I decide to head in his direction, hoping to avoid feeling awkward.
Tucker spots me as I step up to the counter, resting my forearms on the edge. He offers me a welcoming smile. “Hey there, City Chick. How’s the new deck holding up?”
“It’s great.” I laugh. “Thank you again. For, you know…helping and all.”
He raises a hand. “No thanks needed. Construction work is kind of my thing.”
“Good to know,” I answer before looking in Griffin’s direction to find him no longer looking my way.
It’s now my mission to get a smile out of Griffin while in public tonight.
“You’ll get used to him,” Tucker cuts through my thoughts. “He’s an acquired taste.”
Just as I’m about to order a drink from Tucker, Autumn, and Poppy spot me and make their way to me with their drinks in hand. Autumn has some type of light beer in a glass, and Poppy is drinking ice water.
“So happy you could make it,” Autumn says at the same time she wraps her arms around me for a hug.
“A night spent with you girls?” I raise an eyebrow. “Never in my life would I miss this.”
“I think you just became one of my favorite people.” Autumn chuckles, pressing a kiss to my cheek as I join her in laughter.
I meant it when I said I would never miss this because of them.
They’ve welcomed me and invited me into their lives, quickly becoming my people here in this small town. A group of girls I didn’t know I needed until I met them. It’s a complete 180 from the “friends” I had back in California. They genuinely care about me and it’s not a one-sided type of friendship.
The song changes, and I hear Shania shout “Let’s Go Girls” through the speakers. The girls look at each other with wide eyes and open mouths.
“It’s our song!” they shout in unison.
They grab each other’s hands and hustle out to the middle of the dance floor.
“Whoa,” Tucker says, rounding the bar quickly. “It’s my song too. Wait for me.”
I follow his movements until he reaches the girls, jumping up and down like an excited teenage girl at the high school dance ready to tear up the dance floor. I can’t stop smiling at how fun this group is.
I turn around to face the bar and see Griffin standing right across from me.
His face is all work, no play.
I almost feel the smile on my face fall, but determination wins, and I refuse to let him know I feel nervous around him.
“What are ya drinkin’?” he asks.
“A martini?”
His eyebrows knit together. “We don’t have those here.”
I tilt my head in confusion. “You mean to tell me you’re a bar that doesn’t serve martinis?”
I’ve already noticed the ingredients needed to make it line the counter behind him but decide to play this little game he seems to want to play right now.
He shakes his head. “Beer or whiskey. It’s what we’re known for.”
“I thought it was the seven stools?” I smirk.
He nods his head repeatedly, as if he’s proud of my response. “You’re catching on.”
I scan the bar behind him, trying to figure out what to order. One thing I can’t stand is beer. I’ve never liked it. It’s gross and makes me feel like shit after just one drink.
