8. Nolan

CHAPTER 8

Nolan

T he din of customers sends energy buzzing through me. I fucking love my job. “What can I get ya, sweetheart?” I ask the blonde at the bar.

“Sex on the beach, please.” The attraction in her eyes gives me every indication that if I returned her advance, she’d jump on me in a heartbeat. I can’t lie and say that it’s not a boost to my ego, but one flash of dark eyes and even darker hair in my head and I’m reminded that I already have a woman who’s everything I could want. Even if I don’t technically have her yet.

“You got it.” I pull bottles to make her drink. My other barback, Amanda, is working her butt off on the other end of the bar. She’s the first one I’ve felt is going to stick around a little longer than most of the kids I hire. She’s twenty-three and in her second year at Westlake Community College. She’s also extremely good at her job.

I set the blonde’s cocktail down in front her and take her card. “Am I opening a tab?”

“Can I get your number?” She grins.

“Sorry, darlin’. I’ve already got someone taking up all my attention.” I smile to soften the blow .

She shrugs, not ashamed of shooting her shot. “You can still open the tab.”

I nod and run the card. The rest of the night goes similarly. I flirt with customers, male and female, to help my team earn as many tips as possible. They split them at the end of the night since my staff rotates around from behind the bar to waiting tables during their shift.

“What’s it take to get a drink around here?”

I grin at the sound of my oldest brother’s taunt. Next to him is his adorable wife. Her eyes are narrowed at me, most likely trying to figure out what I’m planning for her best friend. If they came to O’Malley’s regularly, I wouldn’t think anything of their appearance tonight, but they very rarely come to the bar. It’s just not their scene. Which means, they’re here to interrogate me.

I was surprised when Ellie sent me Katie’s address with only a small threat of castration if I did anything gross with the information. I swore to her I wouldn’t, but I also didn’t tell her that I sent Katie and Cody dinner tonight. There’s no keeping my family out of my love life. I can’t keep a secret to save my life, but something about what I’m doing with Katie makes me want to clam up, even with my sister-in-law’s threats.

“A hug from my brother and a kiss from my favorite sister-in-law.” I wink at Ellie.

“I’m your only sister-in-law until Tilly and Matthew get married this summer.”

A deep laugh falls from my chest. “Fair enough. What can I get you two?”

“Club soda for me, please,” Ellie says.

“Jack and Coke,” Adam orders. They point out an empty table, and I nod to let them know I’ll head over there when I’ve got their drinks together.

I check over the bar to make sure there aren’t too many people waiting for Amanda to cover. I wave to silently tell her I’m walking away from the bar. She nods her head in acknowledgment and then goes back to making drinks.

I carry a tray to the table where Adam and Ellie sit on one side. I plop down on the other side and pass out our drinks.

Then I sit there. It takes all the restraint I can muster, but I don’t say a word. I know what they want to talk about, and if they want to get anything out of me, they’re going to have to start the conversation.

“Ugh!” Ellie slaps her palms on the table. “Tell me what’s going on between you and my best friend.”

“Nothing.” I shrug.

She points a finger at me. “Lies! Something happened, and you better tell me what it is.”

“Why aren’t you talking to Katie about this?”

“Because I think she’s mad at me. She hasn’t responded to my text yet.”

I just raise my eyebrow.

“I ratted myself out, okay? I was feeling guilty for giving you her address, and I told her what I did. She hasn’t responded.”

I can’t help it. I laugh. For a solid minute, I laugh at Ellie. When I can finally get myself under control, I say, “You’re a good friend, Ells. She deserves someone to be on her side, and I’m glad it’s you.”

Ellie flushes at my compliment, but then quickly narrows her eyes. “Flattery will not distract me. Tell me what’s going on.”

With a sigh, I accept the idea that she won’t be deterred. “Look, I honestly don’t know. Yes, we slept together on New Year’s.” I hold my hand up to keep Ellie from saying anything about that. “However, she left in the middle of the night and then clammed up tighter than an oyster. I would like to pursue her, but I’m not entirely certain she’s interested. ”

“You do know she comes with a child, right?” Adam asks, finally jumping into the conversation.

I flatten my lips at him, annoyance threading through my voice when I respond, “Of course, I know she has a kid. It’s one of the many things I like about her.”

Adam holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m just making sure you’ve thought this all the way through. You can’t just date her ; you will also have to take her son into account.”

“I am fully aware of what I’m getting if we date. She’s worth it.” I say the last part more to myself than them.

Ellie’s squeal tells me they heard me just fine, though. “Okay, two things. Number one: do not, and I repeat, do not , pester her relentlessly. Take things slow enough that she has time to wonder, but not so slow she moves on.”

“That’s… helpful? I think?”

“Number two,” Ellie continues, as if I didn’t say anything. “Her only priority is Cody. If you do anything to get between the two of them, she will cut you out of her life faster than a hot knife cuts butter.”

“What would be considered getting between them?” I have no idea how I’d even do that, which could mean I never will or I will without even knowing I did it.

Ellie ticks things off with her fingers. “Making any comment about how she doesn’t have time for you because of Cody. Not including him when making plans—and I don’t mean inviting him to come along; he just needs to be a consideration when you plan a date. If I had to guess, Katie wouldn’t want him to even know you’re in her life in the beginning, which brings me to the final one. Don’t underestimate Cody’s intelligence. He sees and knows everything. He’s incredibly smart, which means if you make one wrong move, he’ll know something is up, and Katie will shut you down completely.”

“Damn, okay. I think I can handle all of that. If she even wants to date me in the first place. ”

“She does.” Ellie’s knowing smirk has me narrowing my eyes.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Just… Don’t be cliché, and woo her until you die.”

If Katie wants to be with me for that long, I for damn sure will do just that.