Page 54 of Mr. Infuriating

“How have you been? Do you have a girlfriend yet? How’s the new bar? Dad said he’d take me to see it, but only during lunch.”

Derrick chuckled at her enthusiasm, and when she finally paused to take a breath, he responded.

“I’ve been great—really busy. I don’t have time for a girlfriend. Technically, Flannigan’s is a bar—slash—restaurant, but lunch would be the best time for you to come. It can get rowdy at night.”

“But Dad said the nighttime is when you shine.”

He looked over at me with a raised brow, and I shrugged unapologetically.

“It’s not a lie.”

“He’s right,” he conceded, then his mouth turned up in a wicked grin. “I do some of my best work as the night goes on.”

Britt cocked her head as she looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

I openly smirked at him. “Yeah, Uncle Derrick. What do you mean?”

My brother didn’t miss a beat.

“I gotta be on my toes because people like to fight once they’ve been drinking. I have to be sure anyone who’s getting behind the wheel hasn’t been overserved. By the end of the night, most of my staff are tired and they can start to drag, so sometimes I gotta pick up their slack. I have to do all that while making sure my customers are happy and want to come back.”

Brittany’s eyes grew big. “Wow, you are busy.”

“You have no idea, kiddo. And now I have two locations that I have to keep running smoothly.”

“Maybe when I’m in college, I can come work for you and help you out.”

“Your job will be waiting.”

Becky approached and scrunched up her nose disapprovingly. She’d obviously caught the last of their conversation and didn’t like it.

“What job?”

“I’m going to help Uncle Derrick at Flannigan’s when I go to college.”

My ex-wife pursed her lips, and I silently willed her to let it go. It was seven years away, for fuck’s sake.

But of course, she wouldn’t.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, baby.”

Britt’s voice got small as she asked, “Why not?”

Derrick’s, on the other hand, got louder while he crossed his arms menacingly across his chest.

“Yeah, why not? My waitresses make damn good money, and their schedules are flexible around their class schedules. Plus, she’ll be working for me, so she’ll basicallybe able to do whatever she wants.” He gave my ex a “fuck you” smile and continued. “I’m a big believer in nepotism.”

Becky returned the “fuck you” smile.

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me, considering…”

Both Derrick’s and my eyebrows shot up, and she wisely didn’t continue her thought.

This is where I would have dropped it and gone about ignoring her.

But not my baby brother.

“Considering what, Becky?”

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