Page 8 of Shattered Throne
He peered at me over his glasses, eyes twinkling. "Sure it is. I'm looking right at the answer."
I shook my head, but I was smiling. Lou was seventy-three, widowed, and harmless. His flirting was more like a grandfather's teasing than anything else. "The word you're looking for is 'lovely.' And it starts with L."
"Ah, but you're lovelier." He winked and went back to his puzzle. "My Rita would've liked you. She always said I had good taste in women."
"Your Rita had good taste in putting up with you."
Lou chuckled. "That she did. That she did."
I moved down the bar to where Hector was leaning against the back counter, scrolling through his phone. Hector wastwenty-six, dark-haired, and convinced he was God's gift to women.
He wasn't bad-looking, I'd give him that. Strong jaw, easy smile, the kind of lean build that came from hauling kegs and not much else.
"Slow night," he said, not looking up from his screen.
"Better than a busy one."
"Speak for yourself. I need the tips." He finally pocketed his phone and turned to face me, leaning one elbow on the counter. "You know what you need, Kim?"
"A raise?"
"A night out." He grinned. "With me. Come on. When's the last time you did something fun?"
"I have fun."
"Watching cartoons with your kid doesn't count."
"It does if they're good cartoons."
Hector shook his head, but he was still smiling. "One drink after the shift. What's the worst that could happen?"
I'd known Hector for almost a year. He asked me out approximately once a month. He wasn't pushy about it, which I appreciated. And he always backed off when I said no, which I appreciated even more.
But the answer was always going to be no.
"The worst that could happen," I said, "is that I'd have to find a new job when it inevitably got awkward. And I like this job."
"Who says it would get awkward?"
"Experience."
He clutched his chest in mock offense. "You wound me, Kim Young. Deeply."
"You'll survive."
"Will I?" He sighed dramatically. "Fine. But the offer stands. Whenever you're ready to admit I'm charming and irresistible."
"I'll let you know."
My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I pulled it out, already knowing who it was.
Zoe went down easy. Sleeping like an angel. Take your time.
Dani. My neighbor, my lifeline, my unpayable debt. I typed back a quick thanks and a promise to be home soon, then slipped the phone back into my pocket.
This was the life I'd been dealt. No point in complaining about the cards when you still had to play the hand.
The door swung open at 12:47 AM.
