Mixed Up(32)

I held up my hands. "He insisted he could handle it. If he can't, Wes is up for a promotion."

"Shut up and get me water," Parker demanded. "You're not giving the kid my job, and you know it."

I pulled a glass off the shelf behind me. "You're the one who's drinking on the job."

"Doesn't count when your boss gives you the alcohol."

"Are you at work?"

"I'm on a break. Double doesn't count."

Setting the glass of water in front of him on the bar, I raised my eyebrows. "Someone could have a gun to your head and you'd talk your way out of them shooting you, wouldn't you?"

He flashed me a half-smile, picking up the water. "That's the closest thing to a compliment you've ever given me."

"Don't get used to it," Sienna said, smiling in Parker's direction in a way that was a little too friendly. Her gaze lingered a little too long even though he didn't turn to look at her.

"Si, I didn't get a chance to sort the delivery since my family showed up for breakfast this morning and it took forever to get rid of them." I gripped the edge of the bar and leaned into it. "Could you go out to the cellar and get it sorted for me?"

"Sure." She shrugged off her light cardigan, finally dragging her gaze away from Parker. "Do you need anything out here?"

A glance at the fridge told me I did. "Orange juice. Dirty Screws are on special so make sure it's easy to grab. When Katie gets here, she'll have to keep an eye on it."

She gave me a thumb up before she disappeared back to the cellar.

Seconds after she disappeared, Parker said, "You're pretty obvious, you know that?"

I swung my attention from the hall Sienna just walked down to him. "That doe-eyes at work aren't acceptable? I don't pay her to ogle you, Parker. I pay her to get shit done."

His lips twitched up to the side once again, and the stool scraped against the floor when he got up and kicked it back under the lip of the bar. "That may be so, but that's not what's obvious."

I gave him an "Oh, really?" look. "Then enlighten me as to what is."



       
         
       
        

He opened his mouth right as the bar door opened to a group of five women and two guys. "Breaks over." He smirked and pushed back into the kitchen.

I glared after him for a second before turning to my customers.

I'd be annoyed with him later.

For now, I had to work.





***





"Katie, I need shot glasses!" Sienna yelled a few feet away from me.

I didn't know when it'd gotten so busy, but it was only eight and the bar was packed. Granted, fifteen or so of those people were related to me, but I didn't know how they could stand it. I'd had to turn up the music when people started coming in and gravitating toward the dance floor. Hell, I'd had to have Wes come out since the kitchen was quieter just to move tables to free up the dance floor.

As Katie waved in acknowledgment while running another food order out to the kitchen, I wondered if I'd bitten off more than I could chew. The bar, the weekend club atmosphere, and now food. Was I doing too much? Dirty was a big bar, but was I trying to cram too much into it?

Or did I just need another member of staff? Katie was good. She was barely twenty-one, but she'd never missed a shift in the six months she'd been working with me. Since she had no qualifications as a mixologist, only Sienna and I really worked the bar, but that didn't mean she couldn't be taught. She'd shown interest.

I poured a jug of Dirty Screw and threw some extra orange slices into it.

Maybe I should give Katie more hours. There was no doubt how helpful it would be to have one more person around.

I'd also get a little time off.

"Your grandmother wants a Slick Lovestick."

I blinked and looked at my dad. "I'm starting to rethink the names of my cocktails."

His grimace said it all.

And there I was, thinking the names would have been too much for Yia-Yia. Apparently, she was embracing my list. She'd already had herself a Ball Buster and a Tit Toppler.

I didn't know she could hold her liquor as well as she could.

"What does she think of the food?" I asked Dad as I reached for the Chardonnay bottle.

"She thinks it's pretty damn good, not that she plans on telling Parker that anytime soon."

I hid my smile. Yep. That sounded like Yia-Yia. She'd spend the next few days telling him how to make his food better, make him recook her the exact same dishes, then tell him they were just fine the first time-but who wants just fine?

I wanted to bet that he knew exactly what she was going to do and was going to humor her, but she didn't know that.