when she appeared beside me. I’d spaced out again. It was a running theme in my damn life. I forced myself to take a slow sip of beer before replying. “How long since I sang and now?”
“Don’t be a wiseass.”
I put my glass down and held up my hands. “I’m not. I literally parked my truck outside and came in here.”
“Why?”
“To see you.”
She propped her hands on her hips. “Why now? Why today?”
I crossed my arms and leaned back in the booth. “Didn’t realize Tuesday was a special day.”
Her gaze dropped to my arms before bouncing back up to my face. “And that’s all?”
“I needed to see you.”
She frowned and her face softened for a moment. The momentarily unguarded girl standing in front of me was the same one I’d kissed that night. And I had to fight the urge not to drag her down to me again. “Needed? Is something wrong?”
I’m lost without you. Yeah, not saying that one out loud. Even I had a few pieces of pride left. “I messed up, Fee. It’s been too long. I just want to talk.”
“I’m working.”
Not to be deterred, I pushed again. “Pretty sure you get a dinner break. It’s the law and all that.”
She mirrored my folded arms. “Doesn’t mean I want to have dinner with you.”
Ouch. “I missed you. Have for a long damn time, Fee.”
She huffed out a breath. “The dinner rush is usually down to a dull roar around eight.”
“Perfect.” I tried not to look at my phone to see how long that would be. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be quick. Time was relative these days.
She set down her tray then jammed her hands into her apron. That didn’t help my current situation. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d missed her. In so many damn ways. It didn’t matter how long it had been since we’d spent time together.
Then there was the one night I’d caught a glimpse of her. That had been the last time I’d seen her.
On a snowy night in February, she’d worn a tight red sweater and jet-black skirt with her typical black tights. Waitress gear with a Valentine’s bit of flair.
She hadn’t known I was there.
I’d had it in my head to come in here and sweep her off her feet and tell her right then and there I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was soon after the single had dropped.
But then a guy had swung her up into his arms and dropped a kiss on her candy-cane-red lips. She’d laughed up at him and sifted her long fingers through his perfect Ken-doll sandy-colored hair. Much like Kevin she’d kissed tonight, for fuck’s sake.
My fists bunched under my arms. I didn’t know him, but I recognized the look in the guy’s eyes. He was right there and present for her.
Everything I couldn’t be. I’d waited too long.
Too late.
The story of my life. Always too late when it came to Felicity Hudson.
I frowned at her. “Unless you have someone who’s taking you to dinner?”
She averted her gaze. “No.”
“No boyfriend?”
She retrieved her tray. “Not this week.”
I snagged her arm, the soft skin warm and infinitely touchable. “This week?”
She stilled at my touch and quickly moved out of my space. “You don’t have the right to ask anyway, Myles.” And with that, she melted back into the sea of people crowding the bar.
No, I didn’t. Unfortunately.
I raked my fingers through my hair. I still wasn't used to it being so short. It felt right to cut it off. To start fresh in every way.
I slouched down in my seat and twisted my beer in the small puddle of condensation that had formed. The bar roared out a series of groans and cheers. I glanced up at one of the screens. I only knew the difference between jerseys because of Felicity’s love of Syracuse University. Game night, and Turnbull was fiercely loyal to their sports teams.
With her gone, I checked my phone. I had a few hours to kill.
My booth was smack in the center of her section. And boy, did she did ignore me as she bustled around to tables adjacent to mine.
I leaned back in the unforgiving wood bench-style seat and crossed my feet at the ankles. I was nothing if not patient these days. I didn’t have any plans. At least not until my phone meeting with my realtor the next day.
For now, I was more than willing to watch Felicity in her natural habitat. I soaked