aren’t so drunk.
We head for the door, and I hear, “See you tomorrow, loser.”
Chapter Three
MACY
An hour after opening the restaurant, Reef and his friends funnel in through the door. My heart skips a beat remembering snippets of last night, especially the way he emphasised loser to me. Like the other times, they sit at the table closest to the front window. Reef’s back is to the window, and I’m right in his line of sight.
Every time I glance his way, I catch him checking me out right before he averts his gaze. For more than an hour, we play a game of cat and mouse. Gone is the loud, cocky guy from last night. His conversation with his teammates is a whisper.
The guy sporting a red mullet waves me over. “Sweetheart, can we get another round of coffee?”
“Three flat whites, a soy latte, and a skinny latte—lactose-free.” On the last word, I glance at Reef confirming his order.
“Yes, thanks.” Then he glances down to the abstract lines and arrows on the back of the menu. He taps a pen and draws another line from C to E.
“And how are we feeling this morning,” I say in a chirpy voice, the same upbeat tone I use with every customer. Better make nice since it’s kind of awkward.
Reef’s focus remains on the paper on the table. His mates all shoot perky responses, and when the bell rings on the door, I hesitate in surprise and smile at the guy I met last night. Chance places an arm around my shoulder as though we’ve been friends for years.
“These idiots giving you trouble?”
“Sit down, Bateman,” one says.
“I’m taking these idiots coffee orders.”
Chance gives me his killer smile. Dimples creasing. “Flat white. One sugar.”
When I return with the tray of coffees, Chance has squeezed in on the other side of Reef.
“How long you staying, Bateman?”
“Have the red-eye flight out in the morning.” He glances up to me. “Gonna miss me, sweet cheeks?”
For the first time, Reef glances up. “Sweet cheeks?”
“Yeah. We’re mates, in case you didn’t remember last night.”
“What happened last night?” the guy with the mullet asks.
“Reef was wasted, and he was paying me out, so Chance here stuck up for me.” I give Chance a subtle look, so he knows I’m messing with Reef, making a joke to smooth out the tension.
Reef’s face glows.
“You, big fella?” Mullet guy says and bursts into a belly laugh.
Spinning on my heel, I head out back to the kitchen, leaving Reef to explain what he can’t remember.
While I’m attending to food in the kitchen, the footballers vacate their table. I head back out and stack their plates on a tray and notice the vibe in the restaurant change. Tossing each scrunched napkin on top of the tray, I stall seeing words on a napkin placed under the sugar bowl.
Sorry if I upset you.
Let me buy you a coffee sometime.
If you’re not embarrassed to hang with ‘Losers’.
Picking up the napkin, I fold it small enough to shove it in my back pocket.
So he’s giving me the chance to make a play. Maybe I understand more about football than I first realised.
One more hour.
I have checked the clock since lunch, my headache worsening by the minute. In the kitchen, I guzzle water and throw down some aspirin before heading back out to face customers. The door adjoining the kitchen and dining area swings open.
“Hey, Mace.” Oliver waves out along with Ava and her son, Louis trailing behind. “I left some stuff here I need to read over before Monday.”
I nod, raise a finger. “All good.”
“Hey…” Ava walks over and stands beside me, “… are you okay?”
“I have a headache. It will pass.” I wipe my hands, and before I sidestep her to head back out, she grabs my arm.
“You head home. Oliver will probably hang out in the office for an hour, so I can cover for you.”
“Are you sure?” I would normally object, only the ache behind my left eye is unbearable.
“Absolutely.” She pulls her long brown hair off her neck and secures it with a hair tie she has on her wrist. “Louis can hang out in the office with him. You grab your bag, and I’ll let Oliver know you’re heading home. And don’t thank me. I’m grateful to you spending the extra weekend working so I can have more time with my son.”
I grab my car keys, hop in my car, and start the engine. I let out a sigh before driving home.
When I open