Page 47 of Rum & Coke

“Gorgeous, I don’t need to hire strippers anymore. I’ve got you,” Paul replied and pulled her in for a hug.

“Now that we know what everyone does for a fucking living, I’m going to go shoot some targets,” Seth cut in and started to walk away after snatching a sheet out of Paul’s hand.

“Me, too,” Gabe agreed.

“Let’s pick out a gun for you to use,” Autumn said, and motioned for Tessa to follow her to the counter.

Before Tessa stepped away, I leaned down and whispered into her ear, “Told you she was cool.”

“Yeah, but I have a feeling there’s a joke about walking into a bar somewhere in this situation.”

I laughed. “Fuck yeah, there is.”

Three escorts, a stripper, a housewife, and two law enforcement officers walk into a bar … Yep, don’t see that every day.

Tessa stayed with the girls to pick out a gun, and I went into the back with the guys. Apparently, since Gabe and Paul held their classes here, the fee for the hour was put on their tab. I was cool with that. When I’d called Paul yesterday and told him the situation, he told me he’d take care of everything and he and Gabe would meet us here. Didn’t know the entire gang would be here minus my boys, Brad and Nick. Like Gabe and Paul, they were ex-military. I was the odd man out in the group, but if that dude Galen called Mark and got hired, I would no longer be surrounded only by military men talking about wars. There was nothing wrong with that, but I didn’t have any war stories to share. I didn’t know Galen’s story, other than he wanted to become a fireman. Plus, Gabe and Paul were out of the game, and we needed more in the group.

“Saturday.”

“Saturday, what?” I asked, looking at Paul.

“That’s the day Joss and I are getting married,” he replied, clipping a target into place.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Well, shit. Now I need to change my date to Sunday.”

“You’re still escorting?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He looked at me as though he were confused. “Tessa. She’s okay with that?”

I chuckled. “We’re not dating.”

“You aren’t?”

“No.”

“Vin’s scared to pull the trigger,” Paul stated.

“It’s not like that,” I corrected. “We’re just friends.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Gabe laughed. “See how being friends with Autumn turned out?”

I nodded. “Situation’s different though.”

“While not all relationships are the same, it’s clear you both want each other. I can tell that just by being in the same room as you two with your dreamy looks toward each other. It will happen.”

“And I’ll have to quit S&R.”

“Take a break,” Gabe suggested. “If it doesn’t work out with her, then you can go back.”

“I need to talk to Tessa,” I confessed.

“Then do it.”