Not Just Friends (Hot in the City #3) - T. Gephart Page 0,41
staff entrance. There, we found everything as it should be, the large white truck with a tired looking delivery driver already loading up his delivery trolley.
“Sorry, Ms. Tibbs, I know I should have been here hours ago but I’m doing double the work. It was either come now or push it back to Thursday.” He wiped the sweat from his brow with a dirty rag.
“It’s fine,” I nodded, looking over the invoice and checking off the items as Marcus and Hank helped move the inventory. “Thanks for fitting us in and I hope Lenard gets better soon.”
“You and me both, I’m dying here.” His eyes crinkled as he tried to smile.
Satisfied the guys had it handled, I left them to load into our storeroom which was accessible from the parking lot as well as inside the club. It had been my idea, the addition added to the existing structure so not to disrupt the club. It was times like these I was thankful not having to walk a delivery driver into Diablo when we were moments away from opening.
“Anything I should know about?” Bennett asked, flanking me as I strolled back to the bar.
I shook my head, doing a quick survey of the area before my eyes landed on Jared. “Nope, Marcus and Hank have it handled.”
Regardless of my plan to keep my distance, I didn’t want to be rude either. At least that was what I was calling it, my feet taking me to where he was standing. “I’ve set you up on my tab at the bar. You can order anything you want.”
“Driving,” he smiled. “And even on my salary with my crazy car payments, I can cover my own beer.”
Lewis would have never turned down a free drink.
Never.
He could have hundred-dollar bills falling out of his pocket and still taken the freebie. And when he was with me, he not only took it, but expected it. Which of course, just made me feel like an even bigger idiot for not getting rid of him sooner.
“Are you sure you want to hang around, Leighton? I’ll text you when I’m ready to leave if you really want to drive me home.”
It just seemed. . . well, silly. He was literally going to sit solo, not drinking, watching me work. It had to not only be the least interesting way to spend a night, but a complete waste of one too. I’d already taken up so much of his time, surely he wanted to go do something else.
“Just go work, Presley. I’ll find a way to entertain myself.” His brow lifted and I wasn’t sure what that meant. Was he going to play on his phone? Take a random survey? Join the sweaty masses on the dance floor when the DJ started playing?
Shit.
It suddenly occurred to me how a man—as good looking as Jared—might entertain himself in one of the hottest nightclubs in the city. Wasn’t like in an hour or so it wasn’t going to be a swarming with beautiful and available women, ready to keep him occupied.
I’d seen him with girls before, perching themselves on his lap and gazing dreamily into his beautiful blue eyes. Not with the same level of frequency as my brother, but he’d definitely had his fair share.
And what could I say? No, he shouldn’t be with some other girl because I wanted him for myself? Or be jealous about a guy who wasn’t even mine in the first place. I was conflicted, knowing that even if nothing happened with another woman tonight, it would eventually.
Ignoring what was rational and reasonable, I forced a smile and left to continue my rounds. People were starting to file in, and Marcus and Hank weren’t back yet.
Raelle was behind the bar with Chase and Bridgit, the three of them waiting for the first wave of orders. Rae was already shaking something, testing it with a straw before sharing it with the others. She didn’t even look up, completely involved in whatever new drink she was probably inventing.
Within an hour, the landscape had completely changed. Laughing, talking and music had shattered the silence, the space filling with bodies as more people started to come in. It was good, the organized chaos making me feel more settled than when I’d walked in.
Arms grabbed me around the waist, and I wasn’t sure I was glad or disappointed when I saw Raelle’s distinctive tattoos decorating them. I mean, of course it was Raelle, who else would it be?