by Palmer Jones
“Thank you again, Brogan.”
His eyes softened, the blue bright and offset against his perfectly styled dark hair. “You're welcome. Especially since I just bumped up your morning time to nine.”
“Nine?”
“I still need help with those reviews.” He leaned toward her. The smell of his woodsy cologne drew her closer, but she managed to keep her place. Nothing screamed management material like sniffing her boss in the middle of the restaurant.
“I have a meeting with the bank in an hour. You'll be in charge. Once Trey arrives, I need you to keep your phone with you and call me if you have any problems.” He lowered his voice, his Irish accent deepening. “I'll call you to check in on the restaurant.”
“I don't have your number.” This was really happening. Instead of dreaming about Brogan from a distance, now she had to figure out how to work with the man, side-by-side. It was like one-sided foreplay.
But, damn, she'd take it over nothing.
“I sent you a text, so you have it now.”
Of course, he'd already texted her. Always efficient. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket.
This is Brogan.
It made her smile. Simple and to the point.
He waited a brief moment as if he might add to it, but then turned and walked away, disappearing back into his office, only to reappear fully dressed in his suit and a leather folder in his hand. He took long strides out of the restaurant without giving her a second glance.
Did he realize that every female, literally, she scanned the room, every single female in the place watched him leave? Probably. His brother Cathal was obvious about his attraction to and from women. She could tell that from their quick meeting. She wasn't sure about Rian. Although he was as good looking, he seemed more modest. Quiet.
Katie squealed and grabbed her arm. “I think our boss has a thing for you! He's never talked to anyone else like that. He actually smiled.”
She shook her head. “No, he doesn't. Have you forgotten how much of a stickler for the rules he is? He fired two people just this week and almost fired Lenny when he asked me out. He's just friendly because he wants me to do this job. He'd never date an employee. Besides, he hasn't said one thing that would make me think that.” Except for the shower comment that morning. But really, anyone could slip up. And if he'd meant it—then she'd missed her opportunity because thinking of him in the shower brought a rush of heat to her cheeks.
“Nope. He is so into you,” Katie said.
“He scowled at me and gave me more work.” If Katie would drop it, maybe Selena could too. She would only drive herself crazy wishing something would happen between them. Because, no matter who it was, her boss, a guy at a bar, she didn't have room to date. Mimi had her complete devotion at this point. No man would take on both of them.
Katie rolled her eyes. “You are so boring. When was the last time you actually went out with a man?”
“Like a serious date? Mimi came to live with me a year ago. So, a year ago.” She pressed her lips together, making her brain come up with a good, rational comment about Brogan. “He told me yesterday that he thought I was a good waitress. I swear that's his only interest in me.”
“Yeah, but other people have been here longer.” Katie's brown eyes shined with excitement.
Selena took Katie by the shoulders. “My first direction to you as your immediate manager is going to be to keep your mouth shut. Brogan—”
“Oh. My. God. You call him Brogan now?”
Shit. “No. I don't. It just slipped out. I met all of the owners yesterday morning when I was late, and in my head, it's hard to call them all Mr. O'Keeley.”
Katie made a noise that implied she didn't agree. “I haven't met all the owners. Sounds like special treatment.”
She'd never live it down if she'd told her what she did to meet them. “Mr. O'Keeley will fire me if he thinks people are gossiping about the two of us. Nothing is going on. I promise. I'm still completely single and just as sexually frustrated as I was two days ago.”
Did Brogan actually have relationships? It seemed like his natural authority would overpower someone who wasn't prepared to stand up to him. But then, he probably wouldn't like a woman like that. Why in the world was she even contemplating it?
Katie grabbed her hand. “Then let's go out tonight and celebrate your promotion.”
“I don't have the money. You know that.”
“My treat. We'll go out, meet some cute guys, maybe girls in my case, have them buy us drinks. Then declare we're really lovers and leave together. It'll be fun. C'mon.” Katie cut her eyes at her. “I can get my sister to watch your grandmother. For free. She owes me a favor. It’s Thursday night. You know the bars will be full.”
