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Vann drops his last dish into the drainer, peels off his gloves and apron, then eyes ht Where’s my paycheck?”

With a peek out through the kitchenlooking into the restaurant, I note all the custo up the last tables I come up pleasantly close to Vann’s face “You want a form of payment for all that hard work?”

“I ht?”

I pretend to gawk in offense “Oh, I owe you?? Is that so? I’ht?”

“Well, if I wasn’t here to pick you up, I wouldn’t have been put to work, right?”

I tilt my head coyly “Maybe”

“Maybe Maybe Yeah, ‘”

My heart skips a beat “Or so …?”

“Or so,” he repeats

We have been basicallyschool dance neither of us went to Couples all over Spruce are … doing things I’m certain of it Is it ti, too? In an instant, I can’t think straight I can’t even focus on his face as hts, fears, worries, excitements, pleasures …

“I’ll go get the bike,” he says “You can tell Mrs Tucker ‘you’re welco smirk, he tosses the apron at me and heads out the door, and my eyes drop to his ass in those dark skinny jeans of his and his ht How does Vann s look so sexy? “Later, Mick,” I hear him call out, and Mick—who pops out his earbud a second too late—squints in his direction and hoarsely yells back, “Huh?” But Vann’s already out the door The guy’s probably just surprised Vann remembered his name