Page 26 of Of Course, Cutie
Fuck. Could he tell I was into Charlie? “What can I do for you?”
Evan let out a deep breath and then shook his head. “This probably sounds stupid, but…” He glanced over at me with uncertainty all over his face. “In your opinion, am I doing an okay job running this bar?”
I raised an eyebrow. That was not what I was expecting. “The place is usually packed, boss-man. Are you making more than you spend?”
Evan nodded. “Yeah. I feel like I need to be making more, though, to take care of everyone.” He glanced at Charlie and Sienna again. “I don’t want my girls to ever have to worry.”
I studied his face for a minute. “I hear that, but that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself.” I followed his gaze to his sister and fiancé. “And those are some strong women. They look like they can take care of themselves.”
Evan folded his arms and stared at the floor with a stoic expression. “They are strong.” He glanced back up at me. “You’re right. Thanks, Burke.” He gave me a half-smile and patted my shoulder.
“No problem. You’re doing fine.” I walked away from Evan and slid behind the bar, immediately busying myself with prep work.
“Um, hi to you too.” Charlie watched me with a smirk.
I glanced up and smiled at her. I could be in the grumpiest ass mood of my life, but she would still be able to drag a smile out of me. “Hi, Charlie. Do you ever go to class? How are you passing?”
Sienna laughed and patted Charlie’s knee. “That’s a valid question. How are you passing?”
Charlie shrugged and bit her lip. “I can read the damn textbook, show up to a few classes, and spit out all the rehearsed answers that the professors want to hear. It’s easy.”
“You’re too smart for your own good.” Sienna smiled and slid off her barstool. “Okay, I have to go meet with a wedding florist, and then I’m going shopping with your mom for someone’s birthday.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “Please don’t let her buy me any clothes.”
Sienna laughed out loud. “Oh, come on, Charlie! The clothes she picks for you are darling!”
“Yup. If I were still ten.”
Sienna grinned and walked out of the bar, giving Evan a quick kiss before heading out the door. Evan watched his girl until she got in her car and pulled away. Then he sat at an empty table to make a phone call.
Charlie still sat on the bar and twisted her body to face me.
“So, you’re turning twenty soon, cutie?” My obsession with a teenager was about to end, but it was going to be replaced by an even stronger one with a twenty-year-old. Somehow just hearing “twenty” made me feel better about wanting to fuck her.
Charlie smiled at me and nodded. “December tenth. When’s your birthday, Burke?”
“August twenty-fifth.”
Charlie ran her finger along the edge of the bar, staring intently at me. “And then you’ll be thirty-six?”
“Uh,” I rubbed my beard and watched her hand inching closer to me. Did we really need to bring up the age difference? I was starting to think I’d been too worried about it. “Right. I’m old, Charlie.”
She rolled her eyes. “Age is relative, Burke.” She sat up straighter and ran her hands through her hair, arching her back slightly. I was sure I could do things to her that would really make that back arch.
Fuck.
I tore my eyes away from her as she asked, “When’s Tess’s birthday?”
Good. A change of topic. “She’ll be seven on April 4th. Speaking of Tess, she wanted me to ask you to come over again and help when we do Christmas cookies next weekend.” I smiled at Charlie. “You can say no.”
Charlie laughed. “Is she worried that you’re going to burn them?”
I nodded and rested my elbows on the bar.
“Tell her not to worry. I will come and stop you from burning the cookies.” Charlie bit her lip and rested her hand on my arm.
“You don’t have to come if you’re busy.”