Jodi stiffened. “What? Why?”
“Said we didn’t need him anymore since we solved the mystery.”
“Of course we need him.” Her voice was absurdly high pitched. Why would he do that?
“Jodi, don’t get in a huff. You can tell him that yourself tomorrow. Give the man some time off first though. He’s worked his ass off for months. He’s probably exhausted.”
“But why would he quit?” She fisted her hands on her knees, her chest pounding.
“You made it perfectly clear to him many times that we couldn’t afford him, honey. I’m sure he thinks he needs to lighten our load.”
“But that’s not true anymore. We’ve made more money since he started. He brought in more business. He’s part of the team. We need him.” She realized she sounded desperate.
Her father chuckled. “You don’t have to convince me. I doubt you’ll have to convince him either. Chill. He was just doing what he thought was right.”
“If we continue with the same level of increased business as we’ve had lately, we’ll be able to buy the storefront next door. Expand. Add a kitchen. Maybe increase our beer selection. It would be cool if we had several microbrews on tap. They could rotate each week. We could represent all the local microbreweries. That’s what other bars are doing.”
He smiled at her in that way that said he agreed and she was preaching to the choir. “Hon, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Your idea sounds amazing, but we would need a lot of cash for a down payment like you’re suggesting. We haven’t brought in that kind of extra money to stash away for over a year. One month of increased sales is not a strong enough reflection of the future. The area has more bars nowadays. Competition is stiff.”
She leaned forward. “That’s why we need a kitchen and more variety. I know we can do it. I’ll talk to Tuck. He’ll agree.” He has to.
She shifted her attention to the television as the opening credits started. As she turned up the volume, she hoped to God she wasn’t mistaken about Tuck. Surely, the reason he quit was because he thought he was a liability. She would set him straight. She needed him. In her bar. In her life. In her bed. She wasn’t about to let him go. Not without a fight.
Was she really going to have to fight for him though?
Last night when he’d left, she’d been certain he was all in. He needed to wrap up this last show, and then he would be hers. He’d said so several times. He’d looked at her like she was the only girl in the world. She hadn’t imagined it. She knew she hadn’t. Tomorrow morning after he left the courthouse, he would be all hers.
It didn’t matter that they hadn’t even kissed. Her gut told her he was it for her. The one. She was in love with him. Maybe it was unconventional to be so certain about a man she was basically no more than friends with, but the universe wouldn’t dare put the perfect man in her path and then make them sexually incompatible. That would be too cruel.
Her body lit up every time he was in the room. His did too. She’d seen the evidence many times. She’d spent the past month thinking about him night and day. Her vibrator would no longer charge fully. He made her panties wet and her nipples stiff every time he stepped through the front door.
The sex between them was going to be explosive. She knew it. She would confirm this tomorrow at noon without wasting a second. Fuck lunch. All she wanted was the freedom to finally get naked with her man.
“I just don’t want you to get your hopes up about expanding. That’s a long shot and far off in the future,” her father added.
“Shh. It’s starting.” She pointed at the television and braced herself for whatever was about to happen.
Katia was the first to come out, followed by Tuck. For a moment, Jodi ignored Katia to focus on the man who made her heart throb. He had an odd look on his face that concerned her. It was a combination of frustration and delight. His brow was furrowed, but he was almost smiling.
He looked amazing. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white button-down shirt tucked in. He had on loafers. His hair was its usual short-cropped perfection. His bulging biceps revealed the tattoos that extended under his short sleeves. He was delicious.
Katia was wearing a pale-yellow sundress that fit too tight across her chest and insisted she was the vision of sweetness and innocence. Was anyone buying that shit? She even wore matching yellow sandals instead of heels. If anyone was watching that knew nothing about this show and her antics over the last several months, they would think she was pure and good.
The two of them sat on a loveseat that was angled to face the audience with a single chair across from them where the host was seated. Jodi recognized Cameron DeSantes from the previous episodes. He had also hosted several other reality shows with New Millennia Media in recent years. The man was smooth. He could work an audience.
There was a live audience behind the camera, and as the cameraman turned around to pan over the guests, Jodi noticed the wedding party was all seated in the front row. All sixteen of them. Even Brittany B and Dawson, both of whom fans were convinced Katia was sleeping with.
Jodi was relieved when the camera cut back to Tuck. He looked uncomfortable, and was leaning away from Katia, his elbow on the arm of the sofa. Katia was leaning into his side, her hand wrapped possessively around his biceps.
Jodi thought she might vomit and the show was just beginning. She had to endure two more hours of this crap.
“So,” Cameron began, looking directly into the camera. “Welcome, everyone, to the final episode of this first season of Cold
