Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1) (15 page)

That’s not even the worst
part. The worst part is I went back to his house to do it again.
And I want it even more now than I did last night. Not in the bar
of course. Although, I don’t think I would object to it if the
situation were right. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a little excitement
from a place where you could get caught?
Oh shit.
What if someone actually did
see us through the window?

“Kelsey, dude…you’re freaking me out.”

I blink myself back to the present at the
sound of Logan’s voice. He’s standing right in front of me with his
hands on my shoulders and he’s squatting down to meet me at eye
level.

“Huh?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, and you
were focused on the pool table like you were trying to make it
float or something,” he says, removing his hands and waving them in
the air. “All you needed was the snap of your fingers or a wand or
some shit.”

He takes a step back, shaking his head as he
laughs.

“Man, would I love to know what’s going on
it that head of yours.”

No. No you would not.

I let out a deep breath and turn around to
fill a couple of beer buckets with ice.

“It wasn’t anything important.”

“Yeah, okay,” he says with disbelief.

“Hey, Kelsey, do you have those beers ready?
My table is getting antsy,” Beth says as she pretty much bounces
her way to the end of the bar. She bats her eyelashes at Logan.

“Hey, Logan,” she says in a flirty tone. He
looks at me then glances at Beth.

“How’s it going, Beth?” I know him well
enough to know he is just trying to be polite, but that he also
doesn’t really want to talk to her. It’s the tone he uses when he
isn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. He’s been in a bad mood ever
since he got off the phone with Sara earlier today.

“It’s going,” she says. “Are you working
late tonight?”

Logan lets out a long sigh. He looks up at
the same time Abby appears.

“Hey, Logan.” She smiles flirtatiously.
“Want to get a drink after work tonight?”

Well, this just got awkward and interesting.
I set Beth’s beer bucket on the counter and then lean my hip
against it and cross my arms as I watch.

“Uhhh,”

“Shit, Ethan’s here,” Beth announces,
cutting Logan off before he can say anything.

Ethan in blue jeans and a button-down shirt
will never get old. There is an unfamiliar smile on his face as he
comes down the steps. His grin grows bigger when his eyes land on
me. I can feel my cheeks beginning to heat up.

“Crap! He sees us,” Abby whines and both she
and Beth quickly scatter from the bar.

“Well, that’s one way to solve my problem.
Guess Ethan is good for something after all.” Logan laughs and
strolls to the other end of the bar as a couple of customers pull
up a stool. I give him a look that I intend to scream “no, don’t
leave me alone” as he walks away, but he shrugs his shoulders and
nods his head in Ethan’s direction.

The whole place feels like a sauna and I’m
convinced someone keeps turning up the heat. Ethan walks past the
pool table, running his fingers along the felt. Flashes of last
night cloud my mind. I focus on my breathing, and by the time Ethan
reaches me, I think I’ve pulled it together.

“Hey, Kelsey,” he says in a tone I haven’t
heard before. He sounds — calm, happy maybe. It relaxes and excites
me all at the same time. I grab a towel to wipe the counter between
us.

“Hey, Ethan.” I can’t even
look at him without getting images of last night. This isn’t
good
at all.
He
starts to drum his fingers against the bar top, and as I steal a
quick glance I notice they are shaking slightly. How could he be
nervous after last night? He sure wasn’t nervous then. His hands
didn’t shake when he touched me, while they explored every inch of
my body.

“Look … I ... ugh,” he whispers. “I wanted
to … um…” As he tries to find his words, he is staring down at his
left hand and the right is behind his neck. “Last night was …”

Oh my god, if he finishes
that sentence with the word
mistake
, I could possibly lose my job
when I lunge my body over this counter and kill him.

“Well I…I was hoping I could take you on a
date.”

That is not what I was expecting. His gaze
rises and I stare into his bright green eyes. There’s a different
sparkle to them,

“A date?” I repeat.

“Yeah, I know it’s a little backward
considering our track record, but I want to take you out. Last
night was…perfect.” He sounds more confident this time.

