Page 30 of The Chemistry Coach
Daisy rolled her eyes.“Of course you look good.You’re men in suits.It’s hard to mess up.You just look so… uptight.That will reflect poorly where we’re going.”
“And where,” Hazy asked, “is that?”
“To a bar.A backwoods-country-tavern style bar.”
“Well, I’m going with what I’m wearing.This is what I brought in case of going out,” Hazy said.
Daisy stepped back to give them a once-over.“At least lose the jackets.”
They took their jackets off and waited for her assessment.She approached Lover and reached for his collar.Her hand hovered for a few seconds before she asked, “May I?”
“Go for it,” he confirmed.She unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and ruffled his hair before stepping back and studying him again.
Connor clenched his fist and breathed through his jealousy.
“Do you have different shoes?”
“What’s wrong with my shoes?”Lover studied his shiny black dress shoes.
“Nothing is wrong with them.You look like you’re going to a wedding.Or funeral.”
Connor examined his own feet, clad in casual all-star high tops.He patted himself on the back.Fancy dress shoes were the one thing he refused to give in on.You could put him in the fanciest bespoke suit you could find, and he’d still wear Vans or Converse.
Lover sighed.“You don’t get the vision.But yeah.I’ll change my shoes.”He headed up the stairs to change.
Before Daisy could say another word Hazy had already loosened his tie and unbuttoned a button.“Already on it,” he said and continued to artfully mess up his tidy appearance.
After an eternity, she focused on Connor.She bit her bottom lip as she checked him out.“Can I?”she asked as she stepped closer.
Afraid of what might come out if he opened his mouth, he nodded.She invaded his space, unbuttoning two buttons and letting her fingers linger on a third, seeming to debate the necessity of popping that one open too.She left it closed and reached up to his hair.Connor inhaled strawberries and wildflowers and sunshine.Daisy was summer embodied.She probably tasted like it too.Her fingers tugged on strands of his hair as she attempted to give him a mussed look.Fingernails scratched at his scalp.If he wasn’t careful, he’d start purring like a cat.
When she stepped away, he wanted to reel her back in, hold her close.The few touches she’d gifted him weren’t enough.It would never be enough.She grasped his wrist and rolled his sleeves, the light skims of her fingertips across his skin leaving goosebumps in their wake.
She exited his orbit, flushed and breathless, to assess her work.Connor determined then and there that he’d get that reaction again.Soon.And alone.
Chapter 11
Daisy
Thetaxishe’dorderedfor them was a tight squeeze.The boys squished in the backseat, and Daisy claimed shotgun.As soon as they got to the bar, at least one of them would throw a fit.But if they thought they’d get away with doing food and video games twice in a row, they were wrong.Her job was to ensure they bonded, and nothing brought people together quite like some good old-fashioned drunken debauchery.Especially young men in their prime.
She wouldn’t typically put a night out like this on the agenda for her clients.But she’d double-checked the entry questionnaires to make sure they drank.She didn’t want anyone to be uncomfortable.Well, not too uncomfortable.This was about growth, after all.She’d also ordered a cab, knowing them well enough already to know they’d demand she participate in whatever she asked them to do.They were a real lead-by-example group.She liked that.Most teams she worked with didn’t have that mindset.
Friday night and the bar neared capacity, as she’d expected.The crowd provided the vibe she needed.She’d reserved them a table and hoped the bar would honor it.Daisy led them into the bar and spotted an empty table right away.
They received a lot of stares as they picked their way through the crowd.She imagined they were a bit of a spectacle.She fit right in with her sundress and cowboy boots, but it had to look odd: her leading a group of men wearing clothing that cost as much as most of these people’s monthly salaries through the bar and sitting at a reserved table in a place notorious for not taking reservations.They might have been able to blend in, but she’d forgotten to give them directions on how to dress.Now they stuck out like a sore thumb despite her attempts to fix it.
She took a seat in the booth, and Connor slid in behind her, trapping her against the wall.He kept a respectful distance between them, and she wished he wouldn’t.She couldn’t be so forward again.If she dared to press her thigh into his, she’d lose all self-control.Her desire for this man knew no bounds.That had been apparent for years.Not that he knew that.When she ran her fingers through his hair earlier, he had no idea she was living a fantasy she’d envisioned in her head a thousand times.And he smelled amazing, like oranges and salt.It would’ve been too easy to lean a little further in and lick the pulse point at his neck.Ripping herself away nearly killed her.
She forced herself back to the present.Hazy and Lover sat across from them.
“We’re hanging out in a bar?”Hazy asked.“That’s the whole plan?”
“This is a fun bar,” Daisy said.“They have dancing.And karaoke, which is the real activity.But I’m not expecting you to do it sober.”
“Good,” Lover said.“There’s not a chance in hell you’ll get Beanie to sing.”
She raised an eyebrow at Connor, who reaffirmed the sentiment, nodding.“Absolutely not.Nobody wants to hear that.”
