I laugh and look out my car window for a long moment, letting the blush in my cheeks subside. “So where are we going, Blane?”
“A bar near my house called The Pine Box. Are you familiar with it?” He’s got a wicked grin on his face.
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am. My best friend and I once went to The Pine Box to spy on this guy she really liked.”
“Youspiedon him, huh? What was he doing?”
“Hitting on another girl.”
“Ooph. Sounds like an asshole.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. But I’ve since learned he’s a total sweetheart. Best guy, ever. And a perfect match for my best friend, too. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
I look over at Jonas and he’s absolutely beaming with joy. God, he’s such a cutie, I can’t stand it. I wanna roll him in glitter and glue and hang him on my fridge.
He looks at me, his face bursting with happiness. “You’re definitely way cooler than your online profile, Kat.”
33
JOSH
Idon’t know what to do with myself, so I pick up a dishrag and wipe off the top of the bar for a long minute. I’m so amped to finally see Kat again, I can barely breathe. A week has never felt so long. Fuck. I look at my watch. Jonas should be here with her any minute now.Fuck.I’m leaping out of my skin.Fuck.I haven’t been able to get that woman out of my head all fucking week, despite how busy I’ve been with work. The smell of her. The softness of her skin. The way she laughs like a dude. That electricity that courses between us when we have sex, nice and slow. What the fuckisthat? It’s gonna be the death of me.
“Hey, bartender,” a guy in a charcoal three-piece suit calls to me.
I nod to the guy. It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me “bartender” in an actual bar. Sure, I’m always “bartender” at parties with my friends, but there’s a special kind of jolt to being the guy who’s large and in charge in an actual bar. I’d forgotten how much I love that feeling.
I glance at Tim to my left, the actual bartender at The Pine Box, seeking permission to assist the guy in the suit and Tim motions for me to go right ahead. He’s not just being nice, of course—I’ve paid him and his boss (the owner of the bar) handsomely for the privilege. But, still, I can’t help feeling giddy to be doing this again after all these years.
“Hey there, man.” I say to the dude in the suit, sauntering to him. “What can I do you for, sir?”
“A Manhattan,” the guy says. He motions to a cute brunette standing just behind him. “And a Chardonnay.”
“Absolutely. Guess what? Great news. Tonight just so happensto be Dudes In Charcoal Suits Drink For Free Night.” I slide two cocktail napkins onto the bar in front of him. “Your drinks are on the house, man.”
The guy looks surprised. “Really?”
“Yep. They’re on me.” I flash him a huge smile. “Tip included.”
When I contacted The Pine Box (at Jonas’ recommendation) and asked the owner if I might help tend bar for an hour tonight (because, I said, I was trying to decide if I wanted to quit my fancy job and go back to my college job), he wasn’t the least bit open to the idea. As usual, though, money made the guy change his mind and decide to help a brother out. “But you can’t handle any customers’ money,” the owner warned. “Leave that to Tim.” “No problem,” I assured him. “How about this: I’ll pay for every single drink in the place, all night long. And I’ll serve all premium liquor the whole time I’m there—you’ll make a mint, bro.”
“Whoa,” the guy in the charcoal suit says, stuffing his wallet back into his pocket. “A random act of kindness. Thanks.”
“Something like that,” I say. “So check this out, bro. I’m gonna make your Manhattan with a little extra kick, okay? I’m gonna use a premium rye whiskey—maybe Overholt?—plus, I’m gonna go off the rails and use orange bitters.”
The guy raises his eyebrows. “You’re going rogue, huh?”
I laugh. “I know what you’re thinking—is he mad? Just roll with it. If you don’t absolutely love it, I’ll make you one the traditional way. But you’ll see. The rye whiskey’s gonna really offset the flavor of the bitters nicely.”
“Okay. Cool. Thanks, man. Awesome.”
I look at the adorable brunette behind the guy. “Are you in the mood to try something besides Chardonnay tonight? I’ve got a Purple Rain recipe I’m dying to make for a lucky lady tonight. Also completely on me, of course. If you like gin, you’ll love it.”
“I love gin,” she says, her face lighting up. “I’ll give it a whirl.”
I glance at the door. Jonas should have been here already. Maybe Kat kept him waiting when he came to pick her up. Kat didn’t know Jonas was coming, after all. She probably made him sit and wait while she put on makeup or changed her clothes. That girl is never fucking on time for a goddamned thing. I smile broadly. And she’s always worth the fucking wait.
I push the drinks across the bar to the dude and his date.
