started with the tables by the window and work your way around the floor.” She motions at the mish-mash of tables and booths around the room as if she’s my boss.
I hold my tongue but smirk as I grab the towel and start wiping the tables down as she instructed. As we work, Madison looks over. “What happened to your friend? Should I expect him to waltz in the door any minute too?”
“No, I locked the door. Can’t be too careful, you know. Any old riffraff could come in,” I say, winking at her. “But I sent Robbie home in an Uber. I’ll grab another one when we’re done.”
Madison pauses, then keeps cleaning. “What a knightly thing to do.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “That’s all you. I never said I was a knight. But if I were, I’d be your knight. Not his.”
Madison lowers her head, but I don’t miss the blush of pink that rushes across her cheeks. Fuck, how does she do it? She’s so sexy in every mood. I was just as rock hard when she was smiling and sweet as I was when she was yelling and raging. And the blushing bashfulness is a temptation all its own. It’s an odd realization, and it makes me want to test my response to her every whim. Or maybe test her responses to me.
“So, about my getting pissed off . . .” she starts.
“Yes?” I ask, encouraging her to continue.
“You do realize that I have a reputation to maintain, right? This is my job, my bar, my customers when I’m on shift. And I can’t get white-knighted or they’ll never respect me. I can handle whatever needs to be done.”
I sigh, knowing she’s right and that maybe I overstepped more than I’d like to admit. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I do understand. And while you most definitely can handle it, you shouldn’t have to.”
She laughs, a full belly riot. “You know, for a complete stranger, you sure do have a lot of opinions on what I should be doing with my life.”
I grin at her. “What can I say? I’ve always been intrigued by beautiful creatures . . . and you certainly are beautiful.”
She smirks at me. “Ohh, and you were doing so well. But now the cheesy one-liners are coming out. How many times have you used that one? Ten? Twenty? You do remember that I’m a bartender and hear basically every line in the book and then some.”
I shrug. “Might be a line, but it doesn’t make it any less true. You are beautiful,” I say honestly.
Madison blinks, then nods. “Thank you. And thanks for earlier too. He did deserve it.”
Her admission feels like the best victory I’ve gotten in a long time. I knew she was glad I’d helped, even if she didn’t want to admit it. “You’re welcome. You’re a tough girl, but you deserve better than that.”
Madison avoids my eyes, looking around the room and checking my work. I follow her eyes, admitting, “Damn, I didn’t realize we were moving so fast. I should’ve slowed down.” I tease her, giving her an obvious wink.
“So . . .” she says as she uses the big broom to sweep up one side of the floor while I mop the other. “Guess I should tell you, I figured out who you are. You’re beyond alphabet soup.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, maneuvering around a table leg.
Madison pauses, leaning on the broom. “Why are you doing this?” She tilts her chin up, gesturing toward my swishing mop.
I shrug, hoping to avoid the question but deciding honesty might be the better course of action. “You told me to help if I wanted to stay, so I’m helping.” The implication that I want to stay with her, and what that could mean, hangs heavily between us.
She smiles, and I can see that she’s pleased with my answer.
“How long have you been working here?” I ask.
“A few years now,” she answers vaguely. “Came to the city, needed a job, and Stella was hiring. Things have worked out well. Okay, get this half, then we’ll get the glasses from the dishwasher.”
“Okay,” I agree, a little surprised at how bossy Madison can be. “And what brought you to the city?”
“Careful with the water,” she says, cutting me off. I set the bucket down, and she comes over, sighing. “This is hardwood floor, not tile.”
She’s close, looking up at me after cleaning up my spilled mop water. From this angle, I can