Tenderly, Tyler reached up and brushed my lips with his thumb before pulling me in for a kiss. When he pulled away, he smiled and turned the ignition on the car.
“If you want to be there during karaoke night, that’s on you,” he said. “Maybe you want to grab some earplugs first, though?”
I laughed, and we headed back to the house to get ready.
The bar was hot and hopping by the time we got there. Karaoke night had proven to be extremely popular, and Ava had the bright idea to make it an all-day affair. Meaning the karaoke had begun at noon and went all night. This also meant the staff was split, and an entirely different shift worked the lunch and night hours. We got there at six so Tyler could relieve Ava, and when she saw us coming in, she rushed around the bar to grab me in a hug.
I really liked Ava and found myself excited to have such a close friend in her that was going to be connected with me through family. She ushered me to a booth near the bar, where I could catch Tyler’s attention if I wanted but was out of the way of the rest of the ruckus. It was a booth that was normally taped off, for use by the staff only, but as I sat down, she put in an order for appetizers and brought over two large iced teas.
For a while I poked her brain for tips and information about pregnancy, and she happily talked to me about it. As much as I loved Melissa, and no one could replace her as my best friend, having someone with the experience of Ava, and recent experience at that, meant I could feel a little more prepared for the journey I was about to take.
Ava was open and honest about some of the challenges I was looking at facing and had some tips about how to avoid the worst of it. It was valuable information, and I tried to take as much of it in as possible, but she reiterated over and over that she was always around. I had her phone number programmed into my phone before we even got our first appetizer out, and she said she could always take a call or at least answer a text.
Of course, she would also almost always be here whenever Tyler was working. Which meant if I had something pressing I needed her help with, I could come to her in person and pull her aside. Her ideas of what exactly she would tell her waiting customers should I need to talk to her in an emergency were colorful and extraordinarily filthy. She laughed as I reacted with mock shock, and we toasted our tea together like fancy ladies.
It was also nice just to sit back and watch Tyler work. I had never really done that before, despite being in the bar when he was on the clock. Sitting in the booth meant he wasn’t paying attention to me, aside from the occasional grin and wink, and was letting Matt handle bringing me food or drinks. He was fantastic behind the bar, personable, funny, and fast. Rarely did someone have to ask for a drink; he was always there, ready to top off or cash out before the customer even realized it was what they wanted.
He seemed happier, too. Much more at ease with himself behind the bar than I had seen him before, and I wondered if maybe it was just the new decisions he made regarding his future that helped him be more relaxed and comfortable up there. At any rate, it was nice to watch him be so happy and clearly in an element he was good at.
As the night wore on, and the karaoke continued to devolve from occasionally talented people singing to near-drunken ramblings and sing-alongs, I looked at the clock. It was about time for one of Tyler’s breaks, and sure enough, I looked over at him, and he motioned me to join him outside. I told Ava where I was going, and she snapped off a funny little salute. Mason was working the evening shift, handing the karaoke duties until they hired a DJ for the events, so Ava decided to stick around and enjoy the festivities with me.
I got outside before Tyler could escape from the bar, leaving Matt in charge, and I reached out for him when he got through the door. Standing on my toes, I leaned in for a kiss and pressed it to his lips, staying there, enjoying the taste of him for a few moments.
“I’ve been watching you,” I said.
“Oh, have you?” he said, his voice a low purr that made my spine tingle.
“I have,” I said. “You seem awfully happy out there tonight. It’s amazing the difference in how excited to be there you seem compared to the last time I came in and you looked like death warmed over.”