Page 31 of Tall, Dark, & Ginger

He grins. “I bet.”

Jerryn and Bane pass us again, talking excitedly and munching on chips as they climb the stairs. Once they’re out of earshot, I put the pillow aside and get to my feet, offering my hand to Wren. He takes it, and when he stands, we’re face to face, mere inches separating us. He searches my eyes and his lips part. I’m expecting him to say something, but he smiles and puts a little space between us instead.

With his spell broken, at least temporarily, I grab the remote from the coffee table and turn the TV off. We walk up the stairs together in silence, pausing when we reach the hallway.

“Guess I’ll see you in the morning?”

I nod, low-key wishing he was coming inside with me to warm my bed, but we’re not those kind of fuck buddies. At least, not yet.

“Night, Wren.”

Inside my room, I peel my sweats off and wash up real quick in the bathroom before sliding between my sheets completely nude. My mind replays the feeling of Wren’s cock down my throat and his sweet, tangy cum flooding my mouth, over and over until sleep finally drags me under.

“Drinks up,”Florian yells over noise of the late-night crowd filling the bar.

We’ve got two rowdy birthday groups in tonight, along with the ubiquitous Friday night customers. We’ve got regulars, but also more and more people coming in from the city for cheaper drink specials, delicious food, and a safe setting.

I grab the tray of drinks—another round of shots for the birthday boy just turning twenty-one—and give Florian a nod.

“Aw, to be young again.”

He laughs. “I’m still young. By the way, they’ve got one more order in them before they’re cut off unless they slow it down for about an hour.”

“I know. I’ve kept track. They’ve had more people join though, so I’m watching to see who gets the shots.”

He nods, glancing at the table. The birthday boy has a chill, alcohol-fueled smile on his face, but everyone is being cool so far. We’ll keep an eye on them.

“They live on campus, at least,” I add. “So they don’t have to travel to get home.”

“Cool.”

I deliver the drinks, chatting with a girl who is switching to water so she can make sure they all get back to their dorms by the time the bar closes in three hours.

If this is any sign of what next week’s summer celebration is going to be like, all I can do is pray to the bar gods that we can keep up. It’s all hands on deck, with Stewart and Oakley helping out most nights too.

Indy and I meet at the order station, and when he glances at me, his face lights up. “Can you believe this? It’s crazy.”

“Guess your instincts were right.”

“Yeah. Feels good that I didn’t drag you all here to fuck up your lives.”

I throw my head back in laughter, clapping his shoulder. “We were never worried about that.”

“Good.”

“I better go check on my food.”

“See ya.”

I hurry to the kitchen, and when my eyes land on Wren, dressed in his chef whites, easily commanding the kitchen staff, and ensuring everything meets his standards, all my chill falls away. I feel like a puppy in his presence, desperate for attention and belly rubs. And cum. I definitely want more of that.

He glances up, and the only break in his composure is the crimson blush flooding his cheeks. He grabs a ticket, calling out food orders to a round of updates from his team.

“One hour,” I say, leaning on the counter that separates us.

Wren nods. “They’re keeping us on our toes tonight.”

“Us too.”

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