Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1) (10 page)

I don’t have enough time to wonder about it
before my phone rings once again. I don’t even look at the screen
before I answer. There is only one person it could be.

My father.

Kelsey

“On time again?” Sara puts her hand on my
forehead. “Nope, she isn’t sick,” she says to Logan, who’s sitting
next to her at the bar.

“Hmmm.” He rubs his chin. “Could a certain
new man in town have anything to do with this punctual thing you’ve
got going on?”

He chuckles slightly and Sara giggles. I
swat her arm away from my face and walk around the bar to put my
purse in the cubby. I can get very little past Sara. When you put
her and Logan together, it’s like they are one smart-ass person
with this creepy power that makes you admit anything and everything
with just a look.

“I won’t deny it. I’m happy to see Ethan
again,” I say flatly. But his running off at breakfast a few days
ago? Not impressive and not a good sign, considering I haven’t seen
him since then.

“I knew it!” Sara shouts, kicking her chair
back as she stands and points a finger in my face. “You were into
him even when we were kids. Ahhh! This is so exciting.”

“Are you just figuring this out?” Logan
asks, returning her chair upright.

“No, I always knew. I was just waiting for
her to admit it.”

“Sure you were.” Logan joins me behind the
bar. I wipe off the counters as I make my way to the sink at one
end and turn on the water. I’ll let those two enjoy their moment.
If they can ever figure out their own relationship, I could see
many double dates in the future. A high squeal comes from their end
of the bar, and I look to see that Logan is now tickling Sara from
behind.

Why would she want to leave this? Most
people are happy when they talk about traveling, but there wasn’t a
smile on her face when she told me she was leaving. Just a mention
that her father said if she wants him to fund it, it’s now or
never.

“Okay, stop, stop. I need to talk to Kelsey
about girl things and you need to finish doing that inventory count
in the back.” She pushes Logan away and he grins until he’s out of
sight. God, those two drive me nuts.

“So, you and Logan?” I raise my eyebrows a
few times to tease her.

“No, I don’t think so. We need to talk about
you and Ethan. Do you really think it’s a good idea?” She laces her
fingers together on top of the bar and gives me a serious look.

“What, him being the manager? I think it
will work out fine. Why?”

“No, I’m talking about the idea of you and
him. Together. In a relationship. I think it’s a bad idea.”

“Whoa.” I set the rag down, cross my arms,
and lean my hip against the counter. “First, we’re not in a
relationship, and second, five minutes ago I thought you were
excited about this.”

“That was best friend Sara talking. This is
Boss Sara.”

“Ohhh, I see. Well, boss, nothing has come
up about dating. We’re just friends trying to catch up. That’s
all.”

Lies. All lies. I’m totally into him.

“Well, I hope so. He called to tell me he
would be working tonight after he made a huge deal last night about
not working. I assume it’s because of you.”

“Really?”

“I trust you, Kels, but the look on your
face just now doesn’t say ‘just friends’.”

I want to prove her wrong. Instead, I spend
most of the night watching the door, waiting for him to show up.
When he finally does, I struggle to keep my eyes off him.

Sara’s going to hate me if I screw this
up.

Ethan

I should be learning everything I can about
this place, but these people seem to think the only thing I know
how to do is change a keg or bring them more alcohol. I grab
another box of plastic cups from the storage room and head toward
the bar. Logan and Kelsey are the only bartenders tonight; Beth and
Abby are on the floor. I thought we’d need more people than that,
but since it’s Monday and the BA closes early, a small staff is all
we need.

I’m relieved to have Logan around. There are
mostly females employed here, and it’s not that I don’t enjoy it or
that I’m sexist, but it can be overwhelming trying to keep them all
happy. The guy I met on my first day was Lucas. He only works every
other Saturday, so I don’t plan on seeing him much.

I knock on the bar to get Logan’s attention.
“I moved that keg for you. Do you need anything else?”

If my dad were here, he
would be flipping out at my offer. “
Connellys don’t do favors for others; people do the favors
for the Connellys”
is his favorite
saying.

