Hayes
Then
When I slunk into Tank’s, I had two goals: one, to get drunk; and two, to avoid Jane, my ex-girlfriend. I assumed the best way to accomplish those goals was to drink alone, but I was wrong. Flirting with Annabelle has me so distracted, I can barely remember my own damn name, let alone the mess that went down between Jane and me today.
Turning to Annabelle, I suggest, “Let’s make a rule. We can’t mention anything having to do with our exes, and if we do, we’ll take a penalty shot. Deal?”
“Sounds dangerous, but… deal,” she agrees.
I flag down the bartender and order a few roundsof tequila shots.
“What are we going to talk about then, seeing as our sob stories are off the table?”
"I'm open to ideas," I say with a grin. "But let's skip any more stories you might have that involve exploding dicks, okay?"
She returns my grin. "If you insist." Annabelle bites her plump lower lip as she ponders. “What do you do for a living?”
“Boring. Next.”
I’m not opening that can of worms. I picked Tank’s because I knew Jane would never set foot in this rough-and-tumble joint, and I doubted any of the regulars would know who I was. When Annabelle sat down, so out of her element, I assumed she’d recognized me. That she was a groupie, looking to weasel her way into my bed for a night. But the more she talks, the more certain I am that she has no idea who I am.
“Tough crowd.” Laughing, Annabelle tries again. “Where are you from?”
“Also boring, but I’ll throw you a bone. Small town in Alabama. You?”
“New York.”
I whistle. “Long way from home, Yankee.”
“Actually, I prefer the Mets to the Yankees,” she sasses.
“Agree to disagree, but… Met just doesn’t roll off the tongue like Yankee does.”
“First Jeopardy and now Yankee. What’s with all the nicknames?”
When you meet as many people as I do, it’s hard to remember names, so I come up with nicknames. “I called you a princess first.”
With a grimace, she says, “Yeah, let’s agree to ditch that one, okay?”
I cock a brow in her direction. “But Jeopardy and Yankee pass muster?”
“You could always call me by my name, you know.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I take a swig of my beer. "So, what's your next question?"
Annabelle is quiet for a moment. Then, she arches a brow and asks, "If I had a warning label, what would it be?"
I take my time, letting my eyes linger on her before settling on, "Falling hazard."
Her nose crinkles in confusion, cute as hell, even if she’s trying to look serious. "But I'm not clumsy."
"The warning's not for you, Yankee." I lean in, lowering my voice. "It's for me because if I'm not careful, I think I could fall for you."
She draws in a surprised breath before she bursts out laughing.
I sit back with a smile and a shrug.Oh well, I tried.
"Does that usually work?"
