Page 38 of Waiting for Sunshine

“Good girl, hold down the fort, I’ll be back in a bit. Come on Sunshine, let's go.” I nod towards the door. When she walks past me I slap her ass and she looks back at me, rosy cheeks in full bloom.

That kiss was like nothing I have ever experienced before. As I head back towards the bar all I can think about is when I’ll get to taste her again.

CHAPTER18

SHANE

“Excuse me,ma’am, what the shit just happened back there?” Taylor asks, her eyes wild with excitement.

“Why does Sexy Boss look so happy?” Lauren raises a brow and smirks.

“Don’t eventryto tell us it’s work-related, because I already know that’s bullshit.” Leah giggles and takes a sip from her drink. I stand there with my heart feeling like it is going to beat out of my chest. My mouth hangs open but I can’t even tell them what happened.

“I… he, um.” I run my fingers through my hair, smiling and trying to calm the hell down. How do I put into words that I’d just had a kiss that rocked my world harder than anything in the two whole two years I was with Pete ever did? Before I have a chance to try and form words into a sentence, I hear Ruby’s voice.

“Shane! Slammed. Let’s go.” Ruby yells her short commands as she shakes a drink in her hands. I look between all three of my friends who are waiting anxiously for my answer.

“Agh, I have to get back to work,” I say, throwing my hands in the air. They all look like I just punched their favorite childhood pet in the face.

“I promise I will fill you all in as soon as my shift is over.” I hold my hands over my heart as a promise.

“You fucking better,” Taylor says as she kisses my cheek. “Because you look like you just got your world rocked and I willnotbe deprived of details.” She raises a brow at me.

“Okay, bathroom break then dance floor,” Leah says leading them toward the hallway.

I walk behind the bar to help Ruby handle the masses. She wasn’t kidding, I think there are more people here now than before the ball dropped. I glance around, discreetly looking for Max, but he is nowhere to be found. I take a deep breath and try to shake off the last few minutes so I can focus.

I do my best not to think about what just happened. I need to focus on work and the customers. Not the earth-shattering kiss that made me forget that there’s evernotbeen Max in my life. Clearly, I’m not doing a great job at the wholenotthinking about it thing, seeing as how Tucker is sitting in front of me now waving his hands like he’s trying to land a plane.

“Hellooooo, earth to the barkeep!” Tucker shouts at me. I shake my head and laugh.

“Oh my god Tucker, chill out.” I say looking around to see people turning to face us. I feel my cheeks warm instantly at the attention.

“Woman, don’t tell me to chill. I have been sitting here trying to get your attention for a minute and a half, where’s your mind wandered off to?” he asks playfully. I’m unsure how to answer, but my eyes involuntarily dart to Max’s office door when I see it open.

Tucker follows my gaze but doesn’t say anything about it.

“Anyhow, now that I have your attention, barely,” he says dramatically, making me roll my eyes. “Whiskey, rocks.” I nod and start making his drink. “And, I wanted to ask you something.” He says leaning a little closer over the bar. I lift a brow and look at him curiously.

“Uh-huh?” he looks around the dining room and bar and then back at me.

“Do you think your friend Taylor would give me her number?”

There’s no sense of playfulness in his voice, which is so out of character for him. He’s serious and he's…nervous? I have never seen this man look this way before. I think about it for a minute, remembering how she looked at him the night we came dancing. She was also the one who stitched him up after the attempted robbery. Maybe there was a little something going on that I didn’t know about.

Which made me feel like an asshole of a friend fornotknowing, having been so caught up in my own shit lately. I make a mental note to reinstate weekly girls' nights as we had in high school, only now instead of studying and talking about boys, we can drink and talk about boys. I slide him his drink and smile at him.

“Tucker, she would eat you alive.” I laugh at the thought. I have only recently gotten to know Tucker and he seems so sweet and playful. Taylor is wild, fierce, and sassy like none other.

“Oh, don’t you worry about me Shaney, I bite back.” He gives me a wink before looking over at her. I follow his gaze to my gorgeous best friend. She looks over to see us both staring at her. She furrows her brow and puckers her lips at me as if to saywhatchu looking at?Then when she notices Tucker looking, she smiles and tosses her bright red hair over her shoulder before turning away.

“Go for it,” I say to Tucker. Taylor seems to be flirting with him, and I think they’d be cute together. The wit between the two of them would be unmatched, but if I’m wrong then I’m wrong. He’ll never know if he doesn’t try. He finishes his whiskey and knocks on the bar.

“Say no more.” He says, running a hand through his copper-brown hair.

He is definitely Taylor’s type, though I know she’s talked lately about not getting into anything serious so she can focus on work. He’s well over six-foot tall. Maybe six-foot five, if I had to guess. His hair is cut similarly to Max’s in the way it's shorter around the sides and longer on top, maybe old Navy habits die hard? It’s light brown but with strong hints of red throughout. He’s got a five o’clock shadow that’s a much lighter red and bright green eyes. Muscular like Max too from working out regularly. Oh yes, my best friend will surely eat him alive.

I watch as he approaches Taylor and the girl looks a mixture between intrigued and in charge. I would expect nothing less. Leah and Lauren make their way to the dance floor together while the two of them talk. I stand there smiling at the interaction because I know how much my best friend works and she deserves to have some fun. I turn around to start hustling with Ruby again, and almost instantly my thoughts are back on Max, his office, and that kiss.

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