bulky. The few times she’d walked in his house, she’d had to watch her step so not to fall all over them, but lord have mercy, they were sexy .
Not as sexy as him answering his door in that towel that didn’t even begin to cover or hide. Not even close. She groaned right there in the middle of the dining room. So much muscle and body. He had been wet from the shower and it’d taken all she had not say screw the pie and instead push him to the floor and do every dirty thing she could think of.
Then an image stuck. Of him in that towel, wearing those work boots. Oh my, God. Her tongue was thick in her cotton mouth. Stomach twisting and flopping around. Shit. Her heart was rushing and not at all because she’d been waiting tables for the last twenty minutes or so. Finally, they made it through and crashed in the diner chairs.
Lane eased up to the table. “It’s packed in here.”
“Harold Gregory’s birthday. It’s a tradition.” She put square napkins down for drinks and pulled the tall, slender menus from between the ketchup and the steak sauce. As long as he didn’t see her hands shaking, then she’d be fine. “What’ll it be boys? Want to start with drinks and an appetizer first?”
The boys gave off their order and she jotted it down and headed to the steaming hot kitchen. Fryers bubbled and popped. The griddle sizzled and tickets hung from a clip above the heads of the flushed cheeked cooks. The scent of frying grease filled the air and it was in a strange way, heavenly. Being way cooler in the kitchen than standing in front of Lane was also a big bonus. Gretchen added the food tickets to the end of the line. “Two cheese sticks, two double burgers, a fish and chicken dinner!”
A series of got-its from each person on their station came at her and they added their order to the mountains already cooking. Gretchen started after the cheese dip, but Tonya looped their arms together and tugged her toward the back of the kitchen by the big deep freezer. “This is fascinating . You dropped off one pie, in and out, and here he is!”
Flora tugged open the heavy door and frosted air flooded out over Gretchen’s sweaty body. Gretchen shook her head. “He’s here because of his brothers and it’s a nightmare, that’s what it is.”
“What?” Flora stepped out of the cooler with the jet engine it sounded like for a fan. “No. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t curious about you. Just keep it like we talked about. Light and flirty. Don’t stick around too long. Keep him guessing.”
Gretchen groaned. “Why don’t you do this? You’re the one crushing all over Jacob and he’s at that table. Take it from me. That’ll make me more mysterious.”
Flora laughed. “You must be crazy.”
“It’s perfect.”
“A perfect way to make me look desperate. No thank you.” She tossed two burgers on the grill then faced back to Gretchen. She grabbed the top of Gretchen’s shirt and tugged it down.
“Flora!”
“Be still.” She widened the tank straps to the edge of her shoulders, straightened and adjusted then stood back and admired her work. “Now get back out there. And shake your ass this time.”
Gretchen grabbed their drinks and dip and headed back through the maze of people, walking on her toes and holding the drink tray high over her shoulder so as not to hit the other diners across the top of their heads. She rounded by their table and eased the tray on a corner.
“Here we go. I’ll be back with the cheese sticks in a bit.” She passed around the drinks, dip and chips. She stood, watching Lane as he watched her. “Your order will take a bit longer than usual with the crowd, but it’s in.”
And she walked off before saying something she shouldn’t. Or saying anything. Be a tease . Ha, yeah right. She glanced at her tables as she walked back to the kitchen, took note that she needed four pitchers of coke and one tea on the way back out. She’d never been a tease or any kind of
Not as sexy as him answering his door in that towel that didn’t even begin to cover or hide. Not even close. She groaned right there in the middle of the dining room. So much muscle and body. He had been wet from the shower and it’d taken all she had not say screw the pie and instead push him to the floor and do every dirty thing she could think of.
Then an image stuck. Of him in that towel, wearing those work boots. Oh my, God. Her tongue was thick in her cotton mouth. Stomach twisting and flopping around. Shit. Her heart was rushing and not at all because she’d been waiting tables for the last twenty minutes or so. Finally, they made it through and crashed in the diner chairs.
Lane eased up to the table. “It’s packed in here.”
“Harold Gregory’s birthday. It’s a tradition.” She put square napkins down for drinks and pulled the tall, slender menus from between the ketchup and the steak sauce. As long as he didn’t see her hands shaking, then she’d be fine. “What’ll it be boys? Want to start with drinks and an appetizer first?”
The boys gave off their order and she jotted it down and headed to the steaming hot kitchen. Fryers bubbled and popped. The griddle sizzled and tickets hung from a clip above the heads of the flushed cheeked cooks. The scent of frying grease filled the air and it was in a strange way, heavenly. Being way cooler in the kitchen than standing in front of Lane was also a big bonus. Gretchen added the food tickets to the end of the line. “Two cheese sticks, two double burgers, a fish and chicken dinner!”
A series of got-its from each person on their station came at her and they added their order to the mountains already cooking. Gretchen started after the cheese dip, but Tonya looped their arms together and tugged her toward the back of the kitchen by the big deep freezer. “This is fascinating . You dropped off one pie, in and out, and here he is!”
Flora tugged open the heavy door and frosted air flooded out over Gretchen’s sweaty body. Gretchen shook her head. “He’s here because of his brothers and it’s a nightmare, that’s what it is.”
“What?” Flora stepped out of the cooler with the jet engine it sounded like for a fan. “No. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t curious about you. Just keep it like we talked about. Light and flirty. Don’t stick around too long. Keep him guessing.”
Gretchen groaned. “Why don’t you do this? You’re the one crushing all over Jacob and he’s at that table. Take it from me. That’ll make me more mysterious.”
Flora laughed. “You must be crazy.”
“It’s perfect.”
“A perfect way to make me look desperate. No thank you.” She tossed two burgers on the grill then faced back to Gretchen. She grabbed the top of Gretchen’s shirt and tugged it down.
“Flora!”
“Be still.” She widened the tank straps to the edge of her shoulders, straightened and adjusted then stood back and admired her work. “Now get back out there. And shake your ass this time.”
Gretchen grabbed their drinks and dip and headed back through the maze of people, walking on her toes and holding the drink tray high over her shoulder so as not to hit the other diners across the top of their heads. She rounded by their table and eased the tray on a corner.
“Here we go. I’ll be back with the cheese sticks in a bit.” She passed around the drinks, dip and chips. She stood, watching Lane as he watched her. “Your order will take a bit longer than usual with the crowd, but it’s in.”
And she walked off before saying something she shouldn’t. Or saying anything. Be a tease . Ha, yeah right. She glanced at her tables as she walked back to the kitchen, took note that she needed four pitchers of coke and one tea on the way back out. She’d never been a tease or any kind of
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