An aromatic blast of garlic, basil, tomato sauce, and pizza dough washed over them as they walked through the front door of Etta's. Normally, Harry would have parked in the alley and come in through the kitchen, but he was excited to provide Madelyn with the full effect upon entering the restaurant. Although she was a regular delivery customer, it had been a long while since she had stepped foot inside. Much had changed.

The large rectangular room was a bustle of activity. Harry waved off the perky blonde who was approaching them after seating a four-top along the short wall to their left. It was lined with booths to seat smaller groups, larger wood slab tables and chairs ran along the right. Windows above the tables, framed in heavy timber, looked out onto the slushy evening street. There were two long communal tables in the center of the room that allowed for very large parties, or for singles to join up. The dominating force in the room, however, was the semi-circular bar beyond the tables to the right. The look was rustic industrial. The bar top itself was constructed of the same timbers that were around the windows. A massive hood fashioned from aged, industrial metal hung over the bar and matched the skirting that hung along the bottom of the counter. Tall-backed stools surrounded the length of the bar except at the far right end which butted up against a short wall. Waitstaff placed drink orders at this end. The wall itself held framed pictures of all manner of female R&B, jazz and soul singers from the 1940s to the 1970s. Featured at the top, as if holding court above the diners, was a larger-than-life portrait of the one and only, Etta James. Etta was the establishment's namesake and the songstress currently crooning 'I Just Wanna Make Love to You.'

Harry placed his hand at the small of Madelyn's back, pressing her forward. As he guided her to the bar, he bent near her ear, saying "I especially like this song." She looked up to see a lopsided grin on his
face, and she couldn't help a little eye roll.

"Come on, let's get you settled. It's not normally this busy on a Sunday evening, but since tomorrow is a school holiday, more people are out and Murph decided to stay open for regular hours rather than closing at 8:00 pm."

He led her to the bar and pulled a stool around to the end, patting the seat bottom. From her perch, Madelyn had a perfect view of the restaurant, the bar and the activity behind it, where pizzas were being made and fed off wooden paddles into a giant stone-fired oven.

Harry circled to the rear of the bar and grabbed a clean bar towel, tucking it into the back pocket of his snug blue jeans. She knew already that it was unusual for him to forgo his black denim. He did look so fine in blue jeans and a red silk shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows, revealing the veins and muscles under the taut skin of his forearms. Best of all was the fact that, as was his habit, he had left half of his buttons undone, and she had an enticing view of his flexing chest. Madelyn assumed he knew exactly what he was doing to her, and probably every other female in the room, based on his sly smirk when he caught her admiring the peek of a nipple and the tattoos that flashed as he moved swiftly, setting himself to work.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked slyly, "I can get you whatever you want." Madelyn looked at him with a single raised brow. Harry chuckled. "Or maybe you're thirsty?"

"Styles, your double entendres are not lost on me, and you'd better behave, or this is going to be a very long and frustrating evening."

"I'm sure I have no idea to what you're referring, Professor." He spun on the low heel of his black leather boots and strutted off to fill his first drink order.

When he returned, Harry placed a menu in front of her, along with ice water. "Okay, what can I get you? Seriously."

"Alright, barkeep, bring me a Tanqueray and tonic, extra lime." Madelyn perused the menu and when he returned with her drink, she asked for a small pesto pizza with feta, roasted peppers, and artichoke hearts.

"Do you want a salad first? You usually order a salad," he said casually.

She whipped her head up at him. "What?" he smiled. "I pay attention."

A short time later, Harry placed her usual salad, dressing on the side, in front of her with a wink. It was fun to watch him work. He had a quick rapport with the customers and staff alike. Whether or not it was common knowledge amongst the employees that he was about to become an equal partner in the business, they seemed to look to him as an authority figure. Madelyn observed him clear up a disagreement between servers about who was going to take the table with three unhappy children, a discrepancy on a customer's bill, and arrange safe transport for a table of college students who had clearly over imbibed.

