“Sadly, I think you’re right.”
Archer looks around the bar for Quinn and Dean but sees us first. Danielle waves and he comes over, saying hi before going over to join the others. Danielle pours another splash of whiskey in her glass and gives the bottle back to me, and then goes over and sits by Quinn as well.
I’m nonstop busy for the next half-hour or so, and for the life of me can’t find Owen. He’s probably in the office hooking up with someone, making me not even want to go looking. Danielle’s not the only one lacking in their love life.
Owen has set me up on more dates than I can count over the last few months. We even went out with another set of identical twins. I ended the night early and Owen took them both home. He still won’t let me live that down.
But they don’t measure up.
“You just gonna stand there with your dick in your hand?” Owen comes up behind me.
I turn, cocking an eyebrow. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“It’s basically what you’re doing.” Owen runs a hand through his hair, trying to smooth it out. He was hooking up, that fucker. “If she wasn’t so damn good at telling us apart, I’d make a move, have her think it was you, and force your hand.”
I shake my head, opening my mouth to say some smartass comment back when Danielle stands and waves us over.
“It’s not too late to go trade clothes,” Owen tries.
“You smell like a cheap hooker. Even Scarlet could tell us apart tonight.”
Owen chuckles and attempts to fix his hair again. We both have a cowlick on the back of our heads, making our hair naturally messy. It bothered me when I was younger, but now I know how to make the rugged look work for me. Owen grabs a beer and pops off the top.
“You’re drinking away your paycheck again.”
Owen ignores me and goes over to the table, grabbing a chair from another and sliding it over.
“What, no more whiskey?” Danielle holds up her empty glass.
I give her a look. “You work here.”
“Not tonight,” she reminds me with a laugh.
I pull up another chair and crowd around the table.
“Owen will agree with me,” Quinn says, green eyes wide.
“Probably,” Owen says with a shrug. “What am I agreeing to this time?”
“Service cats.”
“Service cats?” Owen takes a drink of beer.
Quinn nods enthusiastically. “Service cats are the thing of the future.”
Archer gives Quinn a look. “They’d just knock shit over and make you trip. On purpose. And then feast on your flesh.”
Quinn narrows her eyes and Archer shakes his head, laughing.
“Fine. Cats are majestic creatures,” he says in a level tone. “I’m so lucky we have six of them.”
“Don’t act like you don’t like them,” Quinn quips. “I’m not the one who ordered that six-foot cat tree off Amazon last night.”
“It looks like a palm tree. They’re going to love it.”
Danielle nudges my leg under the table. “Told you it’d be a death sentence asking for one of them,” she whispers, and I laugh.
Thunder booms outside and the power flickers. Someone orders a round of shots, making Owen and I get up and back to work. About an hour later, Quinn, Archer, and Dean leave. Danielle stays and helps close down the bar. She’s had a few more drinks and is more than a little tipsy when it comes time to leave.
“Want me to take you home?” I ask her, sticking the register drawer in the safe.
“And risk hearing two old people…” She smashes her hands together. “You know.”
“The elderly need love too. Miss Ladyfriend Adele will take her teeth out and everything.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
“Stop.”
“Your gramps is a good-looking guy. I’ve seen the way those church ladies look at him. And didn’t you say he’s been volunteering more at the church? I bet that’s code for all the pus—”
“Seriously stop!” She laughs and throws a damp bar rag at me and almost loses her footing.
“You’re drunk.”
“The floor is slippery.” She pushes herself up and crosses her arms, holding my gaze. It’s something we do quite often, and she’s always the first one to lose the little staring contest and start laughing.
I lock up the office and grab my keys. Owen has been wiping the same table for the last few minutes, doing a shitty job trying not to get caught watching us.
“So…do you want me to take you to a friend’s house?” I ask, though the few people Danielle hangs out with are Quinn, Scarlet, and her cousin Rebecca, who has four kids and teaches first grade at the local elementary school. I can’t imagine she’d be very happy to come unlock the front door right now. “Or do you want to come back to my place?”
This could play out a million ways, but I’m only interested in it ending in one.