“What happened last night?” Logan asks and I
jump when I realize how close he’s standing. Does this guy ever
work, or is he always lingering—and how much did he hear?

“Nothing,” I answer
automatically before stepping around Logan to attend the customers
at the other end of the bar. It’s Saturday and the night is
starting slow. I ask the three people seated in stools if they need
anything, but they kindly decline.
So much
for that distraction.

I try to busy myself by organizing the
liquor bottles, washing all the dirty glasses – there aren’t many
since we switch to plastic after five – and wiping down the
counters. Once I have cleaned everything else I can see, there’s
nothing left to distract me.

I could go on a date with Ethan. It makes
total sense for a new couple, but it’s completely inappropriate
considering he’s my boss. I know I thought differently last night,
but I was caught up in the moment and I can’t let that interfere
with the right thing to do. I let out a sigh of frustration and
lean forward on the bar. On the other hand, if I say no to him
again, I could really mess things up. Which matters more, falling
in love or keeping my job? Sara wouldn’t fire me, but if Ethan and
I didn’t work out, would he?

My moment of silence is interrupted when I
hear a group near the jukebox break out in laughter, gaining the
attention of the entire bar. They fall silent, focusing their
attention on someone nearby. I can’t hear what they are saying, but
soon the group is laughing again. A woman scoots her chair back and
stands slowly before heading for the bathroom. I have a clear view
of the comedian and I’m shocked to see it’s Ethan.

“He seems awfully happy tonight.” Logan
startles me, but I don’t even glance up. If I make even the
slightest expression, he will know what it means before I do.

“Yeah, looks that way.”

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with last
night, would it?” he asks.

Ethan told him.
No, no, no.
Logan will
tell Sara.

“Please, please don’t tell Sara. She will
kill me,” I start to ramble cupping my hands together as I beg. “I
was just closing the bar. He came back to talk and then it got out
of hand and before I knew it, it was too late and we couldn’t take
it back.”

Logan finally looks up with a puzzled
expression.

“Take what back?” A half smile tugs at his
lips.

Giant crap! I just spilled the beans.

Logan watches me for a
minute then glances at Ethan, who’s still near the same group of
people, only now he is leaning against the pool table and staring
down at it with a huge grin on his face.
Aw, damn.
Dead giveaway.

Now Logan’s eyes spring wide. He fails
miserably at trying to hide the full smile on his face.

“No fucking way! Oh man, tell me you
didn’t!” I just stand there. I was never quick in these situations
and I have no idea what to say, so I just scrunch my face.

He slams his hand on the counter and I
jump.

“Hot damn, Sara is going to love this.” He
chuckles and reaches to his back pocket to pull out his cellphone.
I reach for it as quickly as I can, but he pulls back.

“Please don’t tell Sara! I’m begging you,
Logan.”

“Tell Sara what?” Ethan
asks as he pulls up a stool across from us.
Geez!
Doesn’t anyone keep to
themselves around here?

“Nothing,” I say and give Logan my best
threatening look. “Right, Logan?”

“Right, Kelsey,” he nods.

The three of us stand there looking at each
other. Me worried, Logan with a grin, and Ethan confused.

Maybe now isn’t the best time to give Ethan
my answer. No audience would be best.

Ethan

After Kelsey went home last night, I laid
awake – something I’ve done a lot since I met her – for hours
imaging what it would be like to not give a shit about my dad.
About whether or not he’s proud of me. I wouldn’t have to snoop
around the bar anymore, I wouldn’t have to lie to anyone, and I
sure as shit could have something real with Kelsey.

Before I fell asleep, I knew I’d made up my
mind. He can send one of my brothers, but I’m not letting them
anywhere near the bar or near Kelsey. I’m going to get to know her
better and I’m going to start with a date. But it isn’t working out
how I planned, because now she’s avoiding my question.

“So, Ethan,” Logan crosses his arms. He nods
to the pool table with his head. “Something wrong with the felt?”
Kelsey looks terrified. “You didn’t get anything on it, did you? By
accident of course.” He laughs and walks away.

