Page 44 of Old-Fashioned

“Okay, Abel. Never thought I could respect the kind of man you are any more than I already do.” And with that, Frank hung up.

Shaking my head at the old man, I shot a text to Isla as well and let her know we were closing tomorrow and would reopen on Monday.

At the sound of the sweetest voice, I’ve ever heard, I whipped my head around to look at Birdie, “You didn’t have to do that.”

Whatever she said flew out the proverbial window when at the sight of her in nothing more than my shirt fired off every single synapse in my brain.

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

“You going to answer her any time brother?” Baker called out with humor in his tone.

I growled at him, “Get back to whatever it is you were fucking doing.”

The fucker just laughed. Bastard.

Then I looked at Birdie, “I did. For a couple of reasons. One, Shelley has something going on tomorrow that she put off in advance. Two, there’s no way I’m making you work tomorrow, and with it being Saturday, we won’t have the bodies to cover the floor. Besides with you not feeling well I won’t be worth shit. So, in order to make sure the business stays running, I’m closing it down. Now, did you need something?”

“I’m thirsty,” she said with a small smile playing on her lips.

Winking at her, I headed to my fridge, call me a Neanderthal again, I didn’t give a flying fuck.

Tagging one of her drinks that held its own space on a shelf in my fridge, I opened the tab, closed the door, and handed it to her.

Seeing it, I watched as her eyes lit with that light, and I felt my chest puff out.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile as she took the can from my hand.

“Welcome.”

I didn’t watch her ass as she walked out of the kitchen and back to my bedroom. And I didn’t see a scrape of black lace as the bottom of my shirt lifted ever so slightly as she walked.

I also didn’t growl at Baker when he was doing the same thing I was lying about not doing.

“Get your goddamned eyes off her ass,” I growled at him.

He chucked, “Okay, big bro. Okay. I’m out. Got a few things to do before my shift tomorrow.”

I nodded and walked him to the door and slapped him on his shoulder, “Stay safe. Stay breathing.”

He looked at me and lifted his chin, “Always.”

And now… well… now I was debating on what I was going to do.

I could do the right thing, and crash on my couch.

It was big enough for my body.

I bought it for that reason alone.

And I knew that I could sleep on it, and be comfortable, since it’s something I’ve done, quite a few times. If we had a busy night at the bar and I didn’t have the energy to make it to my bedroom, I had woken up hours later, still on the couch.

But… I also had a lot of headway to make with Birdie. And I know, the ball is in her court.

However, the thought, just the simple thought of crawling into my bed and laying down beside her, did something to me.