"So, what exactly is going on there?"

I glanced up from checking the weather for the hundredth time. "Going on where?"

Ryan glanced toward the door that led to the back. "Between you and Alex."

My fingers froze for a moment, and I glanced around only to find that Alex wasn't out on the floor. "What do you mean?"

Ryan chuckled at me obvious slight panic. "Come on Ana, it's no big deal. And I know you. I know when something's going on. And you've seemed, I don't know, happier lately."

Ryan knew me better than most, so I couldn't be entirely surprised that he had figured something out. But that didn't mean I had to make it easy for him. "Why would you think it has anything to do with Alex?"

Ryan shrugged. "I mean, it started not long after he moved into town. You two work seamlessly together when you're both back here. And you seemed pretty wrapped up with each other at the beach on Monday."

Ah, shit. "You could have just started with that one," I grumbled.

Ryan chuckled. "I was going to say hi, but then I saw hands in places I wasn't expecting them to be and decided maybe not."

"You make it sound like we were feeling each other up right there in public." I scowled.

"So, you didn't answer my question," Ryan continued. "What's going on?"

I shrugged. "Just, having fun, I guess."

Ryan studied me. Then he shook his head. "God, it's like learning about my little sister's sex life. I'm almost sorry I asked."

I let out a laugh at that. "Sorry to scandalize you, except not really sorry. Just, do me a favor, try not to broadcast it to the whole staff."

"None of my business," he replied. "Or theirs."

"You made it your business," I grumbled.

"But you're happy?"

I thought for a moment. True, things with Alex weren't quite where they would be in a perfect world. But things were good. Really good. "Yeah."

"Then do what you want to do," was all Ryan said in reply.

And to be fair, doing what I wanted to do was pretty much all I had done in the past week. I had spent every night after work at Alex's place, the two of us choosing a new room to fuck in every night, and then ending up in his bed for another round or two. Sometimes I left after, getting back to my apartment when the sun was almost coming up, but other times I would stay, waking up to the scent of coffee wafting up from the kitchen.

I glanced around the bar. No one seemed to be paying attention to my conversation with Ryan, which was almost a miracle given how quiet it was.

Originally, this was supposed to be a busy weekend. But then a storm changed course and was due to hit us sometime this afternoon, so pretty much all the tourists had retreated from the coast, leaving us with an empty brunch hour. I myself was trying to figure out how late we were going to stay open. I didn't want anyone heading home in dangerous conditions, and it's not like we would be missing out on any business, anyway.

But apparently, not everyone was smart enough to stay away. Just as I thought we wouldn't be seeing anyone, the door opened a group of four guys walked in.

"Always someone willing to risk the elements for alcohol," Ryan whispered to me.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, and those someones are always guys in their twenties."

Ryan chucked but didn't dispute my statement.

I watched as Ella went over to take their order. Based on how long she stood there, I'm guessing they were here to have a good time, which wasn't great for us if we wanted to close soon.

"Here," Ella sighed, handing over the drink ticket to Ryan. "Seems a little excessive for three in the afternoon, if you ask me."

I leaned over Ryan's shoulder, and yeah, it was a lot of alcohol for so early in the day.

"Oh, and Ana," Ella added, "they told me they're looking for their friend Zander and are convinced that he works here. I told him that no one with that name is here, but—"

"But they won't take no for an answer," I sighed. "I'll go talk to them."

"Thanks."

I wiped my hands on a towel before coming around the bar, taking in a breath as I approached the group. They were already making more noise than was necessary and making a mess of their table. Great. I hated when men in their mid-twenties still acted like they were frat boys in undergrad.

"Hi, welcome," I said as I approached. They all turned toward me and multiple pairs of eyes very obviously checked me out. I had to suppress an eye roll. "I understand you guys are looking for someone you think works here?"

"Yeah, a friend of ours," the one sitting closest to where I was standing said. He leaned forward, not seeming particularly interested in finding his friend at the moment. His eyes roamed over my body, and while usually it didn't bug me, this time it rubbed me the wrong way.

"His name's Zander," wandering eyes continued. "Heard from his mom that he's working here, although I don't know why he would."

The entire group laughed, and I tried not to feel offended. I sensed I was missing part of the joke.

"Well, I can assure you, there's no one here who works here with that name," I told them.

"Are you sure?"

My eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, my family owns the place, so yeah, I'm sure." My voice dropped in tone; I didn't have the patience for this today.

"He'd be new in town," a guy with an eyebrow piercing chimed in. "From New York, here let me pull up a picture."

But I didn't need a picture. The puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place in my head. Zander. Alexander?

"Hey, there he is!"

Alex.

I turned around to see him just coming from the back. He stood rooted in his place, and even from a distance, I could see every muscle in his body clenched up and tense. He stared at the group, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

And then his eyes met mine. With the tiniest jerk of my head, I told him to start walking.

With jerky steps, Alex eventually reached my side, staring at the group who were giving him grins but also curious eyes.

No one said anything.

"Right," I finally broke the silence, "I'll let you all catch up. Glad we figured it out."

