Page 30 of The Bodyguard
7
SABRINA
One Week Later
“Hey, Jack,” I called, even as I took a seat at the bar.
He lifted his chin at me and kept wiping down the beer glass in his hand. At this point he knew my wine of choice so I didn’t bother asking for it. I wasn’t sure it had been the best idea to come into town. The whole point was to lay low. But I was going a little stir crazy back at the ranch.
I had thrown myself into the wedding of the century, only to get ambushed by Clayton who’d insisted that it take place at the ranch with a mere one hundred and seventy-five guests. Huh. Those weren’t even wedding of theyearnumbers.
I supposed it was what they wanted, so I had to defer. And I felt good about the state of things. After all, planning these types of events was my wheelhouse, so much so that I was running out of stuff to do, day in and day out.
I was still entertaining thoughts of throwing another engagement party. Given that that would be an even smaller event, I didn’t see any problem pulling it off. I took out my phone, prepared to check out Pinterest for some party theme ideas, when I remembered I didn’t have any accounts anymore.
Facebook, fine. Twitter, fine. Instagram had hurt, but I was coping. But losing Pinterest was killing me.
Jack delivered my wine and I thought about the small salad I would order. About how maybe, instead of doing balsamic and oil, I would get a little crazy with a light ranch dressing. Then I felt someone sit next to me.
I didn’t have to turn my head. Didn’t need him to say anything to me. Garrett was like a perpetual magnet in my life, one I was constantly drawn to.
“Brin,” he said.
“Garrett,” I said.
We had left our not-a-date on somewhat awkward terms. He had walked me to my car and I had gotten in before he could suggest anything. Like, can I give you a kiss on the cheek, or why don’t we do this again, or I love you Sabrina and I always have.
It was important to avoid the traps.
I only looked back at him twice in the rearview mirror, which I considered pretty damn strong of me.
“I don’t want you to think…I mean, I usually come here after my shift for a beer and dinner.”
I did turn to him then. “I don’t think anything, Garrett.” Not that he purposefully sat next to me. Not that he wanted to talk to me, eat with me. See me. “Are you okay if I’m here?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “You know…I really am glad to have you back. I mean it. We were…friends once. Right? A long time ago.”
“Sure,” I lied. I’d never thought of Garrett as anything so simple as a friend.
In front of Garrett, Jack put down a bowl of potato chips, like fresh homemade potato chips covered in salt so that you could see the white dots all over them. Then, next to that, he added a big bowl of what could only be sour cream and onion dip.
I gently brushed the corners of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t salivating.
“Want one?” he asked. “Jack knows these are my weakness.”
I glared at him.
“One chip, with a little dip. Not going to kill you, Brin.” He was smiling, and then as if to torment me, he dug a chip through a healthy dose of dip and popped it into his mouth in one bite. I felt myself squirming on the stool. There, at the corner of his mouth, was some lingering dip. If I just leaned over and licked it off, surely it wouldn’t be all that many calories.
Focus, Sabrina! This man does not and has never wanted you.
He was wiping his mouth. Boooo. Then he repeated the motion, only this time he held it out for me.
It was like Eve and the apple, only Garrett and a dip-covered potato chip.
I reached out to take it from his fingers, but he shook his head. “It will be too messy to transfer. Just open your mouth and I’ll pop it in.”
I glared at him again.
