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Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook (Man of the Month 13)

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Slice of Life

Shelby looked between her friends, her heart pounding, her entire being desperate for help. "Well?"

"You're going to have to be more specific," Hannah said, her wild blonde curls framing her face. "I mean, just telling us that you think something's going on with Nolan isn't much to work with." Her gaze cut to Celia. "So far I've got nothing. You?"

"Sorry, girlfriend," Celia said. She'd recently dyed her hair red, and she tucked an auburn lock behind her ear. "Nada."

Between the two of them, Shelby felt positively plain. Which sucked, because her long, dark hair was her best feature. And plain or not, Nolan loved to touch it, often twisting a strand around his finger when they were in bed. Even when they were in public. It was a silly habit of his that she'd come to cherish, and her stomach seemed to fall away as she wondered if all of that was going to be gone soon. Had they run their course?

The thought made her almost physically ill, which must have showed, because Celia put her hand over Shelby's.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. You just need to tell us more so that we can help. Then it'll all be fine."

"Will it?" So far all that Shelby had told her friends was that she was afraid there was something off in her relationship with Nolan. Just saying anything more than that made her queasy. But they'd both immediately rallied, and when the workday had ended, they'd left Brandywine Finance & Consulting--Shelby the CPA, Celia the secretary, and Hannah the lawyer--and headed over to The Fix on Sixth in order to drown Shelby's sorrows in alcohol. And maybe to excavate some truth out of her random fears and questions.

"It is absolutely going to be okay," Hannah said, squeezing Shelby's hand. "No matter what happens, you're coming out on top."

Shelby's throat tightened. "So you do think something's wrong."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "You haven't told us enough to think that. I'm just talking about you. You are a strong, capable woman. You can get through anything."

Shelby nodded. She was strong. She was capable. At least that's what she'd believed before she'd met Nolan, with his crazy drive-time radio show and his off-color jokes and his way of making her feel like the most precious thing in the universe.

Now, she wasn't so sure about her strength. Because if there really was trouble between her and Nolan, she didn't think she could survive it.

Celia frowned, studying her. "This is really eating you up. Come on, Shel. Tell us what's going on so that we can actually help you."

"Celia's right," Hannah said. "We need more information. And more drinks." The table was already littered with The Fix's Dirty Martinis with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, but Hannah raised her hand, signaling to Tiffany for another round.

Idly, Shelby wondered if the fact that she'd come to learn the name of all the staff at The Fix meant she came here too often, but she pushed the thought away. The Fix had become her and Nolan's regular hangout, and she loved the place and the people who worked there.

The thought brought on a fresh wave of anxiety. What if they broke up? Could she come back here?

"Shel." Hanna put her hand on her arm. "Stop it. Just tell us. What's going on?"

"That's just it," Shelby said. "I don't know. Honestly, I don't even know if I need help." She hoped she didn't. Prayed that this weird distance she was feeling with Nolan either meant nothing or, better, that it was only in her head.

Because as much as Shelby had never expected it to happen, she couldn't deny that she was head-over-heels in love with that man. More, she was getting sucked in deeper and deeper with each passing day. If it turned out that his emotions were moving in the opposite direction...

Oh, God. If that was the case, she really didn't think she'd be able to survive.

Which, of course, was why she'd sent out the email SOS right before the end of the work day.

Calm down.

Right. Good advice. S

he drew in a deep breath, then released it slowly. "Maybe it's all in my head, right?"

"Well, since we still don't know what it is..."

"I know. I just don't know how to put my finger on it," Shelby admitted.

"Has the sex gone downhill?" Hannah asked, making Shelby's face burn.

"No!" A wild memory of last night ripped through her--Nolan's mouth, his fingers, his cock...

She shivered, then lowered her voice. "Not at all, thank goodness. But it's everything outside the bedroom, you know?"



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