"Dammit, Marianne. Has. She. Told. Him?"
Her friend's shoulders drooped. "No. She chickened out. But she told me she's going to try again."
"When."
"Today."
"Today?" Holy shit. "I'll call the bar," she babbled. "Explain who I am. Maybe he's there. Maybe they'll give me his number."
Marianne tilted her head sideways, and Eva exhaled, then checked her watch.
"Or maybe I'm going to Austin."
Chapter Four
As his son had expected, Tyree spent Wednesday in the kitchen at The Fix. And by the time evening rolled around, and the place started to fill up with customers coming in for a drink and the Mr. April contest, Tyree had pretty much perfected a new recipe. He forced all the kitchen staff to taste--to unanimous approval--then tested the dish on a few of the after-work regulars, just to make sure his employees weren't blowing smoke up his ass.
Since the customers had given it the thumbs-up, too, Tyree called it a win and made a note to add it to the menu, just as soon as he figured out what to call it. Somehow, BBQ Bacon Chicken Pineapple Kebabs seemed a little too wordy.
Then again, maybe he'd run it by Jenna. She'd come up with a calendar contest. Maybe she could make a contest out of naming that dish, too.
Either way, by the time he'd tossed his chef's coat into the laundry and emerged into the main bar area, the place was hopping.
So busy in fact, that his bartender, Cameron, was looking a little crazed. Since Eric was on break
, Tyree slid behind the bar himself, waving off Reece, who was hurrying in the same direction, obviously with the same plan.
"Thanks," Cam said, as he poured dirty martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives for two women in business suits. "I had it under control when I told Eric to take his break. Then we got slammed."
"No worries. And thanks for coming in tonight. We're short staffed." Not a good situation ever, but especially not on a Man of the Month night. And since Cam had recently been promoted to assistant weekend manager, this was one of his nights off.
"Honestly, it's no big deal. I already miss working alternating Wednesdays," Cam said. "The contest's the best show in town."
"You can say that again," Mina Silver said, slipping through the crowd and climbing gracefully onto a miraculously empty bar stool. She used the footrest for leverage, then rose up so she could lean over the bar and press a kiss to Cam's forehead. "Especially when Mr. March is on the stage."
She eyed him up and down. "Of course the part of Mr. March I really want to see is X-rated. Better wait until after hours."
Tyree forced back a grin as Cam shook his head in mock exasperation, then passed Mina a water.
"You laugh," Mina said, her green eyes sparkling as she blew a kiss toward Cam. "But we both know I'll get what I want."
Tyree held up his hands. "I hear nothing. I see nothing."
"A good policy," Cam said as he pointed to Mina. "And you're in for it later."
Mina batted her eyes innocently. "Can't wait."
Cam flashed a grin, then moved down the bar as the seat next to Mina opened up.
"Oh! Grab that for me!" Tyree glanced up from the draft he was pulling to see Amanda, a local real estate agent and another regular hurrying toward the now-empty stool that Mina was saving by putting her hand on the seat.
"Thanks. I'm desperate for a cocktail," Amanda said as she climbed up. "I need to be properly toasted in order to cheer Nolan on. I tried to convince Mom and Dad to come tonight, but they said they'd just rely on me to fill them in on the high points."
Tyree chuckled, remembering that Amanda and Nolan, a local radio personality, were step-siblings.
"You should talk to Brooke and Spencer," Mina said mischievously. "They might want you on camera. Giving the dish about a contestant. Could bring up ratings..."
"Could get me in the doghouse with my brother. Besides, do you know the crap he could say about me on the radio? He knows way too many of my secrets."