“To be honest, I got a little scared for you.” They were both having way too much fun on at my expense, which Bobby apparently realized when he saw me scowling at him. “Hey want to sample some booze and call it a truce?”
“You’re bribing me with alcohol? Have you met me?”
“I have. This is a coffee flavored liqueur.” Damn, if ever there was a type of booze that might be of interest to me. “The rep brought it in as a sample. Guess it’s new so they’re pushing it on everyone.”
“And now you’re pushing it on me?” I pulled up a stool and had a seat. “Okay, one tiny little sample. But mix it in with something. I don’t want that shit straight.”
Derek had a seat beside me, but gave Bobby a dirty look when he held the bottle out toward him. “Yeah, I’ll pass. Pretty sure men aren’t allowed to drink anything with the world liqueur in the name.”
I shrugged. “I don’t see why that would be a problem for you.”
He clutched his chest dramatically. “Damn, girl.”
Meanwhile, Bobby still seemed to be pleasantly entertained by our antics from his side of the bar.
“Here we go. One coffee flavored girly drink and one very manly beer.” He set both down in front of us. “Now then, I’m going to finish doing inventory in the cooler. Try not to kill each other in my absence, would ya?”
I watched him disappear in the back and then took a sip.
“Damn, that’s tasty. Now if only it came caffeinated.”
Derek chuckled. “You’re one of those, huh?”
I didn’t follow. “One of what?”
“You know, one those people who think enough coffee can take the place of sleep.”
“I happen to know for a fact that it can.” I took one last drink and then pushed the glass away even though it was still filled three quarters of the way. I’d never been a big drinker. Even less now. “Speaking of, I think I’ll hold off and have the real deal when I leave here.”
Derek didn’t seem to be making much headway with his beer either. Probably a good thing considering he was working with power tools.
“What brings you down here today anyway? I mean, I’ve been on this job for a month now, and you don’t seem to make a regular appearance.”
I’d completely forgotten. “Shit.” I jumped down from my barstool and went to walk around the bar. “Bobby! I totally spaced it, but I’ve got all your stuff in the back of the truck. It’s all wide open. We should probably go unload it before someone else comes along and does it for us.” I turned back to Derek. “And you’re right. I don’t come out this way much anymore, but while you’re working on fixing up the new space, I’m working on stuff to fill it with. Brought the first load of tables and chairs today.”
Bobby came out of the cooler a second later. “Ready?”
“I’m waiting on you, asshole.”
“Well, let’s do this then.”
Together the three of us headed for the front door and outside, where my old Bronco was parked on the curb. The back door was still open, revealing several chairs and tables I had skillfully crammed back there. Thankfully everything seemed to still be just the way I had left it. Of course, it would have taken some serious skill to untangle everything I had so carefully fit together like a 3D puzzle in my trunk.
One by one, I pulled each piece out and handed it off to the guys.
“Wow. This is nice. You did this?” Derek was inspecting my work on one of the chairs.
“Yup.” I handed him a second one.
“Maybe sometime you could come over to my place and check out my bedroom. I could show you some stuff in there I think you’d really like.” It was obvious the second he quit talking that hearing the words out loud hadn’t sounded quite the same as it had in his head.
I lifted my left brow suspiciously. “I don’t know, are you about to bribe me with a piece of candy to take a ride over there in your sketchy looking van?”
He laughed, clearly embarrassed. “Yeah, that didn’t come out right. What I meant to say was, I just picked up a whole set of bedroom furniture at another job. It’s old and worn, but it’s solid wood with some amazing detail work on it. I think you could really turn it into something beautiful. If you wanted to.” Then he turned back, glancing up the side of the street lined with cars. “Oh, and I drive a truck. Not a van. But I do have a box of Mike and Ikes in the glove compartment I’d be willing to share if that sweetens the deal any for you.”
“That actually doesn’t hurt.” I unloaded the last of the pieces, a table, and jumped out of my Bronco just as Bobby came back for another set of chairs, leaving Derek and me to bring in the table together.