“Fine. You had a shit job.” Levi let out a snort of laughter. “But I’ll bet my next endorsement check that you weren’t required by your boss to wear short, shorts, a cleavage-bearing t-shirt, and ankle-breaking heels.”
Already in a bad mood because of his mother’s latest Tanner centric guilt-trip, Levi’s need to have the last word grated heavily on Dylan’s last fraying nerve.
“Now that I think back,” he said with a sneer. “I didn’t ask you to come along.”
“I invited myself,” Levi agreed with a happy nod of his head. “As moral support. Did you forget? Not ten minutes ago you thanked me. You were so moved, so grateful for my company, tears glistened in your eyes.”
“Glistened?” Despite himself, he had to grin. “What? Are you writing a romance novel? Am I your perfect love?”
“In an alternate dimension, sure.” Levi winked. Then, his expression turned thoughtful. “Wait. I’m wrong. My heart would lead me to Piper. She’s my one true love in any dimension.”
“Jesus,” Levi scoffed. “I must be the only man to be rejected here and in an alternate universe?”
“I’m a bad, bad man,” Levi said, clutching his chest with an exaggerated sigh. “And yet, with all the women in both worlds, something tells me you’d find a way to get over me.”
Chuckling at the absurdity of their conversation, Dylan was truly thankful to have a friend like Levi by his side who knew how to pull him from his darker thoughts. He scanned the room again. This time, his gaze landed directly on the reason he was stuck in Trident, New Mexico.
“Found her.”
“Where?” Levi asked, scanning the crowd.
“Straight ahead,” Dylan instructed.
“Straight to the right, or straight to the left?” Levi asked, shaking his head. “I don’t see her. Be more specific.”
“How can you miss her? Short dark hair, slender, subtle but interesting curves.” Dylan’s gaze narrowed as he saw nothing but the woman walking his way. “Great smile.”
“Now I see her.” But Levi wasn’t looking at the woman. His eyes were on Levi. “Forget what I said before?”
Only half-listening, Dylan frowned.
“Hm? Before? What did you say? I don’t remember.”
“Something about Eve Stewart not being your type,” Levi responded with a wide grin. “Guess I was wrong.”
“No, you weren’t,” Dylan assured his friend. “But she does have a killer smile.”
Content to wait and observe, Dylan found himself fascinated by the young woman he’d come to see. Like the other waitresses, she wore cut-off jeans that hinted liberally at the beginning swell of her butt. The t-shirt was tight and compared to her counterparts, her cleavage was minimal.
Eve Stewart’s legs weren’t long, but they covered a lot of territory in a short amount of time. Levi was right. The heels were too high and utterly impractical. But somehow, Eve managed to balance a tray of drinks, take new orders, and stay upright in a pair of shoes no one should want to wear let alone be required as part of her job.
“She’s a bundle of energy,” Levi said, admiration in his voice. “A motorized pixie.”
“Pixie,” Dylan mused. “Good word.”
“I see what you mean about her smile. Megawatt. And a laugh to match.”
Like music, Dylan thought as the sound reached his ears.
“She’s not as endowed as the other waitresses,” Levi observed. “But how much do you want to bet she outdistances them on tips?”
Dylan simply nodded. Growing impatient, he waited his turn; anticipating the moment Eve, and her smile, finally reached him.
“Welcome to Shady Dan’s.”
Eve’s voice was a surprise. Deeper than Dylan expected with a husky note that made the air in his lungs stutter in his throat. She cleared away the empty bottles, giving the table a quick swipe with a damp cloth. She glanced at Levi and smiled.
“Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. The place is busier than usual because the rodeo’s in town and one of our waitresses called in sick at the last minute.” Eve took a breath and laughed. “None of which matters when you want a drink. What can I get you?”
Eve directed her remarks and her bubbling personality toward Levi. Dylan wondered if he’d suddenly become invisible. Wondering why everyone in the room received her attention but him, he glared at his friend.
“Two bottles of beer,” Levi told her.
“Be right back,” Eve said.
Stunned, unsure what just happened, Dylan watched as Eve disappeared into the crowd.
“Close your mouth,” Levi told him. “Your chin is about to hit the floor.”
“You can see me, right?” Dylan waved his hand in front of Levi’s face.
“Yes.”
“Then why did she act as though I wasn’t here?” Dylan demanded. “She acted like you were the only person at the table.”
“My face tends to have that effect on people?” Levi said with a straight face. “Not the first time my good looks have left a woman dazzled.”
“Explain why all quarterbacks believe they are God’s gift to the world,” Dylan said, his lip curling into a sneer.
“Because we are,” Levi answered with a shrug.
“Fuck you.”
“I get why you’re pissed off,” Levi continued, unconcerned by the glare Dylan shot his way. “You felt a blast of unwanted instant attraction.”
“Not a blast,” Dylan muttered. “More of a slight breeze.”
Ignoring Dylan’s pout, Levi shrugged.
“Women fall at your feet left and right. Must have been a shock to your ego when Eve didn’t do the same.”
Dylan didn’t want Eve at his feet. For reasons he couldn’t explain, all he wanted was a smile. Every other man in the bar received one. Hell, she graced Levi with a week’s worth. Why not him?
“And she’s back,” Levi said. As Eve set the beers on the table, he checked his watch. “Impressive time.”
“You looked thirsty,” Eve explained with a wink.
A wink? Dylan rolled his eyes. Unbelievable. Tired of watching their stomach-turning flirt-fest from the sidelines, he decided enough was enough. To get Levi’s attention, and because hitting a woman was forbidden, he punched his friend in the arm—this non-throwing arm. Hard
