The Bulldog was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday night. The darts league played in the crowded back room, the bar was full, and most of the booths were occupied. “There’s one empty booth halfway down,” Whip said, pointing. “You go grab it, and I’ll get drinks. What would you like?”
“Desert Amber,” she said.
“Really?” he asked, but she’d already turned and was sashaying toward the empty booth.
Bella waved over her shoulder. “When in Rome!”
What the hell’s happened to her? he thought, wondering if she’d fallen off a horse and hit her head. He turned to the owner. “Hey, Russ, two Desert Ambers. On second thought, I’ll take a pitcher and two glasses.”
“Comin’ right up. You go ahead. I’ll have Jackie bring ’em down and clean off the table.”
“Thanks, man.”
When Whip got to the table, Bella was chatting with Jackie, who was already wiping the table. “Hey, Jackie,” he said. “How’s tricks?”
“Hoppin’. I’ll be lucky if I don’t get a dart in my ass with those yahoos. They’re especially obnoxious tonight.”
“Give a holler if you need backup,” he said. “I just ordered a pitcher of Desert Amber from Russ.”
“Okay, hon, be right back.”
As Jackie departed, Bella said, “Another Whip Kittredge admirer, I see.”
“Ha-ha. So, what’s up with you tonight? You seem… I don’t know, you just seem different. Flirty, I guess.”
“I can be flirty.”
“I believe you.”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know,” she said, leaning across the table, her glorious breasts on display thanks to her vee-neck.
Whip leaned back, folding arms across his chest. “Is that so?”
Suddenly, she burst out laughing. “You’re right, of course.”
“About?”
“Me. This isn’t me, flirting like some kind of babe.”
He grinned. “You are some kind of babe.”
“Very funny. I don’t know how to flirt.”
“You were doin’ a pretty good job of it. You certainly had my attention. Couldn’t wait to see what you were gonna do next.”
Jackie interrupted, setting down the pitcher of beer and two iced mugs. “You guys know what you want?”
“Bella?” he asked.
She gazed up at the waitress. “Bulldog burger, sauce on the side and a green salad instead of fries. Thanks.”
“What about you, hon?” Buxom and curvaceous, Jackie leaned in, brushing strands of her dark hair from her forehead.
“Straight Bulldog burger, curly fries, and extra sauce. Thanks, Jack.”
Straightening, she pulled herself together with a “Be back soon” and disappeared.
“So?” he said.
“So what?”
“Were you gonna tell me something about your sudden urge to flirt?”
“I guess I’m just tired of playing by the rules, playing it safe, letting men pursue me, listening to my big brother, everything. I’m thirty-two years old! Tom has no right to say anything about who I date. It’s ridiculous. And you’re off somewhere I can’t reach, like a door slammed in my face. I’m not blaming you. I’m just frustrated! I like you. I’m attracted to you, big-time, and for some reason, that’s a bad thing.” She paused, meeting his eyes. “I guess that about sums up my present state.”
“Wow.”
“Wow? That’s all you have to say?”
“I’m not sure what to say. Not sure what you want me to say.”
“Well, to start, you could say how you feel, or maybe try to characterize your state.”
He scratched his forehead, then smiled. “Not sure men are great at characterizing our states, as you put it, or at least I’m not. I won’t lie. There’s some shit in my past that gets in the way sometimes. Pops up when I least expect it. Kind of out of the blue. I shut down when it happens. Survival, I guess.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s my problem. But as far as the rest…about you. Well, the thing is, I’m crazy about you, but I like it here and like my job. This is the first place that’s felt like home since I left the island. Not sure how something between us might go over with the bosses, a certain one in particular.”
“Well, that one I can handle, and what little I know about the big bosses and Harley, I doubt any of them would give a shit. In fact, they’d probably be happy for us. They’re the least snooty people I know. I mean Leonora Morgan, maybe, but even she comes around. According to what I’ve heard, the snootiness is all show for her Cowgirls, but in real life, she’s pretty down to earth.”
“Oh jeez, I hadn’t even thought about her,” he said, nodding as Jackie set down their food.
“Can I get you anything else?” Jackie asked.
“Thanks, all set,” he said, and she hurried off.
Bella smiled, reaching across the table to take his hand. “Did I hear you say you were crazy about me?”
He wrapped his fingers around hers. “Yeah, but there’s also the part about me being crazy and messed up too.”
“We have a start, though, don’t we?” she said softly.
“Yeah, I guess we do,” he replied, gray eyes warm and gentle.
They ate chatting about day-to-day topics. Bella couldn’t finish her burger and asked Jackie for a to-go box. Whip had no trouble finishing his meal, right down to the last curly fry.