Of Course, Cutie ('69 #2) Page 6

  Bea blinked her eyes at me and smiled. “Hi! I’ve heard a lot about you from Evan and Charlie. Nice to finally meet you!”

  “Likewise. What are you drinkin’ tonight?” Charlie talked about me, huh?

  “Um,” Bea drummed her fingers on the bar. “Vodka cranberry?”

  “You don’t sound too sure.”

  Bea laughed. “I’m not too sure of anything lately. I finalized my divorce six weeks ago.”

  “Ah. Been there.” I nodded while I mixed her drink. Bea was pretty. She had nothing on Charlie, but at least she was age-appropriate for me. Maybe she could start hanging out at the bar every day and make me fall for her.

  I placed Bea’s drink in front of her and gave her a half-smile. “Holler at me if you need anything else.” I already knew I wouldn’t fall for her. It was like Charlie said, the eyes were the window to the soul, and Bea’s did nothing for me.

  I served a few more customers and helped a group of trashed twenty-one-year-olds close out their tab, then saw that Bea’s drink was low. I made her another and was about to move on when I noticed her tear-filled eyes.

  “You all right there, Bea?”

  Bea glanced up at me and shook her head. “I…” She took a deep breath and looked around the bar. “How do you move on from a divorce? How do you survive knowing that you failed when you promised in front of the entire world that you wouldn’t?”

  I let out a long, slow breath. Thanks for the reminder that I failed. Hard. “Let me take care of a few more customers, and then I’ll get back to you on that.”

  Bea nodded and gulped her drink. I paused and studied her for a minute. “Hold on, Bea. How often do you drink?”

  “God, basically never.”

  I nodded. “Let me grab you a water.”

  By the time I returned to Bea, her second drink was gone. “Hey!” She grinned at me. “I’m ready for another!”

  I took her empty glass and replaced it with a water. “Sure thing. Drink that first.”

  Bea nodded. “Right. So did you figure out your words of wisdom while you were gone? Can you teach me how to survive a divorce?”

  I laughed and rubbed my beard. “I’ve only been divorced about eighteen months, and I’m not sure I have a cure figured out. Every situation is different, and there’s no blanket statement of wisdom for everyone.”

  Bea nodded again. Her big blue eyes watched me closely, hanging on my every word. Those eyes were a lot like Charlie’s, but Charlie’s sparkled and held a thousand secrets. Bea’s just stared.

  I sighed and leaned my elbows on the bar. “Was he worth fighting for?”

  Bea’s forehead wrinkled. “I thought so. God, we were together for six years! We had a kid together! I thought I knew him! But he cheated, and then he wasn’t there while my dad was dying! He just wasn’t there.” Bea’s tear-filled eyes looked up at me again.

  “Sounds like you have your answer. He wasn’t worth the fight. My ex-wife wasn’t either, but you know who is?”

  “Who?” Bea gulped her water.

  “My daughter. She’s the reason I get my sorry ass out of bed every day. She’s the reason I play nice with her mother when I’d rather tell the woman to go to hell.” I took Bea’s empty water glass. “Let your daughter be the reason you get up, too.”

  Bea laughed out loud. “Oh my god, that is exactly what Charlie said to me before I came here tonight.”

  I smiled. Of course Charlie said that. She understood life better than people three times her age. Bea interrupted my thoughts of her little sister and said, “Can I get another drink now, please?”

  “Yep. I’ll be right back with that.”

  When I returned, Bea had another question on her lips. I could tell from the way she frowned and stared me down. “Okay, so I get my ass out of bed for Sophia. I’ll do it. Done. But how do I deal with being so wrong about such a big thing? I was flat out wrong about Jack! And I married him! How can I trust myself to make a good decision ever again?”

  “Every time you’re wrong, you get a little wiser. Then you’re that much closer to being right.”

  Bea blinked and sniffled. “Yeah. Yeah, I like that.” She pointed at me. “That’s good. I like that. Thanks, Burke.”

  “No problem.” I smiled and turned away to help more customers. Bartending was tiring, especially on busy nights, but it was a walk in the park compared to Alaska.

