Page 84 of Falling for Them

Ella

Bartleby’s isn’t very busy on Thursday night, which is good, because my head is a buzzing mess of confusion and anticipation and overanalysis.

Sebastian and Mr.Tyler want to see me again.How the hell am I supposed to remember whether someone wants an IPA or a porter when the two hottest men I’ve ever seen in my entire life want to get naked with meagain?

The weirdest part, though, is that they want to date.Me.

It certainly can’t be all that difficult to find women who want to date them—even with the less-than-traditional aspect of dating them both together.I don’t even think the whole daddy thing would be a deal-breaker.I mean, I didn’t know that it was something I’d be into, but damn, wow, I was totally into it.

“Ella!”Kevin calls from the bar.“Pay attention.Twenty-one is trying to flag you down.”

Oops.Sure enough, the women at table twenty-one are waving at me.

“So sorry,” I say as I reach them.“My mind was wandering.”

“No worries,” one of the women says, winking.“Happens to us all.We’d love another round, though.”

“On it,” I say.“Thanks for understanding.”

Kevin gives me a questioning look when I sidle up to the computer and plug in their drink orders.I verbally relay the order to Kevin, as well, so he can get a head start on pouring the beer.

“Everything okay?”he asks.

“Yeah,” I start to say, but the word dies on my lips as four burly men walk into the pub.

They’re the same ones who were asking me about Tommy, a little over two weeks ago.

“Ella?”Kevin prompts.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t shake.

I’m too tired for this.Because of course the four guys sit down in my section.And today, I’m working with Nicholas-don’t-call-me-Nick, and he’s not someone I would describe as a team player.

The burly men look up as I approach, and the looks on their faces aren’t hungry, exactly, but more anticipatory.They’re hoping to get something from me, and I am pretty damn sure it isn’t just burgers and beer.

As I reach their table, I take a deep breath and paste on a smile.“What can I get for you three?”

“Cheeseburger, fries, and a pale ale,” the first guy says.

I jot that down in a notebook, asking how he wants his burger cooked, then I look up at the next guy.

When I get to the fourth man, he says, “I just want a beer, don’t care what kind, and I want to know where the fuck we can find your brother.”

My blood freezes.I drop the notebook and pen.Leaving them on the floor, I take a step back, and then another.

“I can’t help you,” I say.

The man stands up.He’s at least a head taller than I am, and his beefy arms strain against his ill-fitting suit jacket.“If you value your life, you will.”

I take another step back, and smack into our busser, Sonia.The tray she’s holding crashes to the floor, and the ceramic mugs on top of it shatter.

“What’s going on out there?”Kevin demands.

“Um, nothing, I don’t think,” I say.

But Kevin doesn’t believe me, I guess, because he comes out from behind the bar.He takes one look at me, and one look at the four men.Staring hard at them, he says, “Get out.”

“We just want some food and a couple of beers,” one of them says.