around his waist. He was so warm, so firm and strong. A year ago, she'd have jumped to have Darren chasing after her like this. But now everything was different. He was divorced and she was... well, she was just a mess.
***
Val wanted to laugh at her boss’s plight but with the mood he was in? She didn’t dare. The man was seriously jonesing for a cigarette. Nick slammed the cabinet doors below the bar top shut.
His daughter, Zoey looked up from the notebook she was writing in, a frown on her face. Soft blonde curls fell over her shoulders as she scrutinized her father.
“Shit. I need the money drawer!” Nick stalked without waiting for a response to the back room, where the safe was.
Val sighed and grabbed her tray with the tabletop drink menus to go set them on the tables.
Zoey turned. “What’s up with Dad?”
Val chuckled as she walked around the room, setting the menus on each table. “Girl problems.”
“Oh is it that photographer chick who's been coming in a lot?” Zoey grinned, an excited glow taking over her expression. “She's cute.”
Val nodded. “Yeah. Jen's good people.”
“So what's the problem?” Zoey asked.
She looked back at the doors he'd stormed through. Nick might end up killing them all in the mood he was in. But there was always the possibility of using Zoey as a shield. The guy wouldn’t hurt his own offspring, right?
“He quit smoking,” Val giggled. “Because she said she didn't like the smell.”
“Oh!” Zoey snorted. “That explains the sudden cleaning spree he went on. You know, I've been telling him to quit for months.”
“It's a little different when it comes from someone you swap spit with.”
“Ew, Val, that's my dad.” Zoey made a face of pure disgust. Her face changed and she leaned forward. “So, I hear you're dating a hockey player.”
Val’s cheeks burned. “I wouldn't say dating.” She cleared her throat. “I should go make sure your dad didn’t torch the place back there.”
“Dude, Val. You have to tell me everything.” Zoey turned on the stool so she stared right at Val. Val shook her head. “Oh, come on. I never get any of the good stuff. Dad certainly doesn't tell me anything.”
“I just talked about them kissing and you were all 'ew!'” Val laughed. “Do you really want to know about his sex life too?”
“Well, no. Ew.” Zoey scrunched up her face in a grossed-out grimace.
“See?”
“But we're not talking about Dad here, we're talking about you. You're not related, so it's okay.”
“You're nuts, Zoey,” Val chuckled.
“So, who’s the boyfriend?”
“We’re not dating.” At least, they hadn’t done the whole “date” thing. That was coming, apparently, but until then? She still didn’t know what to call it.
“Right. Okay. Who?”
Val stopped. Zoey might be legally an adult, but she acted more like a teenager. But she seemed intent on knowing. What was the harm in it?
“Fine. You know Darren, right? One of the hockey players that come in?”
“Oh!” Zoey’s eyes widened. “He’s hot! All my friends love him. Is he a good kisser? Is he pretty well endowed?”
Val stopped what she was doing and turned around. “What? We’re not talking about that, Zoey.”
“Oh, come on, Val!”
“Not kissing and telling!”
“Aha!” Zoey jumped in the seat and pointed at her. “So there is kissing!”
“Zoey…” Val sighed. Zoey’s face fell and she sat back down. “What’s really bugging you? You never have shown this much interest in your dad’s love life, let alone mine.”
She slid into the stool next to Zoey. Zoey glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“It’s just…” Zoey blew out a breath of pure frustration. “I met a guy.”
“Oh, yeah?” Val scooted closer. “Who?”
Zoey’s eyes darted around. “Just a guy. It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s gay.”
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”
“He’s really cute. And sweet. And he comes from a
***
Val wanted to laugh at her boss’s plight but with the mood he was in? She didn’t dare. The man was seriously jonesing for a cigarette. Nick slammed the cabinet doors below the bar top shut.
His daughter, Zoey looked up from the notebook she was writing in, a frown on her face. Soft blonde curls fell over her shoulders as she scrutinized her father.
“Shit. I need the money drawer!” Nick stalked without waiting for a response to the back room, where the safe was.
Val sighed and grabbed her tray with the tabletop drink menus to go set them on the tables.
Zoey turned. “What’s up with Dad?”
Val chuckled as she walked around the room, setting the menus on each table. “Girl problems.”
“Oh is it that photographer chick who's been coming in a lot?” Zoey grinned, an excited glow taking over her expression. “She's cute.”
Val nodded. “Yeah. Jen's good people.”
“So what's the problem?” Zoey asked.
She looked back at the doors he'd stormed through. Nick might end up killing them all in the mood he was in. But there was always the possibility of using Zoey as a shield. The guy wouldn’t hurt his own offspring, right?
“He quit smoking,” Val giggled. “Because she said she didn't like the smell.”
“Oh!” Zoey snorted. “That explains the sudden cleaning spree he went on. You know, I've been telling him to quit for months.”
“It's a little different when it comes from someone you swap spit with.”
“Ew, Val, that's my dad.” Zoey made a face of pure disgust. Her face changed and she leaned forward. “So, I hear you're dating a hockey player.”
Val’s cheeks burned. “I wouldn't say dating.” She cleared her throat. “I should go make sure your dad didn’t torch the place back there.”
“Dude, Val. You have to tell me everything.” Zoey turned on the stool so she stared right at Val. Val shook her head. “Oh, come on. I never get any of the good stuff. Dad certainly doesn't tell me anything.”
“I just talked about them kissing and you were all 'ew!'” Val laughed. “Do you really want to know about his sex life too?”
“Well, no. Ew.” Zoey scrunched up her face in a grossed-out grimace.
“See?”
“But we're not talking about Dad here, we're talking about you. You're not related, so it's okay.”
“You're nuts, Zoey,” Val chuckled.
“So, who’s the boyfriend?”
“We’re not dating.” At least, they hadn’t done the whole “date” thing. That was coming, apparently, but until then? She still didn’t know what to call it.
“Right. Okay. Who?”
Val stopped. Zoey might be legally an adult, but she acted more like a teenager. But she seemed intent on knowing. What was the harm in it?
“Fine. You know Darren, right? One of the hockey players that come in?”
“Oh!” Zoey’s eyes widened. “He’s hot! All my friends love him. Is he a good kisser? Is he pretty well endowed?”
Val stopped what she was doing and turned around. “What? We’re not talking about that, Zoey.”
“Oh, come on, Val!”
“Not kissing and telling!”
“Aha!” Zoey jumped in the seat and pointed at her. “So there is kissing!”
“Zoey…” Val sighed. Zoey’s face fell and she sat back down. “What’s really bugging you? You never have shown this much interest in your dad’s love life, let alone mine.”
She slid into the stool next to Zoey. Zoey glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“It’s just…” Zoey blew out a breath of pure frustration. “I met a guy.”
“Oh, yeah?” Val scooted closer. “Who?”
Zoey’s eyes darted around. “Just a guy. It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s gay.”
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”
“He’s really cute. And sweet. And he comes from a
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