Ty glanced at me for an instant before he turned and grabbed two pint glasses, filling them from the tap.
He took the glasses, with our favorite beer, and set them in front of us. “Anything else I can get y’all?”
He didn’t sound angry; that was a good sign.
When I didn’t say anything, Colton spoke up. “I know your brother here was jonesing for some fries. Bring us a large.”
Ty nodded and put the order into the computer. He paused, glancing over at me again. “Are you sure that’s all you want?”
I licked my dry lips. “Hey, Ty…” I started tentatively. I wanted to apologize but didn’t know how to bring it up. Or what to say. I fucking punched him.
Ty shook his head, tapping the computer screen one last time before turning to me and folding his arms across his chest.
“Don’t, Atlas. It’s fine.”
I jerked my head back. “It’s fine?”
He nodded, running a hand over his injured jaw gingerly. “I’m honestly shocked you’ve never clocked me before this. I deserved it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
Ty sighed. “I’m not mad, Atlas. Get over it, because I am.”
And with that, he turned his back on me to tend to some other patrons on the other end of the bar.
Colton chuckled, picking up his beer and taking a long drink.
“What’s so funny?” I snapped.
Colton set down his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Nothing.” He shook his head. “Drink up, my friend. I got this round.”
I drank deeply, the cold beer dulling the discomfort from my conversation with Ty. He’d been keeping himself busy, so we hadn’t talked again, and by the time I reached the bottom of my glass, a basket of hot, fresh fries appeared in front of me.
“Atlas,” a soft, familiar voice that made my blood flare.
I knew it was her before I turned my head and met those green, perfect eyes. “Wren.”
She smiled, one of her genuine smiles that made the tiny dimple in her chin appear.
“I thought it was your day off?” I asked, not at all disappointed to see her.
She nodded. “It is. I saw these sitting up at the line on my way back from the bathroom and thought I’d run them out. Wanda cut most of the floor already, so everyone was busy.”
She shrugged. My chest tightened as I took her in, my eyes scanning the length of her body from top to bottom. She wore a thin pale-pink dress that draped loosely over her tall, lean body. She had on a pair of strappy leather shoes and her hair was full and styled in smooth curls that were…blonde. She was beautiful. The blonde hair fit her in a way the darker color hadn’t. It made her even more attractive, and I didn’t know that was possible.
Colton’s cackle snapped me out of my stupor. I’d been staring at her too long. I clenched my jaw, closing my mouth that had fallen open. Shit. I cleared my throat and tried to tear my eyes away, but I couldn’t.
“You look nice, tonight.” I cringed. That was an insult to the way she looked right now.
Wren smoothed the dress down, shifting under the weight of my gaze. “Thanks.” The faintest flush creeped up her neck and my stomach flipped. “Ellie and I went to her sister’s boutique. She had so many beautiful pieces.” She indicated the dress again, and I wanted to tell her it wasn’t the dress that was beautiful.
I just nodded in response.
Colton grunted beside me. “Since this ass won’t introduce us, I guess I’ll have to do that myself.”
I rolled my eyes as he reached a hand toward Wren.
“I’m Colton Wilder. Obviously, I work with Atlas.” He gestured toward the uniform we both wore.