Page 100 of Hold Me Instead
“Doing okay. Home, antsy. Wants to get back to work, but his doctor wants him to retire.”
“Oh, no,” Mel said.
“Yeah. He’s not happy about that either.”
“I’m glad he’s home, but shit, he must be driving your mom nuts.”
“Yeah, they’re getting to that point,” Zachary said. He caught Charlie’s glance of concern and shrugged.
“Well, you know you’re welcome here anytime. And friends of these two idiots are friends of mine,” Mel added with a smile at Charlie.
“Why does everyone keep calling me an idiot?” Zachary murmured.
Mel patted his hand patronizingly. “You forget who I’m friends with, Z.”
He groaned on a laugh. “Sandra.”
Mel laughed, her eyes traveling to someone on the other side of the bar. “Okay, enjoy. Great to see you,” she said to Zachary, then to Charlie, “Great to meet you. Jordan, you’re mine in twenty!” She smacked the bar and walked away.
“How do you manage working with your older sister?” Zachary asked.
“She’s a great boss, I’ll admit. And I’m an awesome baby brother.” He leaned closer to Charlie. “I bring in a lot of extra customers.”
Charlie laughed. “I believe it.”
Jordan grinned. “So, Charlie, tell me more about what this asshole is like to work with.”
“Oh yes, happy to.” Charlie straightened in her seat and cleared her throat dramatically, while Zachary groaned.
Zachary listened as she traded stories of working with him for Jordan’s of growing up together. He watched them bond over whatcould be deciphered as a goal to humiliate him, had he not chimed in with his own side of the story. By the time Jordan was pouring drinks during his shift, there’d been enough shared humiliation to have them all laughing.
As Jordan left them to tend to other patrons, Zachary huddled close to Charlie at the bar. He was happy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d described himself as such. Hanging out with her and his best friend…It felt like the next step in a relationship.
One they had to talk about.
Charlie spun herself on the barstool so her feet rested on the rung of his. “Well, now it’s out in the open, how anal we think the other is in the workplace.”
“We already knew that,” he said, turning his seat, shifting his legs to box in hers.
“True.” She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over a bit. She propped an elbow on the bar, inching his way. “I should stop drinking. Otherwise, I’m going to be useless tomorrow.”
“Good thing it’s a late-start day.”
“Mmm, good thing.” She toyed with the sleeve of his shirt.
He slid his hand to her thigh and squeezed.
Her eyes darted to his lips, and he followed suit. When she leaned closer still, he met her, their tongues tangling instantly in a slow dance, his hand squeezing her thigh tighter as she inhaled sharply.
Charlie pulled back, her breathing rapid. “Want to go back to my place?”
“Yes.”
They shoved off their stools, and he pulled his wallet out just as Jordan came over.
“On the house.”
“No—”
