for the answers to his unspoken questions. “Then I come downstairs and find my house empty.”
I stared at the table as I traced circles along the grains of wood. “But I left you a note. I had to leave sooner than we planned and didn’t want you to have to drive out here for nothing.”
“For nothing?” He snickered sarcastically. “Since you don’t work again until Friday, I was hoping you’d come back to the house with me.”
My lungs deflated. It was extremely difficult to pretend like everything was fine while my body was screaming at me to grab on to him and cry out in frustration, telling him everything I felt. Instead, I had to remember why I needed to reel in my crazy emotions.
I forced my gaze to turn cold as I looked at his breathtaking face. “Holden, that’s not a good idea. You have to work tomorrow, I can see you then.” Unable to look into his eyes any longer without losing it, I dropped my gaze again to the pattern on the table.
“What did I miss?” he spoke softly, seemingly just as upset as I was. “I thought everything was going great.” He grabbed for my hand, holding it with both of his. “Please, Jules, talk to me.”
I looked over my shoulder and found Sam giving me the stare down. “I can’t right now, I’m at work.”
His shoulders sagged, and he let my hand go. “Okay, we’ll talk when you get off then.”
My eyes flicked anxiously to the door in expectation. “Where’s Dante?”
The curiosity on his face was replaced by a suspicious frown. “I don’t know. Why?”
I felt guilty lying to him, but I just couldn’t go through with telling him the truth right then and there. “No reason. You normally come in together, that’s all.” I glanced down, remembering he didn’t have a drink, and he obviously wasn’t leaving anytime soon. “Listen, I can feel my boss staring at us, you want your usual?”
“Yeah, but I’ll nurse it for a while.” He snuck a peek past me. “And it looks like your boss isn’t at the bar anymore.”
Good. I needed a moment to gather myself and try to figure out what I was going to do next.
After getting an order from one of my other regulars, I went to the bar. April took the slip from me and moved to the other side. “I’ll get that for you.” Since she’d practically grown up in this place with her uncle, she was an extremely talented bartender. Not only were her drinks delicious, but she was skilled at making several at once. Sam and the other bartenders took forever since they could only do one at a time.
Pouring ice into several glasses, she shook her head, appearing lost in thought.
I took a quick glimpse around and noticed both Sam and Trudy were missing, probably arguing in his office over April’s presence. Disgusting that they would even sneak away together while she was here. My expression probably gave me away, but I was trying my damnedest to look innocent.
She swished Holden’s drink back and forth in a shaker while giving me a pointed look. “Yeah, I’m well aware of what’s going on with Sam and Trudy.”
I wasn’t sure what part I was apologizing for, but an ‘I’m sorry’ slipped out of my mouth anyway.
Pouring the expensive mixed drink into one of our fancier glasses, she added, “I don’t blame you one bit for not saying anything, honey. It’s not your problem. I’m gonna have to deal with that cheating asshole on my own. I’ve seen enough here tonight, so I’ll be heading out to take care of some things after I finish making these.” She poured whiskey on top of the ice in the second glass, then placed the drinks on my tray.
I blinked at her in surprise, relieved that she knew and that she wasn’t mad at me. “Thanks, April.” I reached to pick up the tray when her plump, soft hand patted mine.
She stared at me with distressed eyes. “Don’t ever let a man control you. There are plenty of good ones out there, but never forget that you’re in charge of your own
I stared at the table as I traced circles along the grains of wood. “But I left you a note. I had to leave sooner than we planned and didn’t want you to have to drive out here for nothing.”
“For nothing?” He snickered sarcastically. “Since you don’t work again until Friday, I was hoping you’d come back to the house with me.”
My lungs deflated. It was extremely difficult to pretend like everything was fine while my body was screaming at me to grab on to him and cry out in frustration, telling him everything I felt. Instead, I had to remember why I needed to reel in my crazy emotions.
I forced my gaze to turn cold as I looked at his breathtaking face. “Holden, that’s not a good idea. You have to work tomorrow, I can see you then.” Unable to look into his eyes any longer without losing it, I dropped my gaze again to the pattern on the table.
“What did I miss?” he spoke softly, seemingly just as upset as I was. “I thought everything was going great.” He grabbed for my hand, holding it with both of his. “Please, Jules, talk to me.”
I looked over my shoulder and found Sam giving me the stare down. “I can’t right now, I’m at work.”
His shoulders sagged, and he let my hand go. “Okay, we’ll talk when you get off then.”
My eyes flicked anxiously to the door in expectation. “Where’s Dante?”
The curiosity on his face was replaced by a suspicious frown. “I don’t know. Why?”
I felt guilty lying to him, but I just couldn’t go through with telling him the truth right then and there. “No reason. You normally come in together, that’s all.” I glanced down, remembering he didn’t have a drink, and he obviously wasn’t leaving anytime soon. “Listen, I can feel my boss staring at us, you want your usual?”
“Yeah, but I’ll nurse it for a while.” He snuck a peek past me. “And it looks like your boss isn’t at the bar anymore.”
Good. I needed a moment to gather myself and try to figure out what I was going to do next.
After getting an order from one of my other regulars, I went to the bar. April took the slip from me and moved to the other side. “I’ll get that for you.” Since she’d practically grown up in this place with her uncle, she was an extremely talented bartender. Not only were her drinks delicious, but she was skilled at making several at once. Sam and the other bartenders took forever since they could only do one at a time.
Pouring ice into several glasses, she shook her head, appearing lost in thought.
I took a quick glimpse around and noticed both Sam and Trudy were missing, probably arguing in his office over April’s presence. Disgusting that they would even sneak away together while she was here. My expression probably gave me away, but I was trying my damnedest to look innocent.
She swished Holden’s drink back and forth in a shaker while giving me a pointed look. “Yeah, I’m well aware of what’s going on with Sam and Trudy.”
I wasn’t sure what part I was apologizing for, but an ‘I’m sorry’ slipped out of my mouth anyway.
Pouring the expensive mixed drink into one of our fancier glasses, she added, “I don’t blame you one bit for not saying anything, honey. It’s not your problem. I’m gonna have to deal with that cheating asshole on my own. I’ve seen enough here tonight, so I’ll be heading out to take care of some things after I finish making these.” She poured whiskey on top of the ice in the second glass, then placed the drinks on my tray.
I blinked at her in surprise, relieved that she knew and that she wasn’t mad at me. “Thanks, April.” I reached to pick up the tray when her plump, soft hand patted mine.
She stared at me with distressed eyes. “Don’t ever let a man control you. There are plenty of good ones out there, but never forget that you’re in charge of your own
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