Seducing Texas (So not Prince Charming #2)(21)

Fay loves me, but Cyn has always looked out for me. She’s the one with the level head on her shoulders.

I hold up the tray one-handed and walk over to the cameramen and the director. Out of the corner of my eye, Cyn cringes, and I don’t understand why until I trip over an electrical cord that hasn’t been taped down yet. The coffee goes everywhere, and Aedan catches me. His strong arms keep me from face planting into the director’s crotch, which is where I was headed. I couldn’t be any more of a klutz. My face blazes a thousand shades of red.

“You clumsy—” one cameraman starts, wiping coffee off his shirt.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, mopping at his shirt.

“Don’t touch me,” he says.

Could he make me feel any worse? I want to bury my head in the sand or in this case into the mechanical bull’s ass.

Aedan smiles at me. “It’s okay. I got it on film. The viewers will love it.”

Great. Now the whole world will know I’m clumsy. What man will want me now?

“Poor little rich girl’s first job,” the director says. “It’s all good.”

And my mortification grows.

I’ve had sex dreams about Aedan for the past few days, and now he knows how worthless I am. I learned how to make coffee a couple months ago, and I certainly don’t know how to carry it. We had a chef, maids, and gardeners. Maybe Mom did spoil us. God, I wish she were here.

Cyn comes over to help clean up the mess. She hands me a mop, and I clean up the floor, my ego slamming into the hardwoods with each rotation of the mop. Now Aedan thinks I’m an idiot. I want to cry, but Cyn smiles at me.

“Don’t worry about it,” she says. “It’s no big deal. I once spilled a drink on the mayor at one of our sorority fundraisers.” She laughs at her own faux pas.

I’m so happy I didn’t lose her too. If it weren’t for Shane, I would have. She’s like my personal ego supporter. She always tells me how nice I look, even though I don’t dress as well as Fay and her.

The rest of the film crew comes into the bar and sets up, and the director talks with the owner and us about the filming. We have a list of scenarios, plus several eligible cowboys. I should give them a shot because I’ve blown it with Aedan. Supposedly they’re closer to my age, and I want to date.

Behind the bar, Fay is having trouble opening a beer bottle.

“Fay, like this,” Cyn says, taking another bottle and opening it by popping the cap on the hard edge of the bar. When Fay tries, she busts the top of the bottle, beer fizzles freely, and glass goes flying—all of it is caught on film.

Fay lets out a breath in frustration. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cyn says. This time she makes her use a bottle opener, which Fay manages.

Six very handsome cowboys strut toward the director, and he speaks to them in a low voice. They must be the bachelors. This could be fun, though I glance back at Aedan and his devastating smile. What is it about him I find so attractive, other than the shock of crude-oil black hair and glacier blue eyes? Sadly the other cowboys don’t stack up to Aedan. Maybe it was that sizzling kiss, the electrifying spark stirring the flames between us. I can still feel the burning heat.

“We have work to do,” Cyn says, catching me in the middle of an Aedan daydream.

I sigh. “Okay.”

“Forget about him,” Fay says. “We have cowboys to entertain. Woohoo.”

The bar opens at five, but it takes another half hour before it fills up. The after work crowd wanders in first, including Shane and his employees. They take a table close to the dance floor and in my section. As usual, Jeremy leers at the women wearing tight jeans, frilly dance skirts, and leather boots while ordering drinks at the bar. If he wouldn’t act like a geek, he’d get a girlfriend. Tang, underneath his button-down shirt and khakis, has a hell of a body. He’s like a little ninja.

I can’t help but notice a blonde cozying up to Shane. She hangs on every word he says, even though he scoots away to put distance between them. Cyn notices too and scowls.

“Her name’s Sonia,” Cyn says.

“I could spill something on her,” I say.

“No. It’s okay.”

Carrying the tray with both hands this time, I bring over tequila shots and a pitcher of beer for Shane’s table. He’d called Cyn ahead of time to have drinks ready.

An idea strikes me while Sonia gives Shane her best I’m-Easy smile. I sit down in his lap to give the director what he’s paying for, and fury flares in Sonia’s eyes. Cyn grins.

Shane kisses my cheek and smacks my ass. It’s probably my imagination, but I swear Aedan’s jaw tenses. I hope it did.

“You look beautiful,” Shane says. “Just don’t bend over too far in those shorts.”

“The Daisy Dukes were Cyn’s ideas.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. They look good. You always look good.” He winks at me.

“Thanks.” Coming from Shane that means a lot. I’ve had a puppy crush on him since I was little. I kept telling Cyn she should attack him as soon as she turned eighteen, but she didn’t. Now she can’t get enough of that man.

I sway my butt back over to the bar, and Cyn smiles at me. She knows she can trust me with Shane, and I know she trusts Shane. He’s like Mr. Smoking Hot Reliable.