Funny thing is, I’m a Connelly and I like
helping other people. I’m not like him.

“No, I’m good,” Logan says and tilts his
head away from the bar. “What do you think so far? Is this
something you can handle?” There’s a touch of humor to his voice as
he asks me this. He nods toward the corner where Abby is waiting on
a group of men. They all look to be about my age and they’re all
watching her every move. She laughs and the entire group does the
same.

“I guess that’s one way to make tips.”

“You’ll get to see some pretty unique stuff
around here. Especially during the school year. Last fall, some guy
came in here every Friday night to sit in Beth’s section. He was a
student and all so it wasn’t anything weird, but he left her at
least fifty bucks every week.”

“Really, what was he drinking?”

“Water. He finally worked up the courage to
ask her out. She said no and the guy hasn’t been back since.”

I chuckle. “Money can’t buy everything.”

I lean back against the wall at the end of
the bar, crossing my ankles, and watch the scene in front of me.
Everyone, both customers and employees, seems at ease here. Being
in a bar isn’t just about drinking. This is where people come to
visit, meet up, or cool down after a busy day at work. A lot goes
into creating an environment like this. Does my dad know what he
would be getting into? If he ever got his hands on that account
number, would he take that away from these people?

“You look like you could use a drink,” Logan
says without looking back at me. He’s mixing a rum and coke in
front of him and before I know it, he pours it into a plastic cup
and hands it to me. “Here, take this to the cooler and relax for a
minute.”

I reach for it. “The cooler?”

“Yeah, it’s sort of our thing here. We can
have a drink or two after a certain time, but we usually take it to
the cooler to catch a break.”

“Why?”

“Why not? Just go.”

I stare at him hesitantly for a minute.

“Just do it.”

Glancing between him and the drink, I
finally give in. It’s been a long night and one drink isn’t going
to hurt anyone.

I push the door to the cooler open and step
inside only to freeze when I see Kelsey standing inside with her
back to me. She turns when she hears the door, setting down the cup
in her hand. Her eyes dart to the matching clear cup in mine.

“Starting this habit early, are you?”

“Looks to be the thing,” I say. “What are
you drinking?”

“Reds,” she says, picking up her cup and
finishing it. She steps for the door, but I stop her.

“You don’t have to leave just because I’m
here.”

“I’m not. But it might look weird if someone
realizes we’re both in the cooler for longer than five
minutes.”

“It hasn’t even been one minute; give me a
couple more.”

She rubs her arms and nods.

“Sorry I ran out on you the other morning.
Something came up, but it was a dick move.”

“Yeah, a little bit. Especially since you
left me with the dishes.” A hint of a smile touches her lips.

I laugh. “I did do that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, didn’t you ever hear the rule you
cook, you clean?”

“I may have heard of that. I promise next
time I’ll clean up my mess.”

Our eyes lock and her face lights up. Her
lips press together as she holds back a smile, but she still nods.
“Okay.”

I step toward her, because there’s no way
I’m going to pass on this chance with her. My hand grazes her arms
and goose bumps fill the surface, a mixture from my touch and the
temperature inside the cooler. I know it’s cold in here, but all I
can focus on is how Kelsey’s body feels against mine and the way
her eyes shine as she looks up at me. I have been dreaming about
this since the moment I came back. I lean forward and she closes
her eyes. The cooler hums mute the sound of my heartbeat. Her hand
rests against my cheek, and I can feel the closeness of our lips,
almost touching but not quite yet, and that’s when my cousin
decides she wants to join us.

“I don’t know where they are, but I’ll bring
you a case,” she says, holding the door open with her back to us. I
grab my cup, placing it inside Kelsey’s empty one, and step back
from her. She smiles and heads for the door.

“Oh there you are,” Sara says, glancing
between us. “What are you guys doing in the cooler? Are you crazy?
It’s cold in here.”

As if she were trying to make a point, she
shivers. “Ethan, grab a case of Bud bottles while you in here,” she
adds quickly before exiting. Kelsey follows right behind her.

With a grin, I grab the brown box. Sara just
caught two people in the freezer and acted like it was no big deal
we were hanging out in here. Either they all sneak off for drinks a
lot or she is a total space case.

