Sure, he’s good looking, but he could still be crazy, and I’d never give information on one of my customers to a stranger.
“I’m not actually looking for a woman.” The corners of his mouth quirk. “I heard about the event here the other day, so I thought I’d see if Maxwell Lewis was here.”
Oh. A fan. Which might make this even creepier.
“Oh yeah, that event was a onetime thing, he doesn’t come in here usually,” I lie.
“Really? That’s not what I heard.” His tipped lips now grow into a full-blown smile.
“Who’d you hear that from?” I ask, the beginnings of unease starting to race through my system.
“My dad.” He cringes a bit. “I forgot to introduce myself.” He extends his hand to shake mine. “I’m Theo Lewis, Maxwell’s brother.”
Twenty
“Maxwell has a brother?” Poppy attempts—and fails—to whisper. “How has he never mentioned him before?”
“Who knows?” Considering I didn’t know either, I am clearly not the authority on all things Maxwell Lewis. “Theo said they are half brothers, same dad, but Theo mainly lived with his mom growing up.”
“Who cares about that?” Charli leans in, succeeding where Poppy failed and keeping her voice down. “Is he hot? I mean, have we been out here living our lives not knowing there is Maxwell hotness multiplied?”
Three sets of eyes focus in, waiting for my answer like I’m about to give them the key to world peace and climate change. “I mean, he’s attractive, and once he told me he was his brother, I was able to see some of Maxwell in him.” I think Maxwell is better looking, but no way am I putting that out there. “Theo is bigger—taller. He’s a police officer, so he keeps in shape, just not professional athlete shape.”
“Oh lawd.” Vonnie falls back into her seat, fanning herself. Not that she’s dramatic or anything. “The other Lewis brother also wears a uniform and carries handcuffs? Somebody needs to write that book.”
“Nope.” I pull their drinks away from them—well, not Poppy’s. She’s been craving Shirley Temples, and I’m afraid I’d lose my arm if I touched hers. “I am not dealing with you today.”
“Paisley,” Vonnie calls across the room. “Come get your girl.”
“I’ll be right there!” Paisley yells back as she leads two women to their table.
“I’m the boss!”
Ugh. Why do I even bother?
“Anyways . . .” Charli reaches for her drink, also not fazed by my threats. “The guys are going to be here soon. We demanded a date night since tomorrow they have to spend the day with whoever won the auction. We’re gonna go next door to play Ping-Pong, if you wanna come.”
I look around HERS, and the crowd is decent, but not overwhelming. “I should be able to sneak out for a bit.”
“Good.” Poppy pops a cherry in her mouth. “Because we told Max you were coming and I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason he agreed.”
“He’s seeing Eloise.” Her name tastes bitter in my mouth. “I don’t think he’s worried about me.”
I wonder if, when they were together, he dedicated all of his attention to her or if he was checking his phone like he does with me? Is she the one he’s willing to give that all up for? I mean, I wouldn’t blame him if she was. She’s a lawyer who probably doesn’t make up words and definitely dresses like an adult woman. I’m kind of—FINE! Totally—a disaster. Yes, HERS is thriving, but every other aspect of my life is like a reality show gone wrong.
“He is not seeing her.” Vonnie drains the remainder of her martini. “Justin asked him and Max said they just talked about the details for tomorrow.”
“Oh yeah, I’m so sure that’s why he took her to dinner and gave her football tickets.” I narrow my eyes and purse my lips. These girls are more worried about our relationship than I am.
Charli opens her mouth to say something, but—luckily for me—her phone lights up in front of her. “Wrap it up, ladies.” She shoves her phone into her Louis bag. “The guys are next door.”
I wave them away. “I’m gonna take care of a few things and then I’ll meet you over there.”
“If you try and bail, we’ll come over and drag you next door,” Poppy threatens. “So save yourself the embarrassment.”
Geez. I thought pregnancy was supposed to make you all loving and one with the earth. I’m beginning to think she’s carrying the spawn of Satan or something.
“Okay.” I lift my hands up in surrender. “But only because you scare me.”
She stands, tossing her purse over her shoulder and pulling her long curls from beneath the strap. “As long as you come, I’m okay with that.”
They snake their way through the tables, Vonnie stopping to talk to a couple of customers who recognize her from the interviews she did leading up to the auction, and then they’re gone and the volume at HERS seems as if it has decreased by about ten decibels.
“You good back here? I’m going to head to my office,” I ask Abby, the other bartender working tonight.
“Yup,” she says as she pours beer out of the tap. “I’ll holler if I need you.”
I push into my office and take a deep breath. I know most people get stressed when they walk into a cluttered office with a desk covered in loose papers that are trying to escape to the floor, but not me. Because I remember when I opened HERS and didn’t know if I would last a year and was praying for the kind of chaos swirling around my life now.
I do probably need to do some filing though.
I spin my desk chair with the flourish of a six-year-old and throw my body onto it, squeezing my eyes shut and hoping that I don’t land on the floor.
“Eeee!” I throw my hands in the air and bring my knees to my chest, riding out my victory.
“What are you doing?” a deep voice says.
I immediately slam my feet to the floor and my hands to my desk like that somehow saves face.
“Gotta make work interesting, am I right?” All the blood from my body has relocated to my face, whether from spinning or the mortification of Maxwell Lewis catching me acting like a toddler, we will never know.
“You’re a nut.” He shakes his head, his smile unwavering as he moves farther into my office.
“This is not a new development.” I watch as he lowers his black-denim-clad legs into my Barbie-sized, armless acrylic chair. His body is much too big for it, but it doesn’t seem to bother him as he leans back, shoulders relaxed, his long legs sprawled out. “Would you like to know what is a new development?”