It’s hard not to laugh with him. Logan is
smart and he put two and two together. But he was only messing with
her.

Kelsey stands with her hands locked behind
her back and stares down at her feet. How can she be nervous after
what we did last night? Is she embarrassed like she was when I
kissed her all those years ago?

“I meant everything I told you last night. I
want to give us a real shot,” I say.

Her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink and she
nods.

“Okay. Let’s go on a date then.”

“Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at
six.”

“I work tomorrow.”

“Not anymore.” I give her a wink.

“You can’t just change the schedule like
that, Ethan. It’s not fair to anyone else who works here.”

“I can if I want. I haven’t been this happy
since I came here—you can ask anyone here and I guarantee, if it
puts me in a better mood, they’d be more than willing to work for
you tomorrow night.”

I look over my shoulder for Beth or Abby.
Either of them would love to help. Lucky for me, Beth is headed our
way and I also know she isn’t on the schedule for tomorrow.

“Beth, want to work tomorrow night?” I
ask.

She pauses, her eyes flickering between
Kelsey and me. “Is this a trick question?”

“Don’t listen to him, Beth. He’s still
learning how to manage this place,” Kelsey says with a cheery
tone.

Beth’s eyes go wide as she presses her lips
together.

“I’m actually doing just fine, Kelsey, thank
you.” I give her a playful grin. “I asked Kelsey out on a date, but
she’s working and needs someone to cover her shift.”

“Wait, so like, you’d be gone too?” Beth
asks.

I nod.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll totally work for you,
Kelsey.”

I ignore the excitement in her voice and
instead focus on Kelsey. It goes without question that she makes me
want to be a better person and her presence always puts me in a
good mood. I am determined to make this dinner perfect.

I flash Kelsey one last grin and catch the
sight of her smile before I head for the office.

I close the door as my cellphone vibrates
inside my pants pocket. All the happiness I’m feeling fades when I
see my father’s name on the phone.

“Sir,” I answer and take a seat behind the
desk.

“You haven’t called me with an update. I
can’t decide whether or not that means things are going in my favor
or if you’re not getting the job done. Your behavior is really
starting to piss me off, and you’re about out of second chances.”
His criticizing voice is firm. His mind is already made up. He just
wants to test me.

“I still haven’t found anything that will
lead me to the account numbers you want, but I think I’m on to
something. I just need a little more time,” I lie to him. If I
convince him to believe me, I can buy more time until I tell Kelsey
what’s been going on. A first date isn’t the right time to drop
this sort of information. A few days are all I need. She’ll believe
me and trust me. I know she will.

Ethan

I really don’t have to pick Kelsey up
considering she’s right across the street, but I pull my bike into
her driveway anyway and swing my leg over, a bouquet full of lilies
in my hand. My nerves are running through my body in a hurry. I
stop in front of her door, attempting to collect myself. I hold the
flowers tightly as I smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles on my
light blue button-down shirt.

I can do this. It’s no different than anyone
else. Except, it is different. This means something. Kelsey means
something.

I knock twice on the door and she opens it
right away as if she were waiting on the other side.

“Hi.” She smiles at me and I’m at a loss for
words. She’s breathtaking. “Are those for me?” She points to the
flowers in my hand.

“Yes,” I say, almost shoving them in her
face.

“Come in,” she says, stepping inside. “I
just need to put them in water before we go.”

I wait in the doorway.

“You don’t have to just stand there,” she
hollers, and I hear her laugh fade as she steps into the
kitchen.

Kelsey reaches for a vase on the top shelf
of a cabinet, the same one from the first time I bought her
flowers. Her arms are stretched high and she’s on her tiptoes. Her
shirt hangs just above her hip, giving me a glimpse of her smooth
skin.

“Do you think you could reach this for me?”
she asks, her head cocked to the side. I step around the counter,
reaching for the vase and never taking my eyes off of her. I grab
it, setting it on the counter.