The food was amazing as always and she shared bites with Harry as he stole moments with her between customers. Harry cleared her dishes and set another drink down as she pulled a stack of student project proposals out of her bag. Madelyn popped on her reading glasses and began to twiddle the long strands of her hair with her fingers as she concentrated. She had the heel of her short black boots hooked over the rung of the barstool, her legs crossed, toes bouncing in time to the music playing over the sound system. The sheer white blouse that she wore with her black jeans was undone just enough to allow a hint of cleavage, no more. She had left the flash to Harry tonight. What she didn't realize, was that even in her relatively modest dress, with studious glasses perched on her nose, face devoid of all make-up save a brush of mascara, she was striking.

Harry was keeping a fast pace as he multi-tasked. He pulled an iced bottle of beer for a single guy about his age, who said, "That girl at the end of the bar, I haven't seen her in here before. She's good looking, don't you think?" Harry quickly took in the other man's appearance. He looked like the kind of guy that wouldn't have any trouble finding a date.

Glancing down the bar to where Madelyn sat sipping her gin and tonic, Harry nodded in agreement. "She is. Very good looking."

"Hey, help a guy out? Let me settle her tab and send her another drink. I'm going to see if I can't distract that school girl from her pile of homework. If you get my meaning," he grinned conspiratorially at Harry.

Harry ran a rag over the bar. "Can't help ya there, pal. Her tab has already been settled and her drinks are covered."

"What are you talking about? Did she already cash out? She looks pretty tucked in to me; not like she's leaving any time soon."

"Nope, she isn't leaving. But she has a boyfriend and her tab is covered, so move along." Harry was feeling less than patient now. He walked over to fill a drink order for the server who had tried to greet them when they came in earlier. She was a friendly, leggy, blond who made great tips, for obvious reasons.

When Harry turned back to the bar, he found that the seat Mr. Friendly had been occupying, was now vacated and the man had moved into the available seat next to Madelyn.

Oh hell, no! He thought to himself as he double-timed it to the other end of the bar.

"Harry, this is Michael," she tried to still her grin as she offered an introduction. "Michael, meet Harry."

"Yeah, we've met," replied Michael. "Buddy, bring the lady another drink, and put it on my tab."

"I told you, man, she's covered, back off."

Madelyn stood. "I'll leave you two to figure this out," she said and moved off toward the restrooms.

"What the fuck is your problem? Why are you being such a cock-block?" Michael was highly annoyed as he watched the evening's prey saunter away.

"For the last time, take a fucking hike. I told you, she has a boyfriend."

"What boyfriend, for God's sake? She's here alone, doing homework. I don't see a boyfriend, but given the level at which she is absorbed in her classwork, it seems she could certainly use some male distraction."

"Trust me, she has plenty of male attention, she isn't a student, and I'm her boyfriend. Shit, are we all good now?"

The other man glared, then stood and walked out the door without another word. Harry didn't even care that he hadn't paid for the beer.

When Madelyn resumed her position, Harry was calmly filling a tray with wine glasses. "Everything okay?"

"Yep," he replied. "All good."

"What happened to Michael?" She looked around animatedly, knowing she was having a tiny bit of fun at Harry's expense.

"He left," he replied, looking at her pointedly. They burst into laughter simultaneously. "Actually, there is a guy I do want you to meet. Let me wave Murphy over here, he's making the customer rounds now."

***

Author's Note:

With this chapter, the number of reads on 'Delivery' will exceed 10,000. It is nearly impossible for me to comprehend that this simple story has grown and been embraced to such a degree in only three short months. Thank you to every one of you!

In celebration, you may have noticed a new cover for the book. It is with my deepest gratitude that I acknowledge my friend, styles_orama for the concept. My thanks also go out to alessandra for her contributions.

I hope you will all continue to enjoy this story, drop it some votes and leave a comment or two (or ten).

You can also come play on Twitter @dirtyyarn

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