Page 4

Shawn

F riday nights were always the busiest. It didn’t matter if there was snow on the ground. The weekend’s start drew people out to celebrate the end of a long work week, which was fine by me, since it meant a better paycheck, more individuals to flirt with, and more tips.

And the man who was scowling at the other end of the bar.

If he didn’t lighten up, customers were going to complain. Daniel hadn’t smiled once since the start of the shift. Not that I hadn’t been trying to put one on his face. It was a lost cause, of course. I only seemed to piss him off even further.

“My in-laws are coming in tonight.”

I jolted from my thoughts to stare at Chase. “Since when did you and Nathan get married?”

He laughed, picking up a tray from behind the bar and lining up some drinks on it. “We didn’t. Don’t plan on it. Doesn’t mean I know what the hell to call them.”

Fair point.

“So, what do you want me to do about it?”

Chase sighed, adjusting the tray to make sure the drinks didn’t slide off. “I don’t know. Send them something nice? I already know that Mrs. Grant loves me, but it never hurts to win her over a little extra. Nate had to work late tonight as well, so I’m hoping to gloss over the fact that he’ll be missing from their family dinner.”

Ah, the trouble with pleasing someone else’s family. I enjoyed sleeping around, though now that I was creeping closer to twenty-six, Mom and Dad had hinted at me settling down. I didn’t understand the rush. If it was meant to be, I’d find the right person. It just hadn’t happened yet.

“Not a problem. What are we going to do about the delinquent?”

Chase shoved my shoulder. “Would you stop calling Aiden that?”

“What? It’s not like I can serve him shit here at the restaurant.”

“I’m not asking you to. I’m saying send something nice to his parents.”

I’d been teasing Nathan’s brother for a few weeks now. Aiden had been hanging out with us ever since I’d met their group, but it never occurred to me he was only eighteen. Nineteen by the end of the month, if I remember correctly.

That’s when the idea hit me. It all hinged on whether the Grant family would be okay with me stealing their baby boy away for his birthday, but it wasn’t like nineteen was that big of a deal. He was legally an adult, but not yet old enough to drink. It hadn’t stopped him at any of our gatherings, thus my nickname for him as the delinquent.

“I smell a party coming on.”

Chase’s eyebrows rose, but he said nothing as he took the orders to the dining room.

“You think everything is a party.”

The words were muttered so softly that I almost didn’t hear them. When I turned, Daniel was standing behind me stocking beers in the fridge.

“What’s wrong with having a good time?”

That icy stare turned in my direction. It was enough to freeze me in place. Damn. Daniel had a way of entrancing me with one look. Outside of him being the biggest mystery I wanted to solve, the guy was fucking attractive. I wanted to pick him apart in more ways than one. Maybe see what was beneath all that hostility. Maybe see what it was like for him to take it out on me in other ways.

I needed to derail that thought process before I popped a boner at work. It was inappropriate. This dude hated my guts, though I still didn’t understand why. Would he join us if I got everyone together to celebrate Aiden?

The evening progressed in a blur. I didn’t have time to think about Daniel and his cold stares. Customers lined the bar non-stop demanding my attention. My hands grabbed for bottles faster than I could remember how to make the damn cocktails I was pouring. Gin and tonic, Sazerac, Whiskey Sour, shots of tequila when Andrew and Brandon came in…

Before I knew it, Chase waved me down. Sweat beaded my brow, and I wiped it with a towel as I approached where he stood.

“The Grants are here. I sat them at table twelve. It was the least crazy and the closest to my section that I could still help them without stepping on toes. Do you have something I can take them?”

He looked so frazzled, clearly feeling the evening as much as I was. To my dismay, when I looked toward Daniel, he didn’t look out of his element at all. He breezed through drink orders, placing glass after glass on the bar top. He wasn’t even sweating. What the hell was that?

“Is it all right if I take it out to them?”

Chase looked taken aback. He looked around at the crowd around the bar, then back at me. “Are you sure? It’s sort of busy over here.”

One more look at Daniel and I kind of wanted to see how he’d handle the pressure if I left him alone for a few minutes. “I think it’ll be fine.”

Without a second thought, Chase nodded and motioned toward table twelve. I grabbed a bottle of our more expensive Merlot and headed toward the table, armed with a bottle opener. Even if Mrs. Grant wasn’t a fan, she’d like this stuff. Most people did.

“Good evening,” I said as I approached the table. Nathan’s mom smiled up at me as I presented the bottle of wine. “I was told you might enjoy some special refreshments. Please allow me, this is on the house.”

Mrs. Grant waved her hand in front of her face. “None of that. We can pay for it.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do.”

Without waiting for a response, I set the bottle on the table and opened it with the corkscrew. There were no further complaints as the aromatics from the wine hit the air. While most Merlots were on the dry side, this one sat more on the sweet end of the spectrum. It’s why people who normally didn’t like reds enjoyed it.

I poured a sample amount into the bottom of Mrs. Grant’s glass and let her taste it. Her eyes widened as it opened over her taste buds. A grin split my face because I knew she’d love it.

“That’s probably one of the best...”

“I know. It’s a crowd-pleaser.” I poured her a full glass before pouring one for her husband. Aiden stared at me the entire time. I didn’t bother to touch his goblet. It was one thing to offer the kid booze in private, but I wasn’t about to land my ass in jail or cost my dad his liquor license.

“Now, while I’m over here...” I trailed off, looking over the family, landing on the youngest at the table. “It’s come to my attention that someone has a birthday coming up?”

Mrs. Grant nearly choked on her drink, setting the glass back on the table before looking between me and Aiden.

“Yes. Aiden is about to be nineteen on the twenty-eighth. How did you know that?”

I laughed. She obviously didn’t know all her son’s friends or how I knew Aiden, for that matter.

“Shawn Stevens, ma’am. My father owns this place. I’m a close friend of Nathan and Chase. I was trying to think of something to do for this guy in order to celebrate.”

She looked skeptical. Not that I could blame her. I’d be paranoid, too, if a much older man started talking about celebrating my baby’s birthday.

“And what exactly do you propose?” The wineglass was back in her hand. She swirled it for a moment before bringing it to her lips for a sip.

“My family has a cabin up at Snoqualmie Falls. It wouldn’t be just us. I’m thinking all the guys would go. How do you feel about that?”

Aiden sat up straighter in his chair, eyes wide. “I’m a fan. Let’s do that.”

His mother glared at him before waving him off. “Is that wise? I don’t know about a wild party.”

Aiden snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and sinking back into his seat. “I swear to God, it’s like Nathan ruined everything.”

Aiden’s mother turned back to study me, casting another sidelong look at Aiden. “I’ll tell you what, Shawn. I might let that happen. You have to promise me that no shenanigans will go down with my youngest.”

Oh... she thought I was into Aiden. A huge smile lit my face. “No worries Mrs. Grant. He’s too young for me, anyway.”

When I looked over at Aiden again, his face was bright red and he’d sunken lower into his seat.