Greg had pulled off his mask, and his hair was mussed, pushed in every direction, his cheeks a little flushed. I caught Bayleigh looking at him more than a few times, her cheeks flushed too, though not from her costume.
“You guys are good to close up, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’ve got it, Cam,” Greg said.
I slung my bag over my shoulder. “Bayleigh, you have someone coming to walk you home?”
“Oh, I was just going to take a cab,” she said with a hint of uncertainty.
Greg turned to her. “You live close, right? I can walk you home.”
“Oh, would you?” she asked, relieved. “That would be great.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He smiled at me. “I’ll make sure she gets home okay.”
I smiled back, completely satisfied at the prospect of them walking home together. “I know you will. Thanks, you two. You killed it tonight.”
“So did you,” Bayleigh said, waving goodbye as she smiled too, trying to suppress her excitement. “Have a good night!”
“You guys too,” I called over my shoulder as Tyler and I headed out.
Once we were outside, Tyler chuckled. “Man, you’re good, you know that? How much of that did you set up?” Tyler stepped to the curb once we were outside and threw his hand up to hail a cab.
I shrugged. “Well, I got them in matching costumes, so that was the big win.” I didn’t mention the losses. “I probably would have left any of our bartenders to close up alone, especially Greg. But him walking Bayleigh home? Totally unplanned.”
A cab pulled up, and he opened the door for me. “Lucky break.”
“You’re telling me,” I said as I slipped in.
He climbed in next to me, propping his shield against the seat in front of him, and told the cabbie our address.
“So, you and Adrienne really hit it off, huh?” I asked as I pulled off my wig and slipped my fingers into my hair to shake it out with a sigh.
He nodded, watching me. “She’s kind of a legend. Jack’s been working with her for a few years, ever since she was promoted. He’s got nothing but good things to say.”
I folded the fake hair in my lap and combed through it with my fingers, still feeling strange. “I’ve known Sarah for a long time. She told me all about Adrienne, and she really lived up to the hype. I have a good feeling about her.”
He smiled over at me. “I’m glad you like her.”
“I’m glad you like her too.” I smiled back, wondering how deeply I meant that.
He gave me a look, topped off by a smirk. “Listen, don’t go getting any ideas, trying to set us up, okay? I can seal the deal without your help.”
I put up my hands innocently. “Of course you can. No one would ever deny your ability to close. Because you are a closer.” I pointed at him for impact.
“That’s right,” he said with a nod. “I’m a closer, and I know how to ask out pretty girls in Catwoman costumes.”
I raised a brow. “And did you, Mister Closer-man?”
He smirked. “Nah.”
I pouted, though I breathed a little easier. “Well, why not?”
Tyler looked out the window. “I dunno. I just didn’t feel it, you know?”
“Well, maybe you just need more time to hang out. Like, with no pressure. I bet I can get Sarah to bring her to singles night next week.”
“I bet you could too. We’ll see, Cam. I’ll be in touch with her about work all week.”
“Did you at least get her number?” I asked, resolved, already making plans to text Sarah and get Adrienne in the bar again.
“I already have her number.”
I made a don’t be a smartass, Tyler face, and he laughed, pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket.
“She gave this to me before she got in the cab.”
I slapped him on the arm. “Well, look at you, player.”
He chuckled and slipped the paper into his coat pocket. “How about you? Find any guys you had a hankering for?”
I snorted. “A hankering. Like a steak.”
“Sure, why not,” he said and shrugged. “Man-steak. A beef slab.”
“More like pot roast. No, I was too busy to really look for myself, but I’m all right. I don’t feel the urge to date anyone these days.”
“I know what you mean. I keep telling myself it’s just because I got myself hurt, but it’s been a year. It can’t be that. I’m just … I don’t know. Content, I guess. I wouldn’t turn down the prospect, if it arose. But I’m not trying to hunt it down, if that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense. Everyone wants companionship, you know? But I don’t want to waste my time. I’m twenty-five and I already feel like I’m too old for that shit.”
He chuckled. “So true.”
The cab pulled up in front of our building, and Tyler paid him. I’d learned long ago not to protest — it was a fight I’d lose. He’d forced my feminist soul into accepting his chivalry. What made my feminist soul really twitchy was that I enjoyed it.
“So, what’d you think of Martin?” he asked as we made our way inside.
“He’s nice,” was all I could muster.
He looked down at me, raising a brow. “That bad?”
I shrugged. “He’d make a perfectly wonderful boyfriend for somebody.”
“But not Bayleigh.” We climbed the stairs.
“Bayleigh’s got a thing for Greg.”
“Really?” he asked. “Because she sure did spend a lot of time talking to Martin tonight.”