“It’s lovely to meet you. Next time my son here won’t be so rude when we meet.” He taps Darby’s shoulder, who doesn’t give him any attention. That makes sense, they both have the same eyes. The baby starts making noises, and Darby picks him up, placing him on his shoulder. I lean in closer so I can see him.
“Hey, little guy, haven’t seen you in so long. I have a new song for you.” A chair is pushed back and a hand reaches for me, pulling me away and up. Barren’s face is telling the story, it’s red and angry. I wave goodbye to them as he pulls me outside, and the minute the cold air hits our skin, he starts pacing back and forth.
“Calm down, Barren.”
“You work with men. Do any of the women work there?”
“No.”
“And you think it’s safe to work with four men?”
His protectiveness is shining through. I thank my papa for that. Damn him.
“You’ll quit. Find a normal job. Not one in a bar. What bar is it, anyway? It better not be a strip joint.” I cringe at his words. “Oh my God, Olympia, it is, isn’t it?”
“Nooo.” If he knew what it was, he would tie me to that car and drive me all the way back home without a second thought. A strip joint would be a better choice than my line of work, but maybe it’s not as safe. The boys take great pride in their club and how accomplished they are at keeping it safe for everyone, employees and clients alike.
“Olympia…” A voice comes from behind me, making me spin around. Darby’s standing there with an intense stare that tells me he wants to beat my brother unconscious. That will not happen. “You should come back inside.”
“She isn’t going anywhere with you,” Barren says stepping up to Darby.
Darby steps even closer so they’re almost nose to nose. “And you think she would be better off with a man who lays a hand on her. Why are you with him, Olympia?”
I stare at the ground. “I love him,” I say.
I hear Barren harrumph.
“He’s my brother!” I state the obvious.
He clearly doesn’t know.
Darby’s eyes flick from me to Barren, then he steps back. “Brother or not, don’t touch her like that again.” Darby walks back inside the restaurant door, and it shuts behind him.
“He likes you.”
I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t.”
“He does. I know when a man likes a woman. He likes you.”
The car pulls up, and Barren slides inside while I stay on the side of the road.
“I’m going back in… lunch tomorrow?”
He nods, closes the door, then the car drives away.
Most of the time my brother is an ass, but I do love him anyway.Walking back inside the restaurant feels like I’m doing the walk of shame. All eyes go to me, but it’s Darby I stay glued to. He holds baby Charles in his arms and doesn’t look away when I get closer.
“I’m sorry about my brother, he’s overprotective.” Some nod, some just go back to their conversations with a smile.
“Sit down, Olympia.” Darby looks good with a baby, so fucking good that my ovaries want to explode just by watching him.
I lean down, so I’m close. “I wanted to apologize, now it’s best I leave.” I pull up so I can see him, and his dark eyes bore into mine.
“Sit.” I do so on his command. He hands me Charles, and I happily take him. “Did you eat?”
“Um…” Charles makes a sound, and I pull him back to check on him. He’s smiling, and I simply love that smile. When I realize I never answered, Darby’s talking to the waiter whose eyes flick to me, then he walks off.
“I think we’re going to leave.”
It’s then I notice almost everyone stand, and the only person who doesn’t is Darby. He keeps watching me as I play with Charles in my arms.
“Oh, I’m sorry to have ruined such a lovely evening.”
Darby’s father waves me off. “You did no such thing.” His eyes turn to Darby then back to me. “It was actually nice to meet you. A first, really, for Darby.”
I don’t understand his words so I draw my eyebrows together and then look back at the baby. When they all walk out, my food arrives, and Darby stands next to me and leans down, far too close so that instead of smelling that beautiful baby scent, all I can smell is him.
“Eat, Olympia, then I will take you home.”
I nod my head as he takes Charles and check the food in front of me—it’s what I ordered with my brother. Taking the first bite, I turn my head slightly to gaze across at Darby.
“Why didn’t you go?”
Charles is back in his pram, his eyes falling shut while sleepiness takes over. Darby places a blanket on him as he leans his elbows on the table and turns to me. “Because you haven’t eaten.”