“Maybe sounds like a yes if you say it loud enough,” he grins, leaning on the railing with a nail gun still in hand. “Come on. It’s my birthday. You have to come.”
“You turning twenty-five doesn’t mean I have to suffer through bad beer and worse music.”
He snorts. “Mate, it’s The Tipsy Tap. It’s not that bad. They’ve got tapas now. And bartenders who look like actual angels, I swear.”
I roll my eyes but smirk despite myself. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll meet you there a bit later. I need to finish some things here, then I will head home to get ready, alright?”
He gives a mock cheer and heads back to finish nailing the timber down.
“Finish that bit off, then you can go mate.”
“Well, I won’t say no to that.” Tyler agrees.
After he leaves I take one last look at the job site—wood shavings everywhere, tools scattered like confetti, my to-do list still a mile long. I try to shake the tight knot that’s permanently lodged in my chest these days.
I don’t want to go out. But maybe I should. Maybe I need to remember what it feels like to be a person outside of work.
An hour later, I’m freshly showered, wearing a grey collared shirt and jeans, pulling into the carpark of the bar.
I’ve lived in Coevey Bay all my life and only came to The Tipsy Tap a few times, and that was years ago.
I walk inside, running my hands nervously along my jeans. I can’t believe Tyler convinced me to come out.
I’m only recently twenty-eight, but lately? I feel about fifty. All I do is work or work out. My business eats up every damn second of my time, and even when I do take a break, it’s usually just to clear my head, not to go drinking. Tyler’s one of my contractors and currently crashing at my place while he renovates his. He’s loud, fun, annoyingly optimistic, and dead set on dragging me “back into the real world,” as he puts it. He seems to think my sex life is non-existent, so he’s always trying to wingman me into some random hookup at a bar.
He doesn’t get it, I get laidplenty. I just don’t broadcast it like he does. I keep that part of my life behind closed doors, exactly where it belongs. No drama. Just clean, simple release.
And after my ex cheated, relationships? Off the table. I don’t have the time for that. Not yet. Casual sex is safer. Easier.Enough.
The bar looks the same as the last time I came in here. Dark, moody vibe. Smells of leather and alcohol. There is a country song playing, and a massive selection of beers on tap. It’s got a kind of hipster feel, but not in a bad way. They even have tapas. Tapas, at a bar? Fancy.
I head over to the table where Tyler is surrounded by his friends and some of our other co-workers.
“You made it Emerson!” Tyler yells when he sees me, pulling me in a back slapping hug.
He turns us to his friends, introducing me to the ones I don’t know.
“This is Lucas.”
Theo and Renae from work are here, I give them a nod hello. Tyler goes through the motions of introducing me to the rest.
“G’day. I’m gonna head to the bar to get a feed and bevo. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Tyler nods and turns back to his conversation with his friends.
I grab a menu that was left scattered on the table, and start to make myway towards the bar—it’s packed. I wait in line, eyes still skimming the menu, not really paying attention. Until I hear a voice.
“Hey there, what would you like?” I look up. And completely forget how to speak.
Fuck. I’ve just met anangel.
She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.
My pulse immediately starts to pick up.
I don’t have a type, but if I did, it would beher.
Blue-grey eyes. Soft, pouty pink lips. A tan that looks like summer lingers on her skin all year round, subtle and effortless. Dark brown hair hanging loosely in waves around her breasts. Tight denim corset top showing just enough cleavage to make my brain short-circuit.
