An Endless Summer(59)
“Yep! I am now. Thanks for the heads up, ladies, I can’t wait to put it into practice.”
Ellie’s brows rose. “So you’re actually going to give it a go?”
I shrugged. “If the opportunity arises.”
Ellie broke into a wicked grin. “Oh, it will.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Before I returned to the bar I ducked out the back way towards the ladies’ room to freshen up.
I peeled through the partition into the dark restaurant and was weaving my way through the tables when a voice sounded from behind me.
“You know, I don’t think I like the sound of that plan.”
I jumped, clutching my heart as I turned to see a shadowy figure leaning on the bar near the partition.
“I swear to God, Adam, if you creep up on me one more time …”
“I wasn’t creeping – you were creeping. I was just standing here minding my own business.”
I looked around in the dark room, confused. “What are you doing in here? Hanging out in the dark? It’s weird.”
“I was about to walk through the bar, but I didn’t want to disturb your little slumber party chat.”
Oh God, he heard everything.
Anger seethed through me. “So what, you just thought you’d lurk in the shadows and eavesdrop? Nope, nothing creepy about that.”
“I was not eavesdropping,” Adam said defensively.
“Good!” I turned to continue towards the ladies’ toilets.
“But about that plan …” he called after me.
I paused, sighing deeply as I turned.
“Plan?” I opted to play dumb.
“About getting even with Sean.”
“From the private conversation you weren’t listening to, you mean?”
Adam leaned over the bar to turn on a lamp near the coffee machine. “Yeah, that one.”
“Let me guess … You don’t approve.”
Adam blinked, adjusting to the lamplight. “I don’t, but not for the reasons you think.”
I stared blankly at him. Adam rolled his eyes.
“Sounds an awful lot like game playing to me.”
“So?”
“So, game playing sucks. And there is this raging testosterone inside of me that makes me feel like I should defend my brother-in-arms from your wicked ways.”
The penny dropped. “Don’t you dare!”
“What? Tell Sean? Hmm, I wish I could promise that but after my head injury my mind has been terribly forgetful lately.”
“What do you want?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“It’s not blackmail.”
“Isn’t it?”
“What if your devious little plan backfires?”
“It won’t!”
I was getting testy. To be honest, I’d had no intention of putting Ellie’s plan into practice. I was really disappointed with her advice. I’d instantly disregarded it, in fact, but now that Adam was putting in his advice on behalf of the brotherhood … Well, it pissed me off.
“So it’s all right for you boys to be giant smart-arses and womanisers but heaven forbid if we give it back?”
Adam opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, thinking better of it.
“What?” I said.
“No, nothing.”
“What were you going to say?”
Adam rubbed his hand through his hair and looked around, possibly for an exit strategy. What had started out as a possible innocent taunt from him had turned into something messier.
“It’s you, Amy. I just don’t want you to embarrass yourself.”
My mouth gaped open as if the wind was knocked out of me. What was with people thinking I was still this little publican’s daughter crap? That I was still the same unco kid with braces loitering on the steps of the Onslow? Maybe that was the way they remembered me, but I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was nineteen, for God’s sake! I’d had boyfriends, a bunch of them. I could hold my own and I could give just as good as I got.
I was the one who had wandered into this disaster of a hotel and made the decision to turn it around; to fight for it. The little publican’s, cute-as-a-button, innocent daughter? I don’t think so.
Adam must have read the rage all over my face. “So … no game playing, right?” he asked gently.
I just scoffed. “I don’t have time for games.” I didn’t even wait for his response; I just turned and walked away.
***
I couldn’t shift my mind from the game. I was constantly on edge any time Sean came near me, or if I looked and caught Adam’s knowing eyes, or caught Tess’s and Ellie’s raised brows of encouragement, and, oh God, did Ellie just give me a thumbs up? Subtle as a sledgehammer.
Chris’s voice jolted me from my thoughts. “You right to lock up tonight?”