A night out sounded fun. Katie's sister was in nursing school. Besides, it was only for a couple hours.
“I see you've already made up your mind.” Katie danced in a little circle. “I'll pick you up at ten thirty.”
“I need to be back by midnight.” She had an early morning date with her boss.
4
“Now, where have you been hiding that adorable waitress?” Cathal O'Keeley leaned back in the chair at the bank, completely relaxed even though they'd been kept waiting for nearly an hour and the fate of their restaurant rested on securing this loan. Not much made Cathal upset. Well, maybe if the local bar ran out of whiskey.
Brogan narrowed his eyes. He’d avoided both his brothers after Selena’s incident in his office the day before. And now, he had her phone number in his phone, and that made him nervous. He kept his voice even. “I haven't been hiding her. If you got your sorry ass out of bed before noon and came into the restaurant more often, you wouldn't have to ask me that.” He leaned a little closer. “Besides, you know she's off-limits so wipe that dopey smile off your face.”
Cathal, unconcerned, shrugged. “I know the rules, dear brother, but judging by your reaction to her little show yesterday morning, I'm wondering if you remember them.”
“I didn't have any reaction except the urge to yank your tongue out when it rolled out of your mouth.”
“I'd like to see you try.” He poked Brogan's arm. “You have all these muscles, and yet I think I could still whip you in a fight.”
Rian laughed, soft and low. “Please, Cathal. Not here. Last time you dared him, you broke his nose, and he bruised your ankle so bad you limped for a week. And that was just last year.” He ran a hand over his chin. “But he has a point. You did get a certain look on your face, Brog.”
“Mortification?” Brogan offered. If his brothers knew what rolled through his mind, they would have already beaten him. He wouldn't act on his attraction to Selena. He could maintain a business relationship with her. He’d proved that this morning. She could help the business and be on time. He wouldn’t call it easy, but it was possible.
Cathal shook his head. “No. Wrong again, dear brother. I know you. You wouldn't have watched it. You would have been a gentleman and said something to her. Looked away. Acted within the square box of your strict rules. Instead, you sat there, dumbfounded.”
“I wasn't exactly expecting Selena to march into my office and start stripping.” But now that she had, he still couldn't get the memory out of his mind. And she'd promised to never take her shirt off in front of him again – damn shame.
Cathal leaned forward until Brogan glanced his direction. “I think I can speak for Rian when I say that neither one of us have a problem with it.”
“With what?”
“With you getting to know the pretty waitress. It's been a long time since you've looked twice at someone who didn't act as stuck up as you do most of the time,” Rian said. His smile widened at Brogan's sharp look. “Underneath all your bossy perfection, you want the same thing Ma and Da had. Someone to sit with you at night, stare at the fire, and be content. That's why none of your other girlfriends ever amounted to anything. You tried to fit into their fancy world, and it didn't work. It
will never work for you.”
“And you think Selena is that person?” Ridiculous. Neither one of them knew a thing about her. Brogan inferred more than he actually knew. She seemed nice, had made a few friends at the restaurant, and could stop his heart just by straightening his tie.
“She seems down to earth enough that it might be worth a shot,” said Cathal.
The door opened, the loan officer walked in and sat down, looking as though he had bad news. “I'm afraid we can't approve the loan. It's just too risky for that amount.” He handed Cathal the paper he held. “Your application didn't put any property up for collateral. Do you have any?”
Rian leaned forward. “There's the property back in Ireland.”
“No,” Brogan said. He wouldn't give up their family land. His parents might be gone, both having died ten years apart, but that was still home, no matter how long he lived in America.
“Thank you for your time. We'll let you know if the situation changes.” Cathal shook the man's hand and then motioned for them to leave.
