Page 30 of Good as Gold
“Nah,” I say immediately.
But Rory doesn’t listen. “You guys were always panting for each other. She’s probably here for you.”
“Listen. Be mad at her if you want to. But don’t make this about me.”
He isn’t listening. And now he’s got the glassy stare of a guy who should have stopped drinking an hour ago. “Bitch thinks she’s too good for me. I’m living in a house with no fucking plates in the cabinets. She took ’em all.”
Yikes. The women haven’t noticed either of us yet. They’re facing the other way, eyeing the tables, looking for a place to sit. The only free one is a two-top on the far wall, and I’m privately imploring them to take it.
No dice. They turn toward the bar instead.
That’s when the door opens once more to admit my brother Benito. The women wave him over, as if they were expecting him.
“Oh, Christ,” my sister says under her breath. “Here we go.”
Benito lifts his chin in greeting, and I give him a wave. Then I turn my gaze pointedly toward Rory.
My brother is a smart man, so he gets it. He steers Leila and Skye toward empty seats at the far end of the bar. Zara heads toward them immediately, saving me the awkwardness of ditching Rory to wait on his ex.
He glowers quietly for a few minutes while I pour an order for the server who’s working the tables tonight.
“Aren’t you gonna go say hello?” Rory sneers after a time. “She’s single now.”
“Easy, dude. I’ll definitely say hello to her, but I’m busy here.”
“Go on,” he says. “Shoot your shot. You know you want to.”
For fuck’s sake. I lean on the bar and look him pointedly in the eyes. “I’m only saying this once. Maybe you two had a messy breakup, but I don’t know the details, and I don’t want to know. It never had a thing to do with me. Still doesn’t.”
“Clueless fucker,” Rory mutters into his beer.
“Can you pour a Goldenrod for Ben?” Zara nudges me with her elbow. “And these margaritas are for the girls.” She passes me two cocktails.
“Sure. Got it.”
“Yeah, you do,” Rory grumbles. “Get right on ’er.”
Without further comment, I grab a glass and pour my brother’s beer. Then I carry the drinks down the bar and deliver them. “Hey, ladies. Amateur bartender at your service.”
My brother smirks. “Nice job tonight. I’ll let Alec know you didn’t burn the place down yet.”
“Oh please. You’re out with the ladies, and I’m back here serving beer to every thirsty tourist within five hundred miles.”
Benito shrugs. “I’ve got overtime this week at work. Sorry.”
“How convenient.” I park my hip against the bar and take in Leila. She’s wearing a black velvet shirt, tight jeans, and a lot of silver jewelry. And I am suddenly full of inappropriate thoughts.
Guess Rory knows a thing or two after all. Not that I’ll admit it.
“Is there anything else I can get you guys? Food?”
“We ate already,” Leila says. “I made dinner for Skye, and then Ben agreed to join us for another drink when he came to pick up Skye.”
“Dinner, huh?” I’m just noticing that Leila and Skye both look a little tipsy. “Must have been some wine involved.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” my brother says with a grin.
“There mighta’ been,” Skye says. Then she hiccups.