  A tall brunette woman with dark lipstick waved me over. She’d been smiling at me all night. When I reached her, she pressed a business card into my hand. “If you’re single, call me when you get off.” She winked at me and sauntered away. I should have at least considered her offer. She was attractive, but all I could think about was Charlie stealing the phone numbers I’d collected and stowing them in her notebook. I could only think of Charlie’s cute little smile.

  I shook off the thoughts and glanced back down the bar at Bea. Her third drink was empty, and she was sobbing on a man’s shoulder. He glanced around the bar and awkwardly patted her back. I stifled a laugh and brought her another water.

  “Oh! Thank you!” Bea sat up, and the man made his escape. “Well, damn!” She threw her hands up in the air and watched him go. “Guess I was boring him! Asshole!”

  I laughed. “If you’re trying to pick up a guy at a bar, I would suggest not crying next time.”

  Bea gulped her water and rolled her eyes. “Right. My mistake for having feelings! I forgot that men don’t like that!”

  I rubbed my beard and tried not to laugh at her again. “Men are fine with feelings. You just need to give them a chance to get to know you first.”

  “Got it. Got it.” Bea nodded and rested her chin in her hands. “I should be writing this stuff down, I think. Do you have a pen? Also, can I have another drink?”

  “Okay, Bea, one more drink, but you have to finish that water first.”

  “Yes! Good idea!”

  When I brought her final drink, Bea had more to say. “My little brother is getting married in like four months.”

  “That’s what I hear.”

  “He looks so stupidly happy, and I’m realizing now, Jack never looked at me the way my little brother looks at Sienna!” Her face crumpled, and she started wailing. “No one is ever going to love me!”

  Shit, woman.

  “Hey, now.” I reached out to pat her hand. “You’ll get back on your feet.”

  Bea sniffled, and I handed her a napkin. “You think so?” She blotted at her tears.

  “Of course.”

  Evan walked over and rested his hand on Bea’s shoulder. “Sorry, Bea, I meant to check on you sooner, but I got hung up. How are you doing?”

  “Evan! Hey baby brother!” Bea slurred and leaned into him. Then she pointed at me. “Burke’s so nice, Evan. He’s so great. You should pay him more because he’s an excellent bartender and therapist.” She giggled into her hand and then finished off her fourth vodka cranberry.

  Evan laughed and glanced over at me. “Yeah, Burke’s great. That’s why I hired him. You, uh, you doing all right, Bea? How many drinks have you had?” He exchanged a look with me and motioned that I should cut her off.

  Bea giggled again. “I don’t know! Like a hundred!”

  I smiled and shook my head. “Four. She’s had four and two glasses of water.”

  Evan nodded at me and mouthed, “Thank you.” He sank onto the stool next to his older sister and attempted to engage her in conversation. I immediately noticed how different he was with Bea compared to Charlie. He hardly touched his older sister when all he had was hugs for his younger one. His conversation with Bea seemed stiff and forced, even though she was drunk off her ass. But Charlie and Evan teased and laughed like loving siblings.

  Yep. Cutie was fucking special. Evan knew it, too. The whole damn world knew it.

  I walked away to serve another customer, thinking about how stupid it was to invite Charlie over to watch kid movies. Part of me wished I could take back the invitation, but I knew
Tess would be thrilled to see Charlie. And hell, I couldn’t stop thinking about spending time with her again.

  I could be Charlie’s friend. I could be her platonic, older friend. There was nothing wrong with that.

  I could stop myself from wondering how her kisses tasted and how her skin would feel against mine.

  11

  Charlie

  Matteo strategically chose a pair of tight gray joggers and a fitted Guns N’ Roses tank top for my movie day attire. He’d said, “Girl, you guys already bonded over this band, and the logo will keep his eyes right on your tits aaalll day. And these pants are tight and make your ass look incredible, but they’re also all like, ‘Heeey, I’m cute and casual! Definitely not trying too hard!’ Trust me, it’s perfect. And I know you hate this, but I’m going to need you to put on some eyeliner.”

  He wasn’t wrong. I looked hot.

