Page 41 of Shifting Sands
“What up, man? Wade wanted me to ask if you were still up for poker next week,” Lennon says as I pull up a chair from one of the other tables and take a seat.
“What night?” I ask.
“Friday.”
“I’ll check my schedule and get back to you guys,” I say.
Lennon lifts a brow. “Check your schedule? Audrey will be back, won’t she?”
“Audrey’s not the female he’s concerned about,” Anson says, grinning at me as he picks up his beer.
Fucker.
Everyone’s attention slides from their menu to me.
“What other female has bearing on your schedule these days, Brew?” Amiya asks.
I don’t answer, so Anson takes it upon himself to do it for me.
“Ida Mae’s niece.”
Avie gasps. “Brandee? How?”
I slide my gaze to hers. “She and her friends came in here last weekend, and we connected.”
Anson laughs. “They connected all right.”
If looks could kill, his head would be exploding right now.
“Wait, you and Brandee? You’re the friend who works at the garage?” Amiya squeals.
“That’s me,” I mutter.
“What do you mean, the friend who works at the garage?” Avie asks, her confusion evident.
Amiya leans forward, resting her elbows on the table and narrowing her eyes at me. “When I invited Brandee over for drinks after our Bald Head trip, she said she couldn’t come because she was seeing a guy she’d met at Whiskey Joe’s last week, who works at a garage on the island.”
“You went with her to Bald Head?” I ask.
Amiya nods. “I sure did and she seemed awfully excited about her lunch date.”
“I’m confused,” Tabby chimes in.
“So am I. Why don’t you clear things up for us?” Amiya says, her glare focused on me.
I let out a breath. “She and her friends came into the bar while Cody Banks was playing. They were being hit on and approached by guys left and right. To escape the crowd, she came and sat at the bar, and we started talking. We really hit it off. Her friend was being funny and acting all protective, but once I passed the test, she nudged us to spend more time together. So, she and the other friend took off, and I ended up giving Brandee a ride home.” I pause and glance up at them.
“And …” Amiya prompts me to continue.
“And I like her. She likes me too. We’re spending time together while she’s house-sitting.”
“Why does she think you work at a garage?” Avie asks.
I shrug. “I was working behind the bar that night. She thought I was just one of the bartenders. Later, while we were talking, I mentioned that I worked with cars, and she assumed I was a mechanic. Yesterday, I was at Willis’s place, working on a classic race car that my grandfather had bought for me at an auction. She brought me lunch. I never told her I worked there, but I guess she just assumed.”
“And you didn’t correct her?” Amiya asks.
“No, I didn’t.”
