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“Well…good. How about tonight?” I spluttered and barely managed to get out the words because in my mind, I’d imagined this huge argument and, like I’d done so often with my father, I had plotted out my talking points. “Are you sure?”

Norah smirked. “What? Now you’ve changed your mind?” She laughed and shook her head. “Bodhi, lesson one. In business, you must be decisive.”

“Decisive. Right. Got it.” I nodded while staring into her smiling eyes. I wondered if she knew I was incredibly attracted to her. I mean, by now she must at least suspect. I took a deep breath.

“I can see it in your face. No you don’t.” She laughed. “Okay, we’ll go slower then. And I’m going to need some caffeine for this. I’d pretty much planned to call it an early night.”

“Coffee or soda?” I asked, a newfound spring in my step.

She eyed me silently. “I’m going to guess it’s a basic pot of coffee, so I’m going to go with Coke.”

“Regular or diet?” I asked, my brow furrowed.

“Are you calling me fat, Bodhi?” Her eyes widened.

“No…” I gave myself a mental head slap. “I just know some people have a preference.”

“Lesson Two. Never insult the customer, even unintentionally.” Norah sighed and wandered around to join me behind the bar. She helped herself to a glass, scooped up ice from the bin and then lifted the soda gun from its holster and made her own drink.

“Coke. Good choice.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets in an effort to not do anything else that would irritate her.

“Hand out of your pockets,” Norah gestured. “It makes you look lazy and it definitely slows you down while you’re working.”

Too late. Clearly, I could do nothing right, which was strange since I’d been running this bar for days with no major fuck ups. Sure, there was the woman who received the wrong microbrew. And there was a couple whose mozzarella sticks were a tad overdone, but really this seemed minor.

Slowly, I pulled my hands from my pockets. “Anything else?” I had no idea what to do with myself. I was about to rest my elbow on the counter when she stopped me with a shake of her head.

“No leaning.” Norah grinned. “The saying goes, if you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

“I think I hate that saying.” I tugged on my chin. “Surely, that doesn’t apply to management.”

Norah laughed. “You’re cute. It applies to everyone.” Then she blew out a breath. “In order for a place to run successfully, you need to accept that there’s always something to do. Activity breeds interest. And if nothing is happening around here, then there’s no reason for people to come in droves, now is there?”

I shook my head. “What do you suggest?” As I stared around the half empty bar, I sighed. “I would like to think it’s because we’re new.”

“I’m sure that’s part of it, but if you want to one day be old…” She rolled her eyes when I started to object. “If you want the bar to be old, I meant to say. Although I’m guessing you’ll get old too. After all, the alternative is less than appealing.”

“Death really is,” I agreed.

“So, who works here and what do they do?” Norah looked around the room. “Do you have an employee handbook, an opening and closing checklist, inventory…” She frowned. “Why did all the color drain from your face?”

“Did I say one night? The way you’re talking, I may need one week.” I laughed weakly while rubbing the back of my neck. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure if this whole ‘Norah teaching me the ropes’ was such a good idea. I didn’t need another person in my life to make me feel stupid and inferior. I had my father and brother for that.

“So…your brother set you up and dumped you on your ass?” She blinked a few times and I sensed she was struggling to process what she’d discovered.

“Well, in Max’s defense, he was busy planning a wedding,” I reminded her nervously.

“Okay. So, what if you do whatever it is you think you do around here? I’ll get the lay of the land if you’ll show me to the office.” She licked her lips and asked calmly, “You do have an office, right?”

I nodded numbly. “Of course I do.” Then I brought her down the hall to the door labeled for employees only. At the end of the hall was my office. I had barely sat in the chair. Instead, it had become the drop zone for all the paperwork I didn’t know what to do with. I avoided it as much as possible.

Once inside the room, she scanned the space and sighed. “Bodhi, we’re gonna need to talk. You know this, right?”

I nodded sadly. Already, I had disappointed her. I usually managed to get in a couple of dates before this happened. “So, I’ll leave you to it,” I murmured as I wandered back out to the bar area.

When I returned, Hawk came over to join me. “What’s up, Bodhi?”

I shrugged. “Just fucking up every good thing in my life,” I muttered. “Basically, the usual.”

“What’s ruined?” He frowned.

“The bar. Norah. Everything.” I threw my hands up and let them fall at my sides.

He shook his head. “If Norah and the bar were ruined, she’d have come running back out here and bolted through the door without saying a word. Have hope, Bodhi.”

A minute later, Norah wandered out and my heart sank. Only she didn’t run for the exit. Instead, she wandered over to me. “I forgot my soda.” She grinned and started to walk away, but I stopped her.

Grabbing her free arm, I slowly turned her around to face me. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” Then I impulsively leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Her eyes widened. “I think I have some idea.”