Read HAPPY PANTS CAFE (THE HAPPY PANTS SERIES) for Free Online

smiled. “I know everyone, Marie. Except you.”
    Harper suddenly felt a pang of guilt for having lied to him. It was just…was this really the Austin Royce sitting in front of her? It wasn’t sinking in. Not really. How had that little boy she remembered—large eyes behind thick glasses, goofy smile, and slightly awkward—turned into this? He looked like he’d just climbed off the cover of some steamy hot romance novel about a fearless racecar driver. And that hair—thick, messy, slightly in need of a trim—she wanted to feel it on her bare breast as he collapsed on top of her from exertion after having had his way with her.
    Uh, Harp? I think he’s waiting for you to stop drooling and say something.
    Oh yeah. Mouth? Mouth? You’re still working, right?
    “I’m, uh, kind of new,” she lied.
    “May I take your orders?” said a sugary woman’s voice.
    Harper and Austin looked up at the sandy-blonde waitress.
    Austin handed the woman the menu. “I’ll have a bottle of the Clos Pegase pinot and the wild mushroom flatbread pizza.”
    Dear Lord . That was exactly what Harper was going to order. Or wanted to, anyway, since she was pretending to be driving home afterward.
    “And for you?” the waitress asked.
    “Um…I’ll have the prosciutto, fig, and smoked duck wrap.”
    “I’ll be right back with your wine.” The waitress disappeared.
    “I thought you were driving home,” Harper said.
    Austin stared at her. His lips were so full and sensual. His eyes were so intense. It made Harper’s insides vibrate to a state of near liquefaction. “Let’s cut the crap, Marie. You’re desperate for a story, and you don’t seem like the kind of woman to give up. That means you’re not leaving. It also means you know something I don’t, and if there’s one thing I can’t resist, it’s a little friendly competition.”
    Harper shifted right into “show nothing” mode. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said innocently. “I see no story, and I’m driving home. You’re the one who ordered the bottle of wine.”
    “You, my dear, sweet friend, are a terrible liar.”
    Dammit. I really, really am. Harper shook her head, continuing to hold her ground. But I need this story. I need to get rid of him. She gave it a moment of thought. All right, he’s determined to stay . Really, all she needed were ten minutes alone with Ms. Luci and, perhaps, to interview a few of the customers exiting the café. It would take forty minutes tops to get what she needed. I’ll make sure he stays up late. Perhaps, he’ll “accidentally” have a little too much to drink, too. After all, she was a seasoned wine drinker while he, on the other hand, looked like a vision of perfect health, one of those “my body is my temple” sort of guys who rarely touched the stuff. One or two drinks, he’d be ruined for tomorrow. I’ll get up early and beat him over there.
    Harper looked up at Austin and squared her shoulders. “Fine. You caught me. I think that the café is some exclusive club for arranging marriages.”
    Austin laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”
    “Why?” Harper leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. She noticed his eyes momentarily drift down to her breasts.
    Don’t even think about it, nipples!
    “Christina Bass-Andrews,” he said, “would never agree to marry a stranger. Second, arranged marriages are common only in very traditional societies. Christina is about as traditional as a Tweet. And,” he held up three fingers, “women like her would never let someone tell her who to marry.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “You tell me, Marie. You’re a modern, independent, good-looking woman. Would you let someone tell you who to marry?”
    He thinks I’m good-looking.
    She took a moment to allow her flutters to stop flapping their wings. “Let’s pretend you’re right and I’m wrong, which is completely impossible, then tell me what you think is going on over there.”
    The waitress appeared