WhenIfinished laughing,Iturned to look at him and noticed he was staring at me with such ferocity, as thoughIwas so fascinating he couldn’t pull his gaze away.
“Your eyes light up when you smile,” he said, andIfound myself shifting in my seat under his intense gaze.Itook another small sip of my drink.
“I can get you another one of those so you don’t have to keep taking the smallest sips in the world to make it last,” he said.Iwas a bit embarrassed becauseIshould have known that, as a cop, he would pay attention to details.
“You don’t need to do that,”Itold him.
“I know, butIgenuinely don’t mind, especially if it keeps you here next to me,” he replied. “I’menjoying our conversation, soI’dlike to get you another drink so we can keep this going.”
I wanted that too, butIalso might want to take him back to my place, and ifIdid that,Ididn’t want another alcoholic drink.
“Okay, but just aCokeorDr.Pepperor something.Nomore alcohol.”
“Alright,” he responded and then turned to the bartender. “CanIget twoCokes, please?”
“Oh, you don’t have to stop drinking beer just becauseIdon’t want alcohol,”Itold him, feeling a little bad.
“I’m not.I’mdoing it for the same reason you are.”
I highly doubted he was, butIwas too curious to let it go. “Ohreally?Andwhat reason do you think that is?”Ilifted my brow at him in question.
He leaned forward, putting his hand on the back of my chair, and spoke right next to my ear in a low tone but still loud enough for me to hear him. “Soboth of us are alert and can remember everything that’s going to happen later after we finish our drinks.”
My heart rate picked up as he hinted at the same scenarioIhad thought of as well. “Mightyconfident in yourself.”
“Nah, not confident.Justhopeful,” he replied. “HopefulIcan pick up some of that luck you’ve had tonight, if you feel like sharing it with me.”
He winked at me and threw out that sexy grin.Iknew this man was going to be trouble.Ijust hoped it was the good kind.
The bartender set ourCokesdown in front of us, startling me out of my thoughts.Ilooked over to seeArcherhanding him his credit card.
“I’ll go ahead and close out my tab now,” he said to the bartender.
BeforeIhad enough time to ask him why he was closing it out now when we just got our drinks,Karynwalked up to me, waving her hands.
“My winning streak has returned, andI’mon fire!” she yelled and then turned to the bartender who had just broughtArcherhis bill. “Sir, canIplease get two fuzzy nipples?”
I chuckled before correcting her slurred words. “It’sfuzzynavel,Kare-bear, not nipple.”
She waved her hands at me in dismissal. “Heknew whatImeant.Closeenough.”
She smiled back at the bartender, who also smiled and nodded.
“Alright, you party animals,”Karynsaid to us. “Areyou just going to sit here all night, or are you planning to do anything a bit more exciting?”
My thoughts instantly went to extra-curricular activities after our drinks, butIdidn’t say anything.Iglanced over atArcher, whose face told me he knew whatIwas thinking and was definitely on board.
“Oh snap,”Karynsaid, looking at our faces, and then she turned to me. “Ilike this plan.Iapprove.Justtext me if you go anywhere, and let me know you’re alive soIdon’t have to track you on your phone.”
I smiled briefly and shook my head at her.Iknew she would do it, too.We’dall heard horror stories about how women went missing after supposedly going out with a man or going back to his place.Whichwas whyArcherdidn’t know it yet, but if we ended up leaving here, it was going to be to my place, not his.
I’d never had a one-night stand before, since all my previous partners had been guysI’ddated and at least known a little about them.Notthat that guaranteed they weren’t a serial killer or anything, but in this case,Ireally didn’t know much aboutArcher, soIwanted to be safe.
WhenKaryn’sdrinks arrived, she hugged me and then grabbed her drinks and said her goodbyes as she made her way back to the pool table with the others.
I smiled at her departure as she sing-songed her way over in trueKarynfashion.WhenIturned back toArcher, it was to see his gaze on me.
“You want yourCoke?” he asked.
