Up to the Challenge

Fine. If he could blow it off, then so could she.

What she couldn’t seem to blow off was Lot. For a seventeen-year-old, the boy had enough pickup lines to fill a How Not To Pick Up Women manual. Each less creative and original than the one before, they’d made her laugh at the start of the day. After a couple hours, she wanted to deck him.

“I’ve got a fifteen minute break,” Lot whispered. “What do you say we sneak out back and you make a man out of me?” Did the boy stay up nights thinking of this shit?

“If you keep it up, Lot, I’m going to make a girl out of you.”

“So that’s a maybe?”

Sid shook her head and walked away. Too bad school didn’t start for another month.

“I’ve got three drafts, one diet, and an order of onion rings,” she said, sliding the drinks from her previous order onto her tray. “Add a cup of ranch dressing with the rings.”

“Coming right up.” Lucas called her food order through the window to the kitchen, then moved three chilled glasses to the taps. “How did you think Dad looked this morning?”

Loading the tray onto her shoulder, Sid answered, “Like he had a heart attack a week ago. What did you think he’d look like?”

Lucas lifted one shoulder as a glass filled with beer. “I don’t know. I guess I hadn’t thought about it.”

He looked worried so she said, “My dad had the same thing, only he never made it out of the hospital. Tom looks weak right now, but the fact he’s walking around shows he’s stronger than you think.”

“Your dad died of a heart attack?” Lucas asked.

“Yeah,” she said, the sudden turn of conversation bringing the threat of tears. “I’d better deliver these drinks.”

When Sid returned for her next order, four large white bags sat on the stainless steel shelf, each marked with the letters AA. Manny.

“There’s my girl. How you doin’, Sid?”

She took a deep breath before turning around. “I’m good, Manny. How are things in Adventure Land?”

Instead of answering, Manny did his best impression of a drowning fish. Georgette floated past him and said, “Breathe, Manny.”

“Oye mamacita, que buena estas.” He followed that statement with, “I’ll take lunch duty for the rest of the summer if you keep dressing like that.”

Before Sid could respond, Lucas stepped in front of her, cutting off her view of anything but his back and broad shoulders. “Can I help you?” he asked, sounding less than cordial. In fact, he sounded pissed.

“I was talking to Sid,” she heard Manny say. “Who are you?”

For half a second, Sid considered taking out one of Lucas’s knees for acting like a macho ass, but then she realized he was acting like a macho ass on her behalf. She was no expert, but his stance and tone indicated a bout of jealousy.

“I’m Lucas Dempsey. Who are you?”

“Oh, hey bro. Randy told me about you.” Sid leaned to her left to see Manny extend his hand. “Manuel Sullivan. I work for Sid’s brother.”

Lucas took the offered hand, but his body remained tense, continuing to block Sid from the rest of the room. “You here to pick up the food?”

“That and to see Sid.”

Over the tough guy act, Sid stepped around Lucas. “I thought you two forgot I was here.” She threw a harassed look over her shoulder and stepped closer to Manny. Time to show Lucas she had other options. “You still need your oil changed? We could do it after work today.”

“Can’t unless you’ve got a garage,” Manny said. “Hurricane Ingrid took a turn our way. They think she’ll turn back out, but the rain should be here this afternoon and probably won’t stop until the weekend.” Moving into her space, he added, “We could do something else instead.” His eyes dropped several inches below her chin, evoking a growl from Lucas.

Turned out pretty boy had an alpha side after all. Though she should have learned that lesson on the beach. Now to keep the ruse going without encouraging Manny.

“She can’t,” Lucas said, taking the next move out of her hands.

Manny moved his gaze from Sid to Lucas. “That’s up to Sid.”

“Sid is busy tonight.”

“I am?”

“You are.” Lucas shot her a look that clearly said Do not argue. She considered it, then opted to quit while she was ahead.

“Right.” Sid turned back to Manny. “Sorry, I forgot. Lucas and I have this …” she hesitated, “thing.”

The three stood awkwardly for several seconds, Lucas trying to bore a hole through Manny’s chest with his eyes, Manny looking less than convinced about Sid’s explanation, and Sid not sure what to do next. Manny was a good guy. She didn’t want to hurt him.

“Would you excuse us for a minute?” she said to Manny, then without giving him a chance to answer, turned to Lucas. “I need to see you in the kitchen.”

“I’m good. Just bring him the food.”

“Dempsey,” Sid barked, tiring of the macho act. “Kitchen. Now.”

Once certain Lucas was following, Sid charged back to the office. “You want to catch me up here?”

“On what?” Lucas asked, fumbling through the mail as if nothing weird had happened. As if he hadn’t just announced they had a date.

“We have plans?”

“Oh, that.” He dropped the mail back on the blotter. “I just said that to get rid of lover boy out there.”

Instant dislike of the other guy. Good sign.

“What if I didn’t want to get rid of him? And don’t call Manny that. He’s not so bad.”

Lucas crossed his arms. “You seeing that kid?”

“He’s not a kid.”

“He looks barely old enough to shave.”

“For your information, Manny is only four years younger than you are.”

One brow shot up. “You haven’t answered my question. Is he your boyfriend?”

No sense in lying. “No, he’s not. And you should know I’m not the kind of girl who would offer sex to you if I was seeing someone else. But what do you care anyway? If I remember correctly, you don’t want me.”

His arms dropped and he moved closer. “I never said I didn’t want you.”

“You said no.” A girl didn’t forget throwing herself at a man, only to watch him walk away.

“That’s not the same thing.”

So much for men being simple creatures. “What was all that growling out there?”

“I didn’t like what he said to you.” The arms crossed again.

“The part about doing something else tonight?” That had taken her by surprise. Manny had never come on that strong before. The damn outfit was working on everyone but its intended target.

Lucas paced the four feet to the door and back. Running a hand through his hair, he said, “No. The part in Spanish.”

“You speak Spanish?” she asked, mystified.

“My first job out of law school was immigration work.”

Sid had to admit, she was curious. “What did Manny say?”

“You don’t know?” His eyes went wide.

Sid shrugged. “It’s been fourteen years. Randy rarely speaks it and I’ve forgotten the little I knew as a kid. So tell me what he said.”

Lucas mumbled, “He said you’re fine.”

“I’m fine?” Sid tried to imagine how that could be offensive. “That’s it?”

“It’s not what he said, it’s how he said it.” Another hand through the hair. “I need to get back out there. No one’s behind the bar.”

“Wait a minute.” She stopped him with a hand on his arm. “What are we doing tonight?”