“Apparently.” He put the wine goblet away and took out a martini glass to chill, eyeing her as he began to line up his ingredients. “You look different.”
“Different good? Or different bad?” Reconsidering, she lifted her hand. “No, I only want to hear if it’s good.”
He put a hand on his heart. “Ms. Lottie, you look more beautiful than I’ve ever seen you. I’d even say you look spicy.”
She melted at the sincerity in his voice. “Oh, you.”
He mixed her drink quickly and efficiently. Tasting it with a straw, he nodded and set it in front of her. “Cheers.”
“Cheers, sweetheart.” She sipped it and sighed. “If only I’d known about chocolate martinis before. I have a lot of catching up to do.”
“God help us all,” Chris said with a grin as he wandered away to help a customer at the other end of the bar.
She heard the front door open, a gust of wintery wind swirling inside the bar. The hairs on the freshly groomed back of her neck stood up, not because of the wind but because of the eyes on the back of her neck.
Somehow she knew without turning around who it was. She set her drink down. It wouldn’t do to bobble the glass and spill it on herself.
She tried to play it cool, but as he drew closer she couldn’t help turning around to look at him. He wore jeans and a red flannel shirt under a winter coat. In his hand, he held his notebook loosely as he strode to his usual seat.
He arched his brow as he shrugged out of his jacket and took his normal seat. “You drinking alone now?”
“Not anymore,” she said with what she hoped was a sassy smile.
He grunted and sat down. He set his notebook in front of him, taking a pen out of his pocket and laying it on the counter.
Chris came over and fist-bumped Otto before getting a pint glass and beginning to fill it with beer. “I didn’t think you were coming in tonight.”
“The game was a blowout.” He leaned on his elbows, watching Chris. “It was painful to watch.”
“Are you still writing?” Lottie asked.
Otto looked at her in surprise.
She shrugged with a wry smile. “I used to like to read your colorful assessments. The drawings you did that accompanied them were interesting too. You knew how to capture people. A lot of people were sad when you retired.”
“You never really retire,” he said, his brow furrowed as if trying to figure her out.
Chris set Otto’s pint in front of him. “You two play nice now,” he said with a knowing look at her before moving down to the other end of the bar to help other customers.
Lottie angled herself toward Otto. “Doyouwant to play nice?”
He snorted, pulling his pint closer. “I’m too old to play anything.”
She gave him a thorough once-over. He didn’t look old. He looked worn in, the way your favorite pair of jeans would be.
She didn’t have a pair of jeans, but it was high time. She leaned toward him. “Do you really believe that?”
He frowned at her. “How much have you had to drink? And what is that?”
“Not nearly enough, and it’s heaven.” She lifted the glass and held it out to him. “You want some?”
His suspicious look deepened.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not trying to poison you.” She took a sip herself, humming with appreciation.
“Okay, give me a taste.” He held his hand out.
She gaped at him. “Really?”