Wait. Never mind. You have to help me. You have to teach me how to use
this stuff before Monday.”
“I can’t. I don’t have time, and neither do
you. Cole gave me a list four miles long of things to do, and you’ve got two
applicants for my old job to interview. They should be here any minute now.
What’s the big rush?”
She glared at her cousin. “Cole is planning
on teaching me how to use it Monday. That’s what the rush is. Frannie, I can’t
stay in here with him, alone, for hours. And I thought you were my executive assistant, not his.”
“Right now, you don’t have anything for me
to do. He does.” She perched on the edge of the desk. “Charley, you’re going to
have to get used to having him around. Either drag the man to bed for however
long it takes to get him out of your system, or forget about him. Want me to
buy you a box of condoms?”
“No!” Charley dropped her head into her
hands again. “I can’t believe you said that.”
Frannie shrugged. “You never know when
you’ll need them. Better safe than sorry.”
“I won’t need them,” Charley gritted her
teeth. “Ever.”
Someone knocked on the back door and
Frannie stood. “That must be your first appointment. I’ll bring her in.
Applications are in the top right drawer.”
“Fine. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” Frannie grinned over her
shoulder as she left.
* * * * *
Cole cursed himself soundly as he pushed
open the doors of the Red Dog. He had planned to stay away until Monday, yet
here he was, drawn back to the flame like a moth with a death wish. It looked
like he wasn’t the only one. People were packed in like sardines, the noise
level deafening. It made the crowd from Wednesday night look like a slow
evening at a gum disease seminar.
He shouldered his way through the mob,
choosing the bar instead of a table, his gaze automatically searching for
Charley. It didn’t take him long to spot her. After only two hours of being
open, she looked exhausted. “Charley!” He had to yell to make her hear him. She
looked up, a frazzled expression on her face, and paused.
“What are you doing here? I didn’t expect
to see you again until after the weekend.”
“I got bored. I’m not used to having
nothing to do on the weekends. Where’s Frank? He should be helping you with
this crowd.”
She shook her head. “His mother was
hospitalized this afternoon. He couldn’t leave her.”
Cole pulled his jacket off and started
around the bar.
“What are you doing?”
“You can’t keep up this pace by yourself.”
He rolled up his sleeves. “I don’t have anything else to do, so I may as well
help.”
She gave him a tired grin. “Do you know how
to mix drinks?”
“I think I can manage most of them.”
“What are you going to do when someone asks
you for a Screaming Orgasm?” She slid a mug of beer down the bar into a
customers waiting hand and turned to fill another glass.
“Faint?” He arched a brow at her in
question.
Charley laughed. “Okay, I really can use
the help, but if someone wants a drink you’ve never heard of, call me.”
“You have my solemn promise.”
Picking up a towel from behind her, Charley
tossed it at him. “Here, you’ll need this.”
Cole put it over his shoulder, the same way
she had hers, just as a waitress stopped in front of him.
“Three drafts, one Margarita, and a
Strawberry Daiquiri.”
Charley nodded at him. “You get the drafts,
I’ll do the blender drinks.”
“Okay.” The space behind the bar had only
been designed for one person at a time, and as he slid past her, her derrière
brushed against the front of his jeans. An instant bolt of electricity ran all
the way up his spine, meeting the blood that was racing due south. The
resultant collision made every nerve in his body sizzle. Instinctively, he put
one hand on her shoulder to brace himself before making it by.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. When she didn’t
respond, he glanced up. Seemingly frozen
this stuff before Monday.”
“I can’t. I don’t have time, and neither do
you. Cole gave me a list four miles long of things to do, and you’ve got two
applicants for my old job to interview. They should be here any minute now.
What’s the big rush?”
She glared at her cousin. “Cole is planning
on teaching me how to use it Monday. That’s what the rush is. Frannie, I can’t
stay in here with him, alone, for hours. And I thought you were my executive assistant, not his.”
“Right now, you don’t have anything for me
to do. He does.” She perched on the edge of the desk. “Charley, you’re going to
have to get used to having him around. Either drag the man to bed for however
long it takes to get him out of your system, or forget about him. Want me to
buy you a box of condoms?”
“No!” Charley dropped her head into her
hands again. “I can’t believe you said that.”
Frannie shrugged. “You never know when
you’ll need them. Better safe than sorry.”
“I won’t need them,” Charley gritted her
teeth. “Ever.”
Someone knocked on the back door and
Frannie stood. “That must be your first appointment. I’ll bring her in.
Applications are in the top right drawer.”
“Fine. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” Frannie grinned over her
shoulder as she left.
* * * * *
Cole cursed himself soundly as he pushed
open the doors of the Red Dog. He had planned to stay away until Monday, yet
here he was, drawn back to the flame like a moth with a death wish. It looked
like he wasn’t the only one. People were packed in like sardines, the noise
level deafening. It made the crowd from Wednesday night look like a slow
evening at a gum disease seminar.
He shouldered his way through the mob,
choosing the bar instead of a table, his gaze automatically searching for
Charley. It didn’t take him long to spot her. After only two hours of being
open, she looked exhausted. “Charley!” He had to yell to make her hear him. She
looked up, a frazzled expression on her face, and paused.
“What are you doing here? I didn’t expect
to see you again until after the weekend.”
“I got bored. I’m not used to having
nothing to do on the weekends. Where’s Frank? He should be helping you with
this crowd.”
She shook her head. “His mother was
hospitalized this afternoon. He couldn’t leave her.”
Cole pulled his jacket off and started
around the bar.
“What are you doing?”
“You can’t keep up this pace by yourself.”
He rolled up his sleeves. “I don’t have anything else to do, so I may as well
help.”
She gave him a tired grin. “Do you know how
to mix drinks?”
“I think I can manage most of them.”
“What are you going to do when someone asks
you for a Screaming Orgasm?” She slid a mug of beer down the bar into a
customers waiting hand and turned to fill another glass.
“Faint?” He arched a brow at her in
question.
Charley laughed. “Okay, I really can use
the help, but if someone wants a drink you’ve never heard of, call me.”
“You have my solemn promise.”
Picking up a towel from behind her, Charley
tossed it at him. “Here, you’ll need this.”
Cole put it over his shoulder, the same way
she had hers, just as a waitress stopped in front of him.
“Three drafts, one Margarita, and a
Strawberry Daiquiri.”
Charley nodded at him. “You get the drafts,
I’ll do the blender drinks.”
“Okay.” The space behind the bar had only
been designed for one person at a time, and as he slid past her, her derrière
brushed against the front of his jeans. An instant bolt of electricity ran all
the way up his spine, meeting the blood that was racing due south. The
resultant collision made every nerve in his body sizzle. Instinctively, he put
one hand on her shoulder to brace himself before making it by.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. When she didn’t
respond, he glanced up. Seemingly frozen
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