  I slipped out the front door before anyone else was awake and drove to Burke’s apartment with my heart racing. He still wanted me to come, right? I’d texted last night to confirm, and he said Tess was excited to see me. But what was Burke thinking?

  When I knocked on his door, I was pretty sure I was going to throw up. When he answered and smiled at me, my knees were dangerously close to buckling. “Hey!” My voice was too high. “I brought the waffle mix, but I didn’t cook them yet because then they’d be all soggy. Please tell me you have a waffle iron.”

  Burke laughed and nodded. “I do. It makes princess castle-shaped waffles.”

  “Oh my god, that is adorable.”

  “Come in.” Burke stepped back and took the grocery bag from my hand. He closed the door behind me when I entered his apartment and studied my face for a minute. “I’m surprised you came so early.”

  “Am I early? I thought you said 7 am!”

  “I did. You’re right on time. I’m just surprised.”

  Tess came bouncing over with a toothy grin. “Charlie!” She flung her arms around my legs.

  “Hey, Tess! Wow, you have a lot more energy when you’re not sick! I hope we get to play more this time.”

  Tess laughed and took my hand. “Um, yeah. Do you want to see the tablet my dad got for me? It’s so cool! And then he painted my toy chest pink! It’s Pinkilicious!”

  “Like the book we read last time?” When Tess wasn’t feeling well, I read Pinkilicious, Purplilicious, and Goldilicious to her two times each.

  “Yup. Come on!” She tugged on my hand.

  “Tess, sweetheart.” Burke laughed. “Let Charlie breathe. She just got here.”

  Tess wrinkled her nose at her dad. “Huh? She’s breathing. What are you talking about, daddy?”

  I turned to smile at Burke. “I don’t mind.” Then I let Tess lead me down the hall to her room. Burke’s bedroom door was open, and his spicy, manly smell drifted from it. I told myself not to look through the open doorway, but I did. I saw his bed piled high with blankets and imagined curling up next to his body beneath them.

  I shook the thought away and tried to listen intently as Tess described all of the new games on her tablet. After a few minutes, I suggested that we go back out and help her dad make breakfast. Tess let out her sweet little laugh and said, “Um yeah. He’s so bad at cooking!”

  I followed her back out to the living room and turned on the first Tinkerbell movie. “Okay, I’ll go make sure your dad doesn’t burn the waffles, and then I’ll be right back to watch with you.” I ran my fingers through her soft honey-colored hair and smiled down at her before heading to the kitchen.

  Burke looked sexy as hell, but he didn’t even have to try. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and black sweatpants, with his hair secured in its usual elastic. I almost melted when he looked up from a pan of bacon and smiled at me. “How was the trip to Tess’s room? Did she talk your ear off?”

  I laughed. “She’s adorably chatty.” I unzipped my jacket and slowly slid out of it while Burke watched with a molten gaze.

  “Damn. That’s a great shirt, cutie.” His eyes were glued to my chest, like Matteo predicted.

  “Thank you!” I hung my jacket over the back of a chair. “I’ll get started on the waffles. Where’s the um, the… cooker thing?” Burke’s eyes were still on my tits, and I was losing the ability to form coherent thoughts.

  “The… cooker thing?” Burke dragged his eyes up my body to meet mine. He cleared his throat. “Right, the cooker thing. It’s um…” He reached for the cupboard behind me and brushed against my body. “Right here.”

  Our lips were close, our bodies even closer. Could he feel my heart racing? Did he hear my breath catch? Damn, he smelled good.

  “Daddy! Don’t burn the bacon!” Tess yelled from the couch and broke the tension.

  Burke set the waffle iron on the counter and turned back to the pan. “Thank you, sweetheart! I won’t!”

  I cleared my throat and plugged in the waffle iron, and then I got to work mixing the batter. “Do you burn stuff a lot, Burke?”

  He answered with a laugh. “I don’t believe in setting timers. It bothers Tess.”

  We finished cooking, keeping the conversation light and only a little flirty, and then brought plates of food to the couch. Burke tried to sit next to Tess, but she yelled, “No! I want to sit by Charlie!”

  Burke groaned and said, “You’re killing me, Tess!” But he scooted to the other end of the couch and let me take the middle seat.

