marco
“You look like a lost puppy,”Neo said.
I sat down next to my brother, ignoring him and waiting for Owen to serve us.
“Marco,” he said, more sternly. I looked at him, a face similar to mine staring back at me. When we were younger, people thought Neo and I were twins. As we got older, though, it was pretty easy to tell us apart. Especially when we opened our mouths.
Neo was the nice guy. Everyone loved him. Including me.
“What?” I said with more of an edge than I’d intended.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Thanks,” Owen said, coming up to us. “The two of you, front and center. That should bring in at least a few more female customers.”
“This one’s off the market,” I said, squeezing my brother’s arm as an apology for my tone. “So he’s not gonna help you much.”
“Mmm,” Owen nodded to a high-top where four women, tourists most likely, were peeking our way. “They don’t know that.”
“So you want to pimp us out for a few extra bucks?” Neo asked, smiling.
“Not above it. The usual?”
“Sure,” I said as Owen tapped his hand on the bar and turned away to grab glasses.
“Sorry,” I said to my brother. “Glad you could get out tonight.”
“Thayle just texted me. Apparently, there are like ten of them heading out for a girl’s night now.”
“Ten women invading Southpoint. Sounds like fun. They’re staying over?”
“Yeah, something about a birthday.”
“Otherwise known as an excuse for a girl’s night. Thanks, Owen,” I said as he slid two beers our way.
“As if they need one. Speaking of girls. Rachel’s gone away for one night and look at you.”
Since the argument at the Wine Cellar, my siblings had tiptoed around the topic of Rae. Wednesday, she came to family night, but we mostly kept to ourselves in the corner of the deck with the exception of the half hour she spent inside with Min, Brooke, and Thayle. The fact that I missed having her next to me for such a short time told me all I needed to know about what was happening between us.
“I thought you all were nuts,” I admitted. “First, Cos. Then you and Min.”
Neo knew exactly what I was talking about. “When you find the right person...”
My heart raced at the implication. “I wouldn’t go that far. I like her,” I admitted.
“Like her? She goes away for one damn night and you look like hell.”
“I look fine.” Owen paused in front of us. “Do I look like hell?”
The owner of KC’s looked me up and down. “Maybe a little bit,” he said, likely sensing the disagreement between Neo and I. Naturally he took my brother's side. Time to shift focus.
“What about you?” I asked Owen. “All these lovely ladies coming in and out of the bar. How have you managed to stay single?
“Same as you, Marco. Haven’t found the right one yet. Not convinced there is such a thing.”
Usually, I’d agree with him. But not tonight.
Owen’s eyes widened. “Whoa. What the hell is going on here?” he asked Neo.