“We aren't putting the land up as collateral,” said Brogan as they walked through the lobby. He wouldn't let them. He'd find another way. They weren't risking their last connection to home. If he lost the restaurant, he needed a place to crawl back to.
Cathal shook his head and opened the door to the bank. “Do you ever stop bossing us around?”
Rian answered. “No. He won't. It's like breathing to him. Always in charge.” He held up his hand before Brogan could snap back. “Let me go to Ireland. See what equity we can pull off the land. I need to fly there anyway.”
Brogan had headed up their family since their Da died. He'd been fourteen and took on the responsibility. His brothers were more than capable of making their own decisions now. Well, Rian was. The jury was still out on Cathal.
“Fine,” he grumbled, hating to give up the control. Asking about the equity in the land wasn't signing away their ownership.
* * *
The Last Stop was a bar at the end of a block of nightclubs and a few open-late diners. Not many people made it down this far, keeping the crowd at the bar light. That suited Selena just fine. She already regretted coming out with Katie. Her mind still reeled from her interaction with Brogan. She'd rather stay home and daydream of him than make small talk with strangers looking for a quick hook up.
“Let’s take a lap around the bar first. Scope everything out before we find a place to post up.” Katie linked arms with Selena. “Particularly, scope all the guys out first.”
“You’ve settled for guys tonight?”
“Yeah. You're not the best wingwoman to pick-up women. You're too much competition.”
Selena laughed. “Sorry. And I'll follow your lead, but I don't want to walk around too much. You parked like a mile away, I swear. My feet are already killing me.” Selena scrunched her toes around in her black stilettos. The idea of finding a guy to take her mind off Brogan interested her, but not at the expense of permanently damaging her feet.
“You look nice.” Katie squeezed her tighter. “I might have to take you home myself later.”
“I'm not that easy. Not unless you buy me a drink. I want something pink and yummy.” Selena never got a night off. And with Katie driving, she could relax. Let down her hair, literally. It fell in loose waves around her shoulders. With her strapless pink dress, it brushed against her skin with each step.
Selena didn't frequent bars every weekend. And, until her recent break-up, Katie didn't either. But going out was a nice reminder that life consisted of more than work and taking care of Mimi.
The tight pink dress had been Katie's idea. One look at Selena's knee-length, black cocktail dress, and Katie had forced her back inside to change. The too-small shoes were her idea as well.
“Oh, that guy at the bar is already watching you.” Katie led her along. “Don't look. We'll circle around. Dang, he's staring hardcore. He's gorgeous.”
“Maybe he's watching you and not me.”
“Please. I know when a guy is looking at me.” Katie stood a little straighter. “Like the man over there.”
“In the army hat?” Selena grimaced. “No. I don't trust a guy that won't take his hat off to come to a bar like this. It'll be like those country music singers. They're all hot on stage, but then you see them in real life, and it's like, 'no, please, put your hat back on.'”
They both laughed and kept walking until they came back to the end of the bar. Katie kept her promise and bought her a drink. That turned into two drinks. And three.
“I should probably stop at three,” Selena announced, not sure what drink the bartender handed her. “I still have to get up early.”
Katie shook her head. “I didn't buy you that one. The man watching you bought you that one.”
Selena kept her head down as the man in question moved their way. She'd not taken a good look at him, and now she felt a little sleazy for accepting the drink. Whatever it was. It definitely wasn't pink.
“I hope you like whiskey.”
She snapped her head up at the Irish accent.
Cathal O'Keeley.
Her eyes widened. Wasn't he like her boss, too?
He chuckled. “Don't look so mortified. I'm not here to get you drunk and take you home. Brogan would have my head for that.”
Katie leaned forward. “Brogan? Like our boss, Brogan?”
“Katie, this is Cathal O'Keeley. He's part-owner of the restaurant.” The door opened. Great. “And there's the other one.”
“Dang. Two hottest guys in the place and they’re off-limits. The night is officially a bust.”
