“What are you drinking?” Beckett asks.
“Champagne, please.” He lets out a playful scoff. “What’s that noise for?”
“Just, of course you drink champagne. I mean, are you even old enough to be drinking?” There is playfulness in his voice, but I’m still annoyed at his assumption.
“Yes, ass wipe, I am.”
“Ass wipe?’ He turns to face me, amusement dancing all over his ridiculously handsome face.
“Yes,” I confirm.
“I have never been called an ass wipe before.”
“Well, there's a first time for everything.” I signal for the waitress.
“A glass of champagne, please. Your best bottle.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Before she can walk away, Beckett says, “Make that two, and add it to my tab, please.”
“I don’t need you to buy me a drink.”
“I want to,” he says smoothly. “I think we’ve got off on the wrong foot.”
“Oh, you think?” I say, my tone full of sarcasm.
“Yes,” he replies, and our eyes lock. His appear to be a mixture of green and blue under the dim bar lighting. They pull me in, and suddenly, it feels really warm in here.
The waitress places our glasses on the bar. I reach for mine and hold it up just as Beckett does the same.
"Hi, I’m Beckett,” he says with a flirtatious grin, and if I was hot already, now I was burning like a furnace. The way he’s looking at me right now, it’s enough to have me flat on my back, legs open, and I’m not a one-night stand kinda girl. I’ve only ever been with Carson, aside from a drunken fondle with a guy when we were on a break, but that’s it. I have never had the desire to, but Beckett here, is making me feel some type of way.
“Hi, I’m Noelle.”
“Noelle, the Christmas day baby?”
“The one and only,” I say as I clink my glass with his. We both take a sip, our eye contact never breaking.
“Are you going to give me your real name?” he asks, and I think for a beat that I could, but I quite like this game.
“Let’s see how tonight goes shall we, and if you play your cards right, not only will I give you my real name, I might give you my number too,” I say with a playful wink, and I watch as he swallows thickly, and smirks.
“Let the games begin.” He declares, clinking his glass with mine and a comfortable silence falls between us. I let out a long exhale, and it feels like it’s the first time since this day began that I have been able to take a full breath. I swear I have lived a thousand lives today, and it’s only 8 pm.
I finish my drink far too quickly, and Beckett points to my empty glass. “Can I get you another?”
“I think I need to eat something before I let another drop of alcohol pass these lips.”
He clears his throat, and I side eye him as he throws back his drink in one.
I raise my hand to get the waitress's attention.
“Yes,” she says, her tone clipped as she looks between me and Beckett with a sour expression.
“Could we get some menus, please?” I say sweetly, going with the kill her with kindness vibes. I’ve been a bitch for most of the day; time to turn it around.
“Food is only served in the restaurant.”
