Body Shot (Last Shot)(31)
“Hey, Beck.”
He turned to see one of their regulars, Jim Dussen, sitting at the bar. “Hey, Dussen. How’s it hanging?”
“Long and loose, and full of juice.”
Beck grinned. “Good to know. Better than short and shriveled.”
Dussen toasted him with his glass of draft. “You got that right.”
Dussen was a Navy vet Beck had met through the Trident Foundation after he’d left the service. When Beck had told him the three former SEALs were opening a bar, Dussen had been pretty pumped. He’d showed up on opening day and regularly since then. He’d been a one-man promotion machine during the early days, bringing in friends and acquaintances and telling everyone what a great place it was.
“Hey, Dussen, that’s not you parked in my spot out back, is it?”
“Nah. You know I know better’n to drive here.”
“Good man.” Making sure customers didn’t drive home drunk was one of the toughest parts of this gig. But since they wanted to see their customers back there alive the next day, they tried to be on top of it, and made sure their staff were too.
“So I hear you’re having a dry spell.”
Beck frowned. “What?”
Dussen nodded at Marco. “Heard you two talking about not getting laid.”
“Fantastic.” Beck shot a glare at Marco. Their behind-the-bar conversation was not supposed to be audible to customers. Especially when it made him look like a loser. “Well, you can’t get laid every day.”
“Ha-ha-ha.” Dussen nodded, then looked sad. “So true.”
Beck bit back a grin. The old guy somehow managed to leave with women more nights than not. They’d never been exactly sure how that happened.
So it was no surprise when an auburn-haired woman slid onto the stool next to Dussen and slid him a flirty smile. “Hey.”
“Well, hi there.” Dussen turned to her.
“Don’t mind me,” Beck said.
“I’ll have a glass of Moscato,” the woman said without looking at him. “Do you have pink?”
Beck pressed his lips together. “No, ma’am, sorry, not pink. We do have a very nice Moscato though, from up in Napa Valley. Luscious peach and apricot flavors with a refreshing finish.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“Another beer, Dussen?” Beck asked.
“Sure thing.”
He moved away to get their drinks, even though he wasn’t supposed to be working tonight. He’d only come in because he hadn’t finished the inventory earlier, instead taking off to go lingerie shopping. And then drop it off. And…
Dammit, he was thinking about Hayden again.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he absently pulled it out to glance at it. A text message from Hayden.
The burst of pleasure that shot through him at seeing her name on the screen was a little disturbing. He read the message.
I just opened the bag from Bisou. Ten pairs of panties! You did not have to do that.
He grinned. He’d actually had fun picking all those out at the exclusive little boutique he’d gone to. Women’s lingerie stores didn’t intimidate him like they did some guys. He loved women and all their sweet-smelling, soft girly stuff. He’d taken his time exploring the antique tables covered with scraps of lace and silk, choosing different colors and styles, tiny thongs and cheeky panties edged with lace, imagining Hayden wearing nothing but them…
He shook his head and used a fingertip to tap in a message. It was my pleasure.
Her pleasure was his pleasure, apparently.
He looked at his phone for a moment, then remembered the wine and beer he was supposed to be getting, not to mention the inventory he’d come to finish, and shoved his phone back in his pocket.
After serving the beer and wine to Dussen and his new friend, he retrieved his inventory list from the office and started taking stock. At the opposite end of the bar from Dussen were Joe and Helena, a married couple who were regulars at the bar. He picked up part of their heated conversation.
“Can’t believe…forgot to buy toilet paper!”
“I didn’t know we were out!”
“I told you this morning…”
“No, you didn’t!”
Beck met Marco’s eyes and they both lifted their eyebrows. “Why do they come here to fight?” Marco murmured.
“Beats the hell outta me.”
Pretty much every time Joe and Helena were there, they were arguing about something.
“Hopefully they go home and have hot makeup sex,” Beck added.
Marco grinned.
“Some people like drama.” Beck shrugged. “Whatever bakes your cake.”
Beck finished off the inventory and went into the office to do a few more things. There he found Cade sitting at the computer with a spreadsheet open on the monitor.