Indy grins, bumping his shoulder to mine as he passes me on his way to the kitchen while I head to the bar.

Moby’s is doing better than any of us expected it to, even Indy. We thought we’d have a quiet neighborhood bar wherelocals hung out with college kids, but that’s not at all what’s been happening. In the past six months, we’ve had write-ups in magazines and online social pages recommending us, and now we’re getting people coming in from the entire New Onyx metro area. The locals consistently show up for us too, keeping traffic steady throughout the day.

It’s honestly amazing, but I’m not twenty anymore, and I’m tired. I’m already dreaming of a hot shower later and getting off my feet. Maybe I’ll even get lucky and have a midnight visit again.

Shaking my head, I punch in the next order, mentally convincing myself to get over it. It was an anomaly, that much I’m sure of. When it was all over, Wren looked like a terrified rabbit staring down a rabid wolf. He let his libido lead the way and I was the lucky bastard caught in his sights, but hoping for a repeat would be stupid. I’m a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.

I’m chalking it up to a one-hit wonder, adding to my collection of them, and even though it outranks every single one before him, it has to be enough.

Hours later,I unlock the front door and step inside, joined by Indy, Salem, Bane, Jerryn, Lowen, Oakley, and Wren. We all stayed to clean tonight, exhausted as we are, but we’ve learned the hard way that leaving the cleanup for morning is far worse than just dealing with it.

“I think I’m too wired to sleep,” Salem says as he stretches his arms above his head.

“We don’t have to sleep,” Indy says, more growl than speech.

“Isn’t your dick about to fall off by now?” Bane asks, but Indy just laughs.

“My dick is doing just fine.”

“Can confirm.” Salem waggles his eyebrows.

“I’m starving,” Oakley groans, rubbing his belly. “No time to eat tonight.”

“I can whip something up real fast,” Wren offers, rubbing his eyes, but the exhaustion in his voice is clear.

Before I can protest, Lowen does. “No, Wren. You just spent twelve hours busting your ass in the kitchen. We can make our own late-night snacks.”

Wren nods, dragging a hand through his ginger curls. “I’m gonna go up and shower.” His eyes linger on me for a second. “Hope I can sleep tonight.”

“Me too. You earned it.”

I watch him shuffle up the stairs then turn to find my friends discussing late-night meal ideas.

“You joining us, Rid?” Jerryn asks.

I glance up the stairs, torn between the lure of my bed with the possibility of sleep and the reality that it will likely continue to elude me.

“I’ll stay for a while.”

“Still having trouble sleeping?” Indy asks on our way to the kitchen.

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