Page 9 of Trials of a One Night Stand
“You two okay?” The bartender winks at us from behind the bar. “More beers, whiskey, or vodka shots?”
Nathaniel tilts his head and flashes a wry grin. “We’ll take two rum cocktails. That okay with you?”
I nod and knock back the remainder of my beer, not caring about the hangover from hell I’ll have tomorrow. Thankfully, I have two days to recover before I have to be back at work.
As we wait for our drinks, Nathaniel and I stare at each other as if we’re memorizing the moment so we can tell stories about it in the future. To whom? I have no freaking idea, nor do I care. Tonight would be enough; it had to be.
Nathaniel draws me to him like a magnet. I lean in to kiss him when the bartender pushes two lowball glasses in front of us. Each is filled with a dark liquid with a lime slice hanging on the rim.
“This is a dark ’n stormy.” The bartender leans over the bar. “Did you know rum is the drink of lovers?”
Nathaniel’s lips twitch, and my desire to kiss him deepens. “I didn’t.”
“This also has ginger beer in it.” The bartender grins. “Enjoy.”
All I want to do is press my mouth against Nathaniel’s. Instead, I reach for my glass and take a sip. The rum is strong, but it goes down smoothly. Must be the ginger beer that adds to the taste.
“Good?” the bartender asks.
“Delicious,” I reply.
“Excellent. I’ll be back soon.” He moves toward a man and woman having a lively discussion at the other end of the bar.
Nathaniel follows my gaze. “Work colleagues.”
“How do you know?” I squint to see what’s in their glasses.
“They’re drinking beer,” we say at the same time and then laugh. Not as loud this time.
Nathaniel sips his cocktail. “Talk to me about your ex. What was he like?”
“What more is there to say other than he’s an asshole, and I already told you that.”
“You did, but calling him one is a given if he hurt you. How did he prove his assholeishness?”
I roll my eyes, not wanting to relive the moment. “Want to guess?”
“It involves his dick and another woman.”
I hold up one finger. “Spot-on but wait. There’s more.”
“As in who she was?”
“That’ll earn you a bonus point.”
He rubs his chin as if thinking about the situation. “Your best friend?”
“She was a close friend at work, so I’ll give you the point.” I hold up two fingers. “But he did one more thing.”
“Did his dick fall into someone else you know?”
“As far as I know, it didn’t.” But that’s always a possibility, unfortunately. “Although that might have been easier to deal with.”
Nathaniel straightens. “Work-related?”
I hesitate.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
