Chapter 2 I smacked the hand that had just pinched my ass. "No, sir. You can look as much as you want, but touching is off the table." The drunk guy cackled with his friends. "Oooh, she's mean. I like her." I tried to be sassy even though my skin was crawling. 'Come on, don't tell me you go around squeezing women's asses on a regular basis.' He held his hands up, eyes glassy and lit with trouble. "If a slut with a big ass wears a tight dress, she knows what she's doing." He wasn't wrong about me being mean. Telling off guys like him was practically a hobby. But damn, some nights a girl just wanted to make a living without having to fight her way through it. I was holding down two and a half jobs, and I was exhausted. With a heavy sigh, I caught Duke's eye-the best bouncer in Denver. His answering nod was firm. He'd handle these idiots. I'd put up with them as long as I had because the night had been slow and I was banking on a fat tip. But no amount of money was worth being groped or called a slut. I spun on my heel, ready to head to the back for a breather, when I spotted a new occupant at one of my empty tables. He was back. This was the third time he'd been in this week. The first two, he'd been with a friend. Tonight, he was alone. I didn't have the type of heart that went pitter-patter over men, but there was something about this man-Tore-that made my chest flutter. It was weird, especially since he'd barely spoken to me. Maybe that was the secret. Surely, if he opened his mouth too much, he'd ruin it. Break forgotten, I sauntered over to his table. "Hey." It came out breathier than intended, but it caught his attention. His brown eyes, framed by impossibly thick lashes, lifted to meet mine, freezing my breath in my lungs. His lips barely moved as he returned my greeting. "Hi, Bea." His gaze was steady on mine, so deep and probing, it made my insides feel like slithering snakes. "You remembered my name." "Of course. You've been my waitress twice." He tapped his fingertips on the lacquered wooden tabletop. "With the addition of tonight, three times." I glanced around even though there was no need. "You're alone tonight?" Previously, he'd been in with another guy, Sam. From their conversations, I'd gleaned they were coworkers and friends in town working on a deal Sam was more eager about than Tore was. "I am. Sam had other plans." He flattened his hand, ceasing his tapping. "I would like a beer to drink, and if you have time, for you to sit with me. Of course, I'll pay you for your time-" "No." The word flew out before I could think it through. I needed the money, but not from him. He immediately deflated. "Oh. I'll just take the beer then." The tips of his ears turned pink, and it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. So cute, my brain scrambled, and it took me a moment to find my voice again. "I'm sorry, I meant no, you don't have to pay me. I'd love to sit with you. Just give me a minute. I'll be back." He released a long breath. "I'll be here." I kept my steps measured on my way to the bar, even though I wanted to sprint. I barely recognized myself. Getting excited over a guy wasn't my thing, but there was something about Tore-his awkwardness, the way he stared at me longer than socially acceptable, his blunt way of speaking-that really did it for me. Daisy, my coworker, leaned against the bar, her lips curved into a knowing smirk. She'd clearly seen every second of that exchange. I held up a hand. "Don't say a word." "I didn't," she swore. "You're readable." I grabbed a pint glass and filled it to the top with the local IPA Tore had been a fan of the last time he was in. "Martha tried to serve him, but he said he only wanted you." My stomach turned upside down in a whoosh. "He's in my section. Martha shouldn't have spoken to him." She shrugged. "You were busy with those assholes. She was probably trying to be nice." I put the glass on my tray and huffed. "She probably spotted his expensive watch and saw dollar signs." "Speaking of dollar signs, did you see we booked another Millennial Wine Mom book club next Friday?" "I haven't looked at my email yet, but that's excellent news. Maybe I'll be able to move out of my slum sometime this century." Daisy was cooler than most people. She'd started a catering business after years of planning and had recently asked me to become her partner when I'd given her the idea of pursuing the wine mom crowd via my stepsister, Caroline. I was still considering. "Living the dream," she drawled. "Always." I shifted my gaze to Tore, who hadn't stopped watching me even for a second. "I'd better get this to him before Martha tries to encroach on my territory again." "He seems sweet. Be nice to him, Beatrice." I rolled my eyes. "I'm always nice." We both knew that wasn't true, but she let it slide. As I made my way back to Tore's table, I shot Martha a withering glare. She was all right in general, but Tore was mine-my customer-and she needed to lay off. I placed his drink in front of him and took the seat to his right. "Hi again." His mouth quirked. "Hello, Bea. You aren't drinking with me?" "No, I thought I'd just watch you." Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my legs and folded my arms in my lap. "Besides, I'll be up and down checking on my other tables. No point in relaxing." He picked up his glass. "Do many of your customers touch you the way that guy did?" Oh boy. He'd seen that. "It's a hazard of the profession. Drunk guys get handsy." Sober ones too, but I wasn't going to mention that. "Funny, I've never had that problem," he said without a trace of humor. "You've never been groped by a drunk dude?" I asked, choosing to make a joke of it anyway. "I can't say I have." He put his glass down without taking a sip. "Am I missing out?" "You aren't." His gaze meandered over me, assessing. "Surely there's something else you could be doing where men aren't touching you without permission." "You've clearly never been a woman." I propped my chin on my fist. "Waitressing isn't my forever plan, but it pays the bills for now." His brow furrowed. "The man was thrown out with an applaudable amount of force. Is that what always happens?" "Duke takes care of us, for sure." I sighed and changed the subject before he could fixate even more. "I know you're just visiting Denver. Where do you live?" "LA, but if Sam has his way, our company will be relocating here." He drummed his fingers on the table. "I'm comfortable in LA., and my routine is an important part of my productivity. Sam has been trying to sell me on this city." "What's the top selling point so far?" "Should I be brutally honest?" "It's my favorite kind of honesty." He didn't blink a lot, making his gaze even more searing. There was no escape from it. Once it landed, it remained steady. Not invasive, interested. He tilted toward me slightly. "So far, you're the most enticing thing Denver has to offer." My lips parted as I sucked in a shallow breath. "Me?" "Yes, Bea. If I were to move to Denver, I would very much like to take you on a date." My heart leaped into my throat. I appreciated honesty, but Tore's was next level, knocking me off-balance. Not for long, though. "I don't know if that would be wise." He straightened. "No?" "No. You shouldn't move all the way here on the promise of a date with me. What if we don't get along outside this bubble?" I rubbed my lips together. "I think it makes more sense for you to take me out before making that decision." He cocked his head. "You're right. That would be the next logical step." He slipped his phone from his pocket and swiped the screen. "My next two nights are free. Are you available?" I nodded. "I happen to have tomorrow night off." He held his phone out to me. "Put your number in. I'll text you once I find the best place to take you-unless you have a preference?" "No preference. Surprise me." I entered my number, sent myself a short text, and returned his phone with a smile. "You're now one of a handful of people who have that." "I'm in cybersecurity. You can trust your number is locked behind multiple firewalls." It was cute how deadly serious he was. "That's reassuring, but if you come up short on your rent next month, don't sell it on the black market." "Not even if I'm down to my last dollar." He put his phone away and patted his pocket. "I'm not sure what I did to have captured your attention, but I don't take it for granted. I'm looking forward to spending more time with you and getting to know you better." "Me too, Tore," I whispered, breathless. Was this asthma? I'd have to add going to the doctor to my list of things to do once I moved out of my hovel and could afford health insurance. Surely being short of breath around a man was a dire medical situation. His mouth hitched into a half smile. "This city might have a lot more to offer than I first thought." As much as I liked hearing that, the air around us became a little too thick, warming my skin uncomfortably. I felt it in my cheeks, between my legs, under my breasts. Last night's conversation with his friend came back to me in a flash. Sam cornered me by the bar. "What will it take to make him think you like him?" My mouth dropped open. It wasn't often I was shocked, but this was one of those times. "What do you mean?" "My buddy, Tore, is fascinated by you. He doesn't like bars, but he insisted we come back here after you waited on us last night." I glanced at the man currently sitting by himself across the room. I remembered him from the night before. His ears had turned pink when I'd put his beer in front of him. Sure, I'd bent down more than I had needed to, giving him a view of my cleavage, but that was my signature move. It usually earned me a bigger tip, not an adorable blush. His reaction had made me really look at him, and whoosh, was he hot. Nerdy in the right way, more polite than I was used to, with eyes that felt like a key slipping into my lock. "What are you asking exactly?" He shuffled closer, lowering his voice. "Five hundred dollars to flirt with him like you're genuinely interested." I recoiled. "I'm not a prostitute." "Whoa, not saying that at all." He chuckled softly. "I'm not asking you to do anything other than flirt." I'd been propositioned in all manner of wild ways over the years, but never like this. Flirting with Tore would be easy since he was exceedingly cute, and five hundred dollars was a hell of a lot of money for something I'd probably do anyway... What was the harm? I pushed down the flicker of guilt. That money wasn't the reason I was going out with Tore. He intrigued me in a way that was new and exciting. My interest was real. The tiniest voice in the back of my head warned this might come back to bite me. But with Tore looking at me like I was the only person in the room, ignoring it was the easiest thing in the world. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!