Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
“Ouch! What?”
The first girl gave her a pointed look before turning to us.
The second girl clued in, and her eyes got big too. “Oh! Hi. Welcome to Jack’s BBQ.”
The first one skirted the desk, ignoring the people who’d been waiting, and waved us through. “Come in, come in. Jessica,” she hissed to the second girl. “Go tell Brent.”
“What? Why—oh! Oh yeah.” She scurried off.
Callie ignored all this, back to standing on her tiptoes with her head craned to see the bar. Her head suddenly straightened, and she dropped to her feet, turning to me. “Be right back.”
I frowned, but she was off, weaving through the crowd until she got to the end of the bar, where she waved at one of the female bartenders. The first hostess was asking me something, but I watched as the bartender gave Callie a small wave.
Callie stood back, her hands folded in front of her, tugging at the end of her shirt.
She glanced my way and gave me a tentative grin.
I gave her a chin lift, and her cheeks flooded again as she looked back to the woman now making her way over.
“Brett Broudou.” A man was heading my way, late twenties. He thought of himself as a smooth operator. This must be the manager. He had a look in his eyes I recognized. An opportunist. Before he could get comfortable and give me whatever spiel he was planning, I grunted. “I’m not staying. Just need to see if someone is here.” I moved past him, going faster than he’d expected, and gave him a dip of my head. “It’s an impressive place. I can see why it’s so busy tonight.”
After that, I moved through the crowd, pushing past people before they could see me and get a good look. I’d gotten to the far end before I spotted the detective at a table outside with another couple. Scanning the dance floor and then back around, I didn’t see Billie.
Another woman went over to their table and sat down beside him.
I frowned. He was on a date with someone else?
That was fast. He’d seemed just as interested as I was. Billie was one of those who didn’t come along every day. She was a once-in-a-lifetime type, but it wasn’t her who was sitting next to the detective. I knew his name now. I could have a conversation with him some other time and place, something more private.
I turned to go let Callie know I was leaving when one of the bathroom doors opened.
I stepped out of the person’s way and she said, “Brett?”
I looked down.
It was Billie, looking cute as fuck, adorable, and stunning all rolled into one. How she did that, I had no idea, but she pulled it off, and every fucking man in the place knew it too. Six guys were clocking her as she stood in front of me, her head tipped up with wonder and something else in her gaze. Guilt? Then it was gone and replaced with…hurt? She bit her lip, taking a step back.
I started to go with her, but held myself back. Fuck’s sake. What was I doing? I looked over my shoulder and saw the woman leaving their table. Detective Travis was now scanning the room, looking for his real date, who was blocked behind me.
“You’re here with the detective.”
Guilt flared in her eyes again before she looked away. “I—yes.”
I saw it then. She was interested in him.
She wasn’t interested in me.
I needed to stop this and get a clue. Any more chasing and I’d be a different category of man, one I never wanted to be.
Still, my tone was gruffer than I intended when I spoke. “Fine. You have my number. You can call me any time. I mean that.” I stepped to the side, looking back at their table. The detective was watching, probably two seconds from standing up and heading this way. I dipped my head in his direction, and he frowned, clearly not expecting that.
I took another step, away from Billie. “I hope you have a good night.”
Her hand touched my arm. “Wait.”
I looked back, but I didn’t move toward her. I couldn’t. Not anymore. She was on a date with another man, after I’d called her for two days in a row and texted two more before that.
She frowned up at me. “What are you doing here?”
I glanced in Callie’s direction. She was now watching me. Her eyebrows were furrowed. Her bartender friend, or whoever she was, was also looking my way with rapt curiosity.
A lesser man might’ve lied to cover his humiliation. “I came to see if you were, and I’m hoping you don’t ask me how I knew you might be here, because it’s making me look a certain way I don’t like.”
Her little eyebrows pinched together. “I—I haven’t listened to your last message. What did you say in it?”