The bartender was already shaking his head. ‘Don’t do that, dude. You respect this person?’
‘Yes,’ Mike said, wondering how this bartender kept asking him things that surprised him. ‘Of course.’
The bartender planted his hands on the bar, expression set. ‘Then respect them enough to be here when theyarrive. No one likes to be ditched last minute. I see it a lot. It’s brutal.’
Mike stared at the man. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Vince.’
‘Have you considered becoming a life coach, Vince?’
Vince rolled his shoulders. ‘Nah. Lots of pressure. This gig pays well, and I can help people, but also throw out the assholes I don’t like.’
Mike nodded, drinking more of his coffee. ‘I want it to be a date, Vince, but I also don’t want it to be a date.’
Vince thought this over as he popped open the small dishwasher behind the bar, releasing a draught of steam. ‘Lots of red flags?’
Mike shook his head.
Vince nodded. ‘You’re scared.’
Mike opened his mouth to argue, then grimaced. ‘Yeah, I guess.’
Vince started taking glasses out of the dishwasher, quickly putting them away. ‘I get it, but to my mind, we get this one life. I’d rather have a long line of failures than one of regrets. You miss all the shots you don’t take, you know?’
Mike finished his coffee and shoved the mug across the counter. ‘Vince, you might be the wisest person I’ve met in a long time.’
Vince scoffed. ‘I think that says more about the people you’ve been around than anything about me.’ He reached below the bar, then tossed something small onto the bar top. ‘Here.’
Mike looked at it, realizing it was a mint. ‘Is this a subtle hint?’
Vince went back to unloading the dishwasher. ‘Coffee breath is a thing and you’ve got a not-a-date to impress, yeah?’
Thinking Vince might have a point, Mike accepted the mint, unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth. ‘You are a god among men, Vince.’
The bartender simply nodded, as if this was expected, pointing at the tip jar, which had a few dollars in it, but also a QR code for those that didn’t have cash. ‘Just remember that when it’s time.’
Mike was about to say something, when the door opened, and he turned. Sophie had pushed it open with her hip as she tucked something into her bag. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder burgundy dress that hugged her body, the skirt the kind that would twirl if he spun her. Heels. Her hair up, a few strands falling around her face. Mike felt like he might swallow his tongue.
‘Ah,’ Vince said. He slid another mint across the bar. ‘Just in case.’
‘Thanks,’ Mike said, sounding winded, absently shoving the mint into his pocket.
Sophie straightened, her expression nervous until she saw Mike. Then she smiled.
Her smile was a donkey kick directly to his gut. ‘Fuck.’ He’d said it softly, but Vince managed to hear him.
The bartender set a glass of mints on the bar. ‘You better tell that woman she looks phenomenal.’
‘She does look phenomenal,’ Mike muttered.
‘I’m just saying, she might need to hear it.’ Vince pulled out two glasses, filling them with water, sliding one to Mike and one to the spot next to him, then he went to the other side of the bar to fill an order for one of the waitresses.
Sophie stopped in front of him. ‘Hi.’
Mike wanted to touch her. He wanted to lean over and kiss her cheek. He wanted . . .
He wanted.