Warm air hits me and Sara is waiting for me
on the other side, leaning with her back against the bar and her
arms crossed.

“Week one, Ethan,” she says, shaking her
head. “Seven days and you’re already sneaking into the cooler to do
what? Play kiss face with my best friend. This is a real business,
Ethan. I would think that after attending those business courses
and getting a degree you would have figured that out by now.
Behavior like that doesn’t work for me.”

“Hey, I didn’t plan for that to happen. She
was already in there. I had no idea.”

“And what? You thought you two would just
warm each other up?”

“Sara, it wasn’t like that,” I say with a
defensive tone.

She releases a long sigh before hanging her
head in front of her.

“Look, I kind of had a feeling things with
you and Kelsey would, well…I don’t know. I just had a feeling and
it turns out I was right.” She looks down and fidgets with her
hands. “Kelsey is my best friend and you’re my cousin. Promise me
you will get to know Kelsey better before you jump into anything. I
don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

Get to know Kelsey better. I will do
everything I could to make this happen. And I am not going to waste
any time doing it. I want her. I want every part of her.

There’s just one problem. I still haven’t
figured out how am I going to make a relationship with her and get
my father off my back?

“Absolutely,” I say when she gives me hug.
Sara heads in Logan’s direction, passing Kelsey as she does so. My
view lingers a bit as I watch her rinse some glasses in the
sink.

If I do what my father wants and Kelsey
finds out, I’ll never stand a chance with her. If I continue this
with Kelsey, I’ll never get the kind of relationship with my father
that I want. One has to mean more to me than the other, and it
scares me that losing an opportunity with Kelsey weighs on me just
as much as strengthening what I have with my father.

Ethan

Come on, come on. Stop talking already.

I watch in complete creeper fashion until
the moment Mrs. Mulligan closes her front door. Then, I quickly
head for Kelsey’s. If mornings together are all we have right now,
then I am going to make damn sure I am at her house to make
breakfast for her every day. I laid awake thinking about my
situation a lot last night and I came to a conclusion. I won’t let
anything happen to Sara’s bar, and my father isn’t going to hear a
word of it because I’m not going to let him find out. I’m going to
lie to him. Sara will keep the bar, I’ll end up with Kelsey, and my
father will be off my back. It’s the perfect plan.

Kelsey spots me from the doorstep. That’s
one smile I could get used to seeing every day. I take the porch
steps two at a time.

“Hey you.”

“Hey yourself.” She quickly looks away as
redness fills her cheeks. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear
and then gestures for me to come inside. Damn, she’s beautiful.

“I was thinking, if you have time today, I
could cash in that rain check and we could hang out.”

Hang out, really? Was that my best line?

“Look Ethan, last night in the cooler
was…well, I don’t know exactly. But you didn’t even try to talk to
me the rest of the night—I actually think you were avoiding me, and
I’m not the kind of girl who likes to play games. Either you like
someone or you don’t. If you like them, you act like a normal human
being around them. If you don’t like them, don’t lead them on.”

She crosses her arms, which pushes up her
chest. The other day she had a wicked cute “I just woke up” look.
Today, she’s completely ready in a pair of blue jean shorts, a pink
tank top, and a plaid shirt. Her hair is curled and pulled to side
and her soft brown eyes are the best part about her. When I look
into them, that’s when I realize I’ve been caught staring. I do
nothing to hide my pleased reaction.

Her hip pops to the side and she rests her
hand on it.

“Really, Ethan? I just gave you the ‘no
games’ speech and you chose that moment to check me out.” Kelsey
rolls her eyes and starts to open the door. I grab her wrist and
turn her to face me.

“No games. Not this time. I’m sorry. Give me
one more chance and I won’t screw it up. Not this time. I
promise.”

Taking in a deep breath, Kelsey’s gaze roams
down and then back up my body. I’d be lying if I said those eyes
didn’t make every inch of me crave her. When she pulls her bottom
lip into her mouth and bites on it, it takes every ounce of
self-control not to kiss her.