  “Who’s your favorite fairy, Charlie?” Tess leaned her head against my shoulder and picked up a piece of bacon.

  “Uh, the purple one.”

  Tess groaned. “You still think purple is better, don’t you? That was your favorite Pinkilicious book, too.”

  “Look, kid, I don’t know what to tell you. Purple is awesome.”

  Tess shook her head and took a bite of her bacon. “Ugh. Daddy! It’s burnt!”

  Burke laughed out loud. “Is not!”

  I picked up a piece off my plate and grinned at him. “I’m with Tess here, man. It’s burnt.”

  Burke shrugged. “I like it that way. Don’t know what to tell you.”

  Tess leaned over me and tossed her bacon onto Burke’s plate. “If you like it so much, then you eat it, daddy.”

  After we finished eating, Tess grabbed one of the blankets off of Burke’s bed and spread it over the three of us. It smelled like Burke, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he slept naked under it sometimes. Then I started wondering what he would do to my body if I were naked under it with him. Damn, Charlie. His six-year-old daughter is lying on your lap. Reign. It. In.

  Halfway through the first movie, Burke draped his long, muscular arm over the back of the couch. It wasn’t necessarily around me, but I took it as a good sign, and I may or may not have inched closer to him every time I adjusted my position. By the end of the first movie, our legs were touching.

  “So, uh, how many Tinkerbell movies are there, Tess?” I asked as she started the next one.

  “Seven.”

  Burke laughed. “You don’t have to stay for all of them. We understand if you need to leave.”

  I smiled. “I can stay. Unless you want me to leave.”

  Burke’s smile melted away, and he gazed into my eyes. “No. No, I don’t want you to leave.”

  Tess laughed and spread out, giving me an excuse to scoot even closer to Burke. “Why would we want you to leave? We like you, right, daddy?”

  “Right, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks, I like you, too.”

  Burke’s arm brushed against the back of my neck. God, this was stupid. We had some serious sexual tension going on, and I wanted to fucking cuddle the man. I took a deep breath and leaned into him. He didn’t move away, so I made a bold-ass move and rested my head on his shoulder. Bam. His arm dropped around my shoulders.

  We stayed like that for almost an entire movie. Then Tess wanted to take a break and do crafts. I made her some paper dolls to color, and Burke watched me with that strange look in his eyes. The day continued w
ith movies, snacks, half cuddles, and one or two full cuddles from the sexiest man on the damn planet. Before I knew it, it was Tess’s bedtime.

  Burke scooped her up in his arms, despite her protests, and carried her down the hall. “I’ll be right out, Charlie. Make yourself comfortable,” he called over his shoulder.

  I was about to be alone with Burke. This was my chance to make a move. I texted Matteo to ask what I should do. He responded immediately. I was about to ask you what I should do! I’m on a date with Jonah, and I came into the bathroom to text you! I want to kiss him so bad, but I’m his first gay date, and he’s anxious about everything.

  Aw, Mattie, that’s so sweet! I know you don’t want to hear this, but maybe take it slow. After I pressed send. I rolled my eyes and typed out another text. And I just answered my own question. I should take it slow, too. So, here’s to taking it slow.

  Ugh. Boo. You’re right.

  When Burke made his way back out to the living room, I stood, determined to take it slow. “I should go. I’ve been in your space all day.”

  “Oh.” Burke rubbed his beard, disappointment settling in his eyes. “Yeah, no problem. You have a date tonight?”

  I snorted. “No. The only person I hang out with is my gay best friend, and he’s on a date right now.”

  “Mattie?” He asked and sank back down on the couch.

  “Yeah, how did you know?”

  “I’ve heard you talking on the phone with him.” Burke scanned my face with his gorgeous green eyes. “If you’re leaving because you have other stuff to do, then I’ll see you around. But if you’re leaving because you think I want you to go, then don’t.”

  My knees quaked, so I sat. “I’ll stay, Burke.”

  “Do you want to stay, Charlie?”

  I nodded.

  “Good.” His eyes settled on the Guns N’ Roses logo on my tank top for the hundredth time, and he patted the couch at his side. “You want to come a little closer, cutie?”