Selena glanced at her friend, who swayed as she surveyed the crowd. Drunk. When had Katie gotten drunk? She rolled her eyes. There went her ride home. She should have known better.
“I take that back. I'm going to hit on army guy, after all. I'll deal with the hat consequences later.” She patted Selena on her knee. “I'll text you if I need saving.”
Selena tapped her phone sitting on the bar. “Got it.”
“Now,” Cathal began, setting both his forearms on the bar and tilting his head to the side. “Why is a woman like you in a place like this?”
“Don't believe a word he says.” Rian sat down on the other side of her. Great. Flanked on either side by the brothers of the man she couldn't stop fantasizing about. “Hi, Selena.”
“Hi. I'm not sure what to call you. Either one of you, actually.”
“Not Mr. O'Keeley,” Rian said. “We let Brogan have that title. Rian is fine.”
Selena picked up the whiskey drink, holding it up and looking at the contents, keeping her hands busy.
Cathal motioned to the glass. “I didn't drug you if that's what you're wondering.”
“No!” She shook her head. “I wouldn't think that. I'm trying to figure out what it is without looking like an idiot.” At his bland expression, she smiled. “I guess I already did that, huh?”
“That is a Salt and Honey. It's with Irish whiskey. Try it.”
“I might as well. With Katie drunk, I'm afraid I'll have to call a cab at this point anyway.” Because as much as she'd like to find a guy to take her mind off Brogan, she didn't want anyone else. Pathetic.
“Alone?” Rian's eyes pulled down tight. He slipped out his phone. “That's not very safe.”
“I wasn't supposed to go home alone. At least that wasn't our plan.” She took a sip of the drink. “Wow, that's smooth.”
Rian watched her with a curious expression. “I didn't peg you for a woman that went out on the prowl.”
“Out on the—no. No. That's not me. Definitely not.” She waited while he typed into his phone. She took another sip of her drink. He flattered her if he honestly thought she could walk into a bar and walk out with a guy. She'd never done that before. Never had the pleasure of being that irresponsible.
Cathal motioned to the crowd. “Did you find anyone that you fancy?”
She swung around, surveying the guys in the
room. Both men turned to face away from the bar as well, their shoulders brushing hers on both sides. Her body didn't react the same as it did with Brogan. Nothing. Even with a fourth drink half-empty.
“What about that guy? He's tall and good looking.” Cathal shrugged at her giggle. “I have to size up the competition.”
“Oh, please. I promise that this is not a come-on, at all, but Katie was right, you really don't have competition in this room.” She sent Rian a sideways glance. “You either.” She'd probably hate herself in the morning for having said that, but at the moment, she didn't care. The glory and horror of alcohol loosening a tongue. As long as she kept all her sexy thoughts about their brother inside her brain, maybe she'd make it out not completely mortified.
“I'm sure our competition will come walking through that door in about six minutes.” Rian folded his hands in his lap. “But, if I wasn't here, that man seems fine.”
Selena shrugged, glad for the distraction away from Brogan. Because no one in the room, or the city, compared to Brogan. The man Rian motioned toward spotted her watching him and lifted his hand, waving to Selena. She waved back, a small smile plastered to her lips. “I talked to him earlier. His hands were small.”
“Small?” Cathal smirked. “Alright. You're a hard woman to please. What about him?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No. I don't think so. Fake tan. That means he already spends more money on himself with a beauty regimen than I do. My turn. What about that woman over there? Does she strike your fancy?”
“She has a nice face. But she's with four other women.”
Rian chuckled but didn't add to his brother's observation.
“So? She has friends. Not many women will venture out to a bar by themselves.”
“Women who travel in packs that size are hard to separate. They want you to sit down at the table. Talk to all of them. Make all of them feel important. I'm afraid I'm not up for that tonight. I've talked too much today as it is.” Cathal's explanation made sense, but it still wasn't fair to women who didn't want to venture out alone.
