Page 33 of The Write Track
“I go to coffee shops,” I replied defensively.
She rolled her eyes. “Coffee shops are not cocktail bars.”
“Really?” I replied dryly. “You should run some marketing strategies for all the coffee shops in the area. I’m sure they’d love witty insights like that.”
Bree snorted. She liked when I got snarky. I’d been a snarky teenager. I’d even been snarky in college. Somewhere along the way, though, I’d lost that too. I was happy to be getting it back. Heck, I was happy to be getting all of it back.
“The event is on the rooftop patio,” Brody offered. “I’m ready for a drink and food before we get to it.”
“He’s been feeling anxious this week,” Bree explained. “With the retreat breathing down our necks, he’s realized that he’s notgoing to have control over what comes next, and he’s not taking it well.”
“Thank you, baby,” Brody drawled, glaring at her. “I appreciate you explaining how I’m feeling to everybody.”
She turned sheepish. “Sorry. That was an overstep.”
“No.” Brody turned instantly contrite. “It’s fine. I am feeling anxious. I don’t like not knowing how all of this is going to play out.”
“We’ll get to that,” Nathan said before inclining his head toward the incoming server. “Let’s order first.”
Nobody argued.
Bree went first. “I’ll have the Bees in the Trap,” she started. “That’s a really weird name for a drink, by the way.”
The server looked bored, as if she’d heard that all the time.
“I’ll also have the Fitzroy Burger, medium, please.”
The server moved her attention to Hayley.
“I’ll have the Lemon Espresso Martini and the Beeler’s Bone-in Pork Chop.” Hayley was not one to waste time.
I was up next and not prepared. “Um… I’ll have the Cucumber Blossom,” I said quickly.
“Ah, if only it was a pickle martini,” Nathan teased in a warm voice right next to my ear that sent strange jolts through my body.
I had to force myself to focus. “I’ll have the roasted chicken for my entrée.”
Nathan slung an easy arm over the back of my chair. It wasn’t a proprietary move. He was just being friendly. The warmth I felt at my back immediately calmed me some. It was weird.
“I’ll have the Gentlemen to drink and the Georgia Shrimp as an appetizer,” he said. “For my entrée, I’ll have the twelve-ounce Prime New York Strip Steak, rare.”
The server lingered longer with him, smiling flirtingly, before turning her attention to Brody. Even though Brody was anattractive man, he very obviously only had eyes for Bree, so she wasn’t nearly as happy to focus on him. “And you, sir?” she asked blandly.
“Um…” Brody jerked his gaze from Bree and focused on the menu. “I will have the Barrel Aged Black Manhattan to drink and the Fitzroy Burger for my entrée. Medium, please.”
“You got it.” The server gathered the menus, sent Nathan one more flirty look, then sauntered off.
I expected to find Nathan watching her. He wasn’t, though. He was focused on me. “You haven’t seen Preston Douche Canoe III in the past few days, have you?”
I frowned. He looked intense. “I would have told you if I had. I mean, you text a hundred times a day.”
“Text?” Bree dragged her gaze from Brody—it looked as if it took effort—and gave me her full attention. “I didn’t realize you guys were texting.” There was a lilt in her voice that gave me pause.
Nathan responded before I could.
“Yes, well, the parameters of the game have changed,” he said. He was all business. “Preston tracked down Bella in a coffee shop when she was working several days ago.”
Bree sat ramrod straight in her chair. “Does he want to die? What is wrong with him?”