I turned around, shot Alex one final, questioning look, and headed back to the bar.

"Dude, your boss doesn't even know her own staff, what the hell?" I heard one of them tell Alex as I walked out of earshot. Ryan and Ella both gave me curious looks as I came back, but I just shrugged.

"I mean, I'd say they're his friends from New York," I told Ryan as Ella brought the drinks to the table, "but something doesn't sit right."

"You're telling me," Ryan said, eyeing the group. "I've never seen him like that."

"No, neither have I." But I had seen hints of it. Alex's body language right now was just an intensified version of what happened whenever I asked him about his past.

With no other customers and the visiting New Yorkers thankfully not ordering drink after drink in the mission to get wasted, I didn't have much to do other than try to inconspicuously keep my eye on Alex and the group of men. And without any other customers, I had no reason to go over and get him to do something actually in his job description. It's not like anyone was doing any work, anyway.

"Alright, I think we're done," I told Ryan. It was almost four, and the clouds outside were looking downright ominous.

"So you're finally going to go rescue your boyfriend?" Ryan asked. He had been watching the group as well, his mouth in a frown the entire time.

"He's not my boyfriend," I said, just a little too quickly. "But I'm going to get him out, yeah." The storm clouds weren't the only ominous-looking thing I could see at the moment. While Alex had seemed uncomfortable during the entire interaction, for the most part, that's where it had stayed. But in the last ten minutes or so, I had noticed his hands in fists, the muscles in his arms flexed. I didn't know what was being said over there, but whatever it was, I didn't want Alex to have to continue to deal with it.

I headed over to them so I could make them pay their bill and then kick them out. And all I heard was "...and that fucking hot bartender must keep your mind off of your sister, doesn't she?"

In a flash, Alex had wandering eyes' shirt in his fist, and before I could do anything, Alex hit him as hard as he could, sending the other man staggering to the ground.

Fuck.

I didn't even see Ryan move, but a moment later he had grabbed Alex by the arm and dragged him away. Ryan gave me a quick nod, which I returned, thankful that he was getting Alex out of the situation. But I could feel my hands shaking and my stomach was clenched.

What the hell.

"Alright, gentlemen, we are closing for the day." Thankfully, none of them seemed angry or like they were going to take a swing at me. If anything, they looked as shocked as I did.

Or at least, all of them except for the one currently bleeding from the mouth. "What the hell!" he shouted. He gestured toward the door Ryan had just dragged Alex through. "You're just going to let your fucking busboy deck me like that?"

"I will handle my employee," I said coldly. I threw the credit card they had used to open the tab on the table. "I offer my sincere apologies, and your drinks are on the house. However, a storm is blowing in soon so for the safety of both you and my staff, I have to ask you to leave."

"Come on, Jay, no point in arguing," eyebrow piercing said. "He's not worth it."

Jay looked downright murderous, but then snatched the card off the table. "Fucking rich boy, thinking he's better than all of us." He gave me another look. "Probably thinks he's better than you, too," he told me. He snorted. "Don't know what the fuck he's thinking, slumming it around here."

I watched them go in silence, letting out an exhale when the door slammed shut behind them. I turned around and found my staff looking at me, stunned, just like the night when Alex took that punch for me. Except for this time, it was Alex throwing his fist around.

"Let's just try and make this a fast closing." It was all I could say.

But before I could start, I stalked into the back and found Ryan and Alex in the office. Ryan stood at the door, keeping an obvious eye on Alex who sat in a chair, his fists clenched and white around the armrests. One of his hands was bleeding

"Thanks, Ryan," I said quietly.

He just nodded and went back to the bar.

I stared at Alex.

He wouldn't meet my eyes.

Okay. I went to my purse and dug out my car keys. I grabbed Alex's uninjured hand and forced the keys into it. "Go to my car," I ordered him. "Get in and wait for me."

He didn't move, and he still didn't look at me.

"Alex," I snapped. My tone forced him to jerk his head toward me, although his eyes still didn't quite meet mine. "Go."

For a moment, I thought he wouldn't listen, but then he stood up. "Fine." And then he was gone.

I took in a shaky breath. And then another. And then I went to go help Ryan.

Except Ryan had other ideas. "You should go with him," he said, the moment I stepped out behind the bar.

"I will," I said, grabbing a cloth. "He's waiting for me, I'll drive him home when I'm done."

"Ana." Ryan put his hand over mine. "You're always the last one here. You always let us go home early, even if it means you stay late. Go. We can handle it for one day, and Connor can lock up."

Before Alex came into my life, I never would have considered it. But I was desperate to know what was going on.

"You care about him," Ryan said quietly. "And he cares about you, too. He needs you, right now."

I swallowed hard. I looked around at my staff, all doing their jobs with quiet efficiency. I nodded.

 "Okay," I finally said. "Thanks, Ryan."

"Good luck."

I headed back out, grabbing my things from the office before stepping outside into the humid, blustery air. There was no one around as I hurried down the sidewalk. Everyone was taking shelter from the storm.

I got in the driver's seat of my car and held out my hand. Alex deposited the car keys into my palm.