Page 110 of Kiss and Tell

“Quinn!” Jessie called out urgently. “He’s coming.”

I left my corner and sprinted to the front door. Connor was walking up to the bar. I hurried over, my heart beating fast. He hadn’t seen my final addition to the design. I had no idea what he would think of it.

“Hey!” I greeted him with a quick hug and a kiss. “You’re just in time. Things are starting to get busy.”

He returned the kiss, trying to deepen it by plastering his lips to mine and dipping me backwards. I laughed into his mouth and slapped at his chest.

“Now’s not the time,” I said.

He set me upright but kept his hands around my waist.

“I still feel bad for not being here to help set things up,” he said.

“Don’t worry, Jessie roped Gael into doing the heavy lifting.”

Connor looked around at all the people pulling into the parking lot and coming in off the street.

“There’s a lot of people here,” he noted.

“Are you surprised?” I asked.

“Not really.” He grinned at me. “You’re the one who organized it, so I know it would kick ass. Now let me inside, I want to see the surprise.”

Nerves fluttered in my stomach as Connor walked through the front door. He let out a loud whistle.

“Just like I imagined,” he said. “It reminds me of…”

“Your apartment,” I finished. “I know. I was hoping it would.”

“It feels like home,” he said. “And that’s a rare feeling.”

My heart swelled in my chest at the soft smile on his face.

Connor wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me in to place a kiss on the top of my head.

“I love it,” he said.

“There’s one more thing.” I pointed to a sign behind the counter and above the shelves filled with alcohol. “Can’t have a cool bar without a cool name.”

Connor looked up at the sign with the name.

Sin and Tonic.

A wide grin spread across his face as he let out a hearty laugh.

“It’s perfect,” he said.

“Hey Quinn, can I ask you something?” Jessie called out from across the bar.

I let go of Connor reluctantly.

“You should do the rounds,” I said. “These people are going to be your new patrons and business neighbors.”

“I’ll be my usual charming self,” he promised with a wink.

I took off in Jessie’s direction. She began speaking before I had a chance to ask her why she’d called me over.

“Theout-of-ordersign on the bathroom is gone,” she said. “The door doesn’t open anymore and there’s a weird metal box where the door handle should be. It’s like it’s locked.