Page 3 of Of Course, Cutie
I made a gagging sound which caused my brother to glance over at me. “Charlie!” He grinned and walked toward Sienna and me. “Too many tears at mom’s house?”
“Always. Bea’s spawn is teething.” I loved my darling niece, and I called her spawn with only the utmost adoration in my heart.
Evan laughed and called the new bartender over. “Burke, come meet my kid sister, Charlie. She’ll probably be here a lot, and under no circumstances may you serve her.”
I tried not to freeze when Burke’s green eyes skated over my face. I begged myself to keep breathing when he smiled and rumbled out a deep, “Hey. Nice to meet you.”
I cleared my throat. “Hey.” That was all I could work up. Wow. Nice.
Burke smiled. “Not very chatty?”
Evan laughed. “Once you get to know her, she gets bossy and loud.” He reached across the bar to mess up my hair.
I smacked his hand away. “Fuck off, Evan. And don’t call me your kid sister. I’m in college.” I glanced over at Burke. “I’m not a kid.”
Burke’s smile turned into a grin. How old was he? Maybe late-twenties? Mid-thirties? And what kid? Didn’t Sienna say something about a kid? Was he married? Single?
Evan messed up my hair again. “Aw, isn’t she a cutie?” He laughed and then patted Burke’s shoulder. “Hey, man, I have an order coming in that I need to go make room for in the back. Feel free to familiarize yourself with our stock and drink menu. I’ll be back out in like twenty minutes.”
“I’ll help, babe.” Sienna hopped off her barstool and followed Evan into the back room, leaving me alone with Burke—sexy, manly Burke. Good god, I was having a reaction to this man. Suddenly I knew why I’d never had a serious relationship before. I’d been hanging out with boys all my life. Boys didn’t hold my interest. Men, on the other hand…
“What did you say your name was, cutie?” Burke asked, leaning a hip against the bar between us.
Was he teasing me by calling me cutie? I was going to murder Evan. “Charlie.” I picked up another menu and wiped it down with the rag. I was crushing it with those one-word answers.
“Like Charlie Brown?”
I rolled my eyes and glanced up at Burke. He was smiling again. “Like Charlotte Brontë. My mom was really into Victorian Era everything. My older sister’s name is Beatrice. I’m not sure how Evan escaped with a normal name. He should probably be called Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley or something.”
Burke burst out laughing. It was a rich, deep sound, and I felt it in my chest. “We can call him Darcy. It’ll be our little secret.” He rubbed his beard. “He seems like more of a Mr. Bingley to me, though.”
Now it was my turn to burst out laughing. “That’s so freaking true. But you do not look like a Jane Austen fan. I am shocked, sir.”
“Not a fan, miss. I was subjected to hours of torture by my ex-wife.”
Ex-wife. Noted. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Which part are you sorry about?”
“The hours of torture, obviously.”
I was graced with Burke’s deep laugh again. “You’re funny, cutie.” He glanced around the bar. “I forgot to ask your brother where the drink mixers are. I didn’t see them when he was giving me the grand tour.” Burke turned and headed to the backroom door.
“Don’t,” I warned.
Burke dropped his hand and backed away from the door. “They’re fucking back there, aren’t they?”
Damn. Hearing his deep voice say, “fucking” sent sexually charged chills down my back. I cleared my throat. “I’d bet money on it.”
Burke laughed again and rubbed his beard. “What did I get myself into, Charlie?”
I grinned. “A huge mess, Burke.”
2
Burke
I rushed around my apartment, making sure that everything was perfect for Lexi and Tess’s visit. My ex-wife could go to hell, but I couldn’t wait to see my beautiful daughter. Unfortunately, Lexi insisted on accompanying Tess for her first visit. She needed to “make sure my apartment was suitable for children” before she upheld our agreement of letting Tess stay with me every other weekend.