Aleck sobered. “Just that she’s not all that keen on dating right now. I guess she’s got an asshole ex.”
“Shit,” Jag swore softly, then straightened in his chair. “Well, the only easy day was yesterday.”
Aleck rolled his eyes at the same time as Midas and Mustang. The phrase was a fairly popular SEAL saying, but he wasn’t sure it really applied to dating a gun-shy woman. Though it wasn’t as if he was an expert in relationships.
Just then, the woman in question headed for their table, and Aleck smiled when Jag sat even straighter.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Carly asked Aleck.
“Iced tea, please,” he said.
Carly smiled. “Of course.”
They all watched as she glanced briefly at Jag, blushed, then hurried away after making sure everyone else was still good with their drinks.
“She might be gun-shy,” Mustang said softly. “But she isn’t un-interested.”
“I can be patient,” Jag said, sipping his beer.
His friend’s interest in the waitress was intriguing, but Aleck’s attention was already caught by Kenna. She was welcoming a couple sitting on the other side of the bar, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He hadn’t been this into a woman in a long while.
When she’d taken their order and headed back toward the kitchen, her gaze met his, and she smiled.
It felt good to know the attraction wasn’t one-sided.
Aleck sat back, happy to chill for as long as Elodie and Lexie wanted to stay. Even if he couldn’t talk to Kenna, it was nice to simply be in the same place as she was.
Chapter Four
Kenna felt almost giddy. She hadn’t been this excited about a guy in…
She wasn’t sure how long it had been, just that it had definitely been a while. Marshall was funny, and clearly not afraid to admit when he’d made a mistake. She’d been disappointed at the way he’d looked down on the fact that she was a professional waitress, but he’d seemed genuine with his apology.
And she couldn’t help but remember how good it felt to hold his hand. It was silly, but his thumb brushing back and forth over her knuckles had sent goose bumps racing down her arm.
She liked how close he seemed with his friends too. She wanted any man she dated to have his own interests. She’d seen how clingy Shawn was with Carly. At first it had seemed romantic that he wanted to know where she was all the time and when she’d get home. But then it had started to get…overbearing.
“So, that went well, yeah?” Carly asked when they had two minutes between orders to talk.
Kenna couldn’t keep the huge smile off her face. “Yeah, it did.”
“Good. I like seeing you happy.”
“Now, don’t go getting all crazy. We just talked for half an hour. We weren’t planning our wedding or anything,” Kenna warned her friend.
“I know, but seriously, you’re glowing,” Carly said.
“He’s a good guy. I mean, I know I don’t know him all that well yet, but he didn’t hesitate to apologize when he said something insensitive, and I honestly think he meant it.”
Carly wrinkled her nose. “Not sure it’s a good sign he’s already put his foot in his mouth,” she said.
“I know. But I’d much rather him be honest than blow smoke up my ass. He’s real, Carly, which I like.”
“True,” her friend mused. “Shawn did everything he could to be perfect when we first started dating, and it wasn’t until a couple months had gone by that he started slipping and being an ass.”
“Exactly,” Kenna said with a nod. “I mean, I don’t want to be with a guy who’s constantly a jerk and apologizing for it, but I also don’t want to be snowed by someone who’s going out of his way to say what he thinks I want to hear.”
“So…what’d he say?” Carly asked.
Kenna sighed. “He just made me feel as if he thought waitressing wasn’t a ‘real’ job. That it should be something I’m doing while I’m looking for some corporate career.”
Carly shrugged. “Lots of people feel that way.”
“I know. It just caught me off guard.”
“You made sure he knew the error in his thinking, right?” Carly asked.
“Yeah. We talked a little about his job as a SEAL, and I think he realized pretty fast that he’d been rude. I called him a snob,” Kenna admitted.
“You didn’t!”
Kenna shrugged. “I did. But in my defense, he kinda was acting like one.”
Carly studied Kenna for a long moment.
“What?” Kenna asked.
“You came back in here all smiles and glowy, like I said. So you obviously worked it out.”
“We did,” Kenna confirmed.
“I’m happy for you,” Carly said. “I mean, the fact that you guys could have a serious conversation like that and still like each other afterward…it’s…good, Kenna. Seriously.”
“I think so too,” Kenna admitted softly.
The two friends smiled at each other but were interrupted by Justin sticking his head into the kitchen and saying, “Carly, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Me?” she asked in confusion. “What do they want?”
“Don’t know,” Justin said. “Vera just told me to tell you that someone was here for you. That’s all I know. He’s up front.”
“Okay, thanks,” Carly said.
Justin disappeared and Carly turned to Kenna. “Seriously, girl. I like him. He was polite and courteous the whole time I was serving their table. They all were. I admit that I don’t have any desire to date right now, but if I did…I might give you a run for your money.”
“You aren’t interested in Marshall,” Kenna said with a smirk. “But Jag, on the other hand…” Her voice trailed off.
Carly held up a hand. “Nope. No way. Not going there.”
Kenna laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll shut up about it. I’ll take the order to your table so you can go and see who wants to talk to you. I hope it’s an old guy with a million-dollar tip he wants to give to you for being such an awesome waitress.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” Carly said with a smile. “And thanks for taking my order.”
“Anytime.” Kenna headed to where the orders were sitting under heating lamps, staying warm, and made sure she grabbed the right meals, loaded up a tray, and headed out into the restaurant.
After she’d dropped off the food to a very appreciative couple, Kenna heard a commotion from the bar area. Turning, she saw Carly talking with a man.
Her ex. Shawn Keyes.
Kenna had heard more than enough stories about how horrible he was to Carly. When they’d first started dating, Carly had been flattered that an older man was interested in her. Everything had been all sunshine and roses for a couple months, until Shawn’s crazy started coming out. Carly had tried to explain away his abusive and aggressive behavior, but eventually it became too much. And when she’d come to work with a huge bruise on her upper arm, Kenna and the other waitstaff had convinced her to leave the asshole.