She laughed, even though his answer disappointed her a little. She really wanted to know what he cared about. But that was crazy because he was a customer in the bar she worked in and…darn, break time was over.
“I have to get back to work.” She slid off the stool. “Nice talking to you.”
“Yeah, you too. Guess I’ll see if I can find out where my friends are.”
She got back to work, checking her tables. The four guys who’d been there all evening were getting louder, huge bursts of laughter coming from their direction. She held in a wince as she headed their way to see if they needed another round. Make that wanted another round. They clearly didn’t need more drinks.
A bunch of guys entered the bar and headed straight to a table at the back. Amber recognized one of them as her boss, Jared Rupp. He was the owner of the restaurant, although the day-to-day management was handled by Elliott Smith. Elliott was the one who’d hired her, but she’d quickly learned that Jared was a professional hockey player and this restaurant was something he did on the side.
She eyed his companions, all big, tall guys like him.
“Army!” one of the guys yelled.
She watched Duncan look around and then jump off his stool.
“Man, where the hell you been?” Duncan grabbed his beer and joined them.
She frowned. He was a friend of Jared’s? A teammate?
That meant he was a professional hockey player.
Well, shit.
She grabbed a cloth and started scrubbing the bar, focusing on the countertop. Heat built inside her chest. She’d been attracted to him, had even flirted a little. She was too busy for a relationship, but a little hot sex once in a while was a good thing, and he was hot. But damn, there was no way she was getting involved with a professional athlete.
He’d seemed like such a nice guy.
She glanced their way. One of the other waitresses was taking their orders. They’d all gathered around a high table, still standing, and the testosterone level in the room ratcheted up several degrees. Luckily they weren’t in her section and she could just ignore them.
But that wasn’t so easy. Their presence filled the room and attracted attention from the other patrons, especially the female ones. There was soon a crowd gathered around them, mostly girls in short skirts or tight jeans, and lots of makeup.
Amber’s lips tightened as she served drinks and kept busy. Those girls might just want to say they’d had sex with a professional athlete, which was fine, sure, but she’d bet a lot of them were hanging out there because they wanted a rich husband. They had no idea what they’d be getting into. Heat roiled in her stomach and her teeth set together.
She focused on her job. The bar was filling up and drink orders were coming fast. She was an experienced waitress, so she was able to keep up with a smile on her face. Tips were a big part of her waitressing income and she wouldn’t get them if she scowled and snarled at the customers over her own stupid hang-ups.
She’d known when she took the job that the owner of the bar was a pro athlete, but hadn’t realized he and his friends hung out there. But it was okay. It was his bar. She was just a waitress.
With a smile, she set a glass of wine in front of a customer. She recognized the heavy feeling inside her as disappointment. She’d been flirting with Duncan, and he’d been flirting back, and she’d been having a bit of fun in her busy life, and…now she knew he was totally off-limits.
She approached the table of guys who’d been there for a while to see if they needed another round. “Hey, babe,” one of the guys called as she neared them. She blinked and balked a little as he reached out and grabbed her hand to draw her closer. “Where you been?”
“Sorry, it’s been busy. Another round of the same?”
“Nah, we just want you, hot legs.”
She resisted an eye roll, keeping her smile in place. They’d been giving good tips all evening and she needed the money. “Sorry, I’m not on the menu.” She extricated her hand.
The guys laughed.
“Too bad.” One of them leered at her.
“How are y’all doing for drinks?”
“Sure, another round,” a different guy said.
“You got it.” She flashed a big smile again and headed back to the bar.
“We need another bartender,” Jack said. He’d been going crazy since his shift had started.
“I know,” Amber agreed. “I think Elliott’s looking for someone. I heard he was doing interviews next week.”
“Better hire someone soon or I’m gonna lose my shit.” Jack slid a draft beer across the bar to her and she set it on her tray with a sympathetic smile.