My phone vibrates in my pocket and I dig it out to find a text from Mia. I’ll be waiting in the bathroom. I rush in that direction, suddenly excited to get all dolled up and go check out Blue. And not just because a certain someone might be there . . . okay, that’s probably the biggest reason. But I really am looking forward to a glass of wine and some girl time with Mia.
I walk in the bathroom and as soon as I see Mia, I let out a low whistle. “Look at you, hot mama!”
Mia starts laughing and twirls in a circle. “Thank you. Thank you.” She gives a little bow. “I couldn’t get Ben to join us, but I did get a scorching hot look from him when I walked out of the bedroom.”
“You probably gave the poor guy a heart attack. That shirt doesn’t even have a back.”
Mia cranes her neck to look at herself in the mirror. “Is it too much? I thought you said the place was fancy?”
“I’ve never been inside of Blue, but it looks fancy.”
Mia shrugs her shoulders. “Oh well. Now”—she claps her hands, turning toward the sink—“let’s get you dressed.” Flicking the lock on the door, I start stripping out of my clothes. I shimmy into the skirt and blouse, slip on the heels and pull my hair band out. I finger comb my hair and Mia hands me my makeup bag.
“Thank God you remembered that.” I don’t usually wear makeup to work; there’s just no point when you work over a hot stove all day. I spend a few minutes applying my makeup as Mia fusses over herself in the mirror.
“Done,” I announce, tossing my makeup bag in the backpack Mia brought, along with my work clothes. “How do I look?”
She turns to me and grins. “Fantastic. But you always look great. I wish you would dress like this more often.” She reaches in her purse and pulls out a small bottle of perfume. She sprays me twice and when I give her a questioning look, she shrugs. “What? You don’t want to go in there looking like this and smelling like that.”
“Smelling like what?” Mia picks up our bag and we make our way out to my car. I sniff my hair . . . food. Who cares? We’re going out for one drink, and I’m certainly not going out to pick up any guy—except maybe Levi. Hmm . . .”I think I need more perfume.” Mia snorts with laughter and when I unlock the car door, she tosses the bag in. “Wait.” I pin her with a questioning gaze. “How did you get here?”
“Benny.” Her eyes take on a dreamy look and she gets a goofy grin on her face. When the fog clears and she finally sees me, she sobers up. “What? What are you smiling at?”
“You,” I laugh, pushing her toward Blue. “You are smitten over Benny.”
“Am not.”
“Are too,” I sing as she pushes through the front door of the bar. A beautiful young woman is seated behind a large wooden podium.
“Good evening, ladies,” she says, walking toward us. She’s wearing a pencil skirt, white tuxedo shirt, and red tie. To top it all off, she’s wearing the most gorgeous pair of red peep-toe stilettos that I’ve ever seen. And then it hits me. Levi works side by side next to her every day, and if I had to guess, I’d say there are probably several more where she came from. “Are you ladies here with a party tonight or would you like a table?”
“We’ll just sit at the bar, if that’s okay?” Mia looks to me for confirmation and I nod.
“Absolutely,” she says and points us in the direction of the bar. “Tatum and Riley are the bartenders tonight and they’ll be more than happy to serve you.” Mia and I smile and as we make o
ur way to the bar. Meanwhile, my eyes roam across the room. The ceiling is open with exposed wooden beams. The tables and booths are all sleek lines and warm colors. This place screams sophistication but not in a stuffy sort of way. I’d call it inviting.
Mia and I each pull out a stool and scoot up next to the bar. “Hi. My name is Tatum. What can I get you ladies tonight?” Yup, I was right. Another beautiful woman. I take a deep breath and roll my eyes, more at myself than anything. I’m not a jealous person, but the thought of Levi working with these perfect women all night long puts a little damper on my self-confidence. Although I’ve been told I’m pretty, these girls are stunning. Mia nudges my arm and I look up.
“What? Sorry, I missed the question.”
“What would you like to drink?” Tatum’s voice is low and husky, but her smile is incredibly bright.
Mia hands me the drink menu. “What are you getting?” I ask her.
“Pinot Noir.”
My eyes skim the page and when they land on the prices per glass, I set the menu down. “Can I just get a water, please?”
“What?” Mia scoffs. “No. I’m buying tonight.”
“Shut your mouth. You are not buying tonight. I just changed my mind.” There is no way she is going to believe that, but I don’t have any other option. I can’t pay that much for a glass of wine, especially when I don’t have any money actually coming in at the moment. A warm hand lands on my back and I twirl around.
“Hi.” Levi looks at me for a brief second before shifting his attention to Mia. “Good evening,” he says, offering Mia his hand and a warm smile. A huge grin splits Mia’s face. She’s seen pictures of Levi, albeit a much younger version of him, but he hasn’t changed that much—if you don’t count the broadened shoulders, thick biceps, and thighs that look like cannons. Mia knows exactly who she’s talking to as she slips her hand in his.
“You must be Levi.” Her voice is silky smooth. Levi cocks his head in confusion, and if it’s at all possible, her smile gets a little bit bigger. Crap. I know that look. She glances at me, and she must register the look of dismay on my face because she shoots me a quick wink before refocusing her attention on the larger-than-life hunk of a man standing next to us. “Laney’s told me all about you. All good things, of course.”
A smug little grin floats across Levi’s face and he looks at me. “All good things, huh?”