She nods and hands someone a few stools down from me his drink. I look back over my shoulder and watch the beauty sit down and pull a book from her purse. When she leans back in her seat, she crosses her slim legs and visibly shimmies in the seat to make herself more comfortable before she takes a sip of one of those fruity drinks women like.
My beer is placed in front of me, and I turn to the bartender, “What’s her story?”
She smiles and grabs a rag to wipe off the counter around me, “My job is to make your drinks, listen to your problems, and dole out bad advice I read from a gag book about bad advice. My entertainment every night is to see if any of you drunk cowboys call me on it. If you want information about her, you’ll have to ask her yourself.” She winks at me and walks away.
Well, shit. Another wall.
When did bartenders start fucking with their patrons likethat?
Turning on my stool, I sip my beer and watch her read her book. It takes her nearly an hour to nurse her drink before she sets her book face down on the table to mark her page and comes back to the bar.
She could have gone to any part of the bar, but she’s next to me again. Small wins count.
Her long, slim fingers grasp the edge of the bar and she has to talk a little louder this time because the bar is filling up. “Can I get another one, please?”
A second bartender has joined the one that has been here all evening and he smiles at her and says, “Sure thing, Sloane.”
She smiles back at him, it’s the second time I’ve seen her smile and I want to see more of it. In fact, I’m a little pissed that she is smiling at this guy instead of me. Jealousy has never been my thing and I’m trying to understand why the fuck I even care.
I’ve been nursing this one beer for the past hour so I can talk to her without the whiskey holding my hand, and my dick.
She turns her head and cocks it to the side a little, finally gracing me with her attention, “Are you enjoying the view?” The tone of her voice and the expression on her face is not playful. She looks annoyed.
Turning my body to face her, I put my hand on my knee and smile, “As a matter of fact, I am. I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what to say to apologize for behaving like a drunken ass.”
She shrugs her shoulder and says, “Drunk cowboys are a dime a dozen, no need to apologize.”
Ouch.
I can’t help the laugh that escapes my throat, and I lift the bill of my ballcap and scrub my hand over my head before setting it back on, the shame and embarrassment making mecringe a little, “Yeah, I was pretty drunk earlier. Sorry about that.”
She actually smiles this time and cocks her head again, “So you’re not drunk now?”
Setting my hand back on my knee, I shake my head with a chuckle, “No. No, I’m not.” I lift my hand from my knee and hold it up in a gesture of surrender, “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve been sobering up and working up the courage to go to your table.”
Her lips tip up slightly on one side, “Do I owe you something now?”
“See there,” I point at her with a smile, “that’s taking it the wrong way. To be completely straight with you, I’m treading water right now looking for any sign from you that I could sit at your table for a spell and just… talk.”
Her eyebrows climb her forehead in disbelief, “Talk?” The irritation has left her features and amusement has taken its place. It’s a start.
I nod my head once and hold both of my hands up in surrender, “Talk.”
CHAPTER FIVE
SLOANE
SURPRISE DOESN’Teven cover how I’m enjoying this man’s attention, even though I pretended I hadn’t seen him watching me for the past hour. I’ve never considered myself an expert on men but his smile is warm and I don’t feel threatened at all, in fact, I’m attracted to him.
He doesn’t make my skin crawl, on the contrary, he makes me feel warm all over and I want his attention. The warm hum I’m feeling right now is something I haven’t felt in a long time. Since that creep strapped me down and pushed his fingers in me almost two years ago, I always feel disgusted when a man flirts with me.
Since I stabbed that man and ran, I’ve only been spooked twice when I spotted men in suits that resembled the ones from the basement. I don’t know if they are actively looking for me, or if they just plan to kill me if they ever bump into me.I have no idea how people like that think, but both times I picked up and changed everything without thinking twice.
Working at the Harlow Ranch is the longest I’ve stayed anywhere, but it’s in the middle of nowhere and I only leave the house once every couple of weeks to have a drink here. The crowd makes me feel invisible and, in turn, I feel somewhat like a normal person.
I never have more than one drink, I went back to the bar and asked for a second drink just to get close to him one more time before I head home, I feel drawn to him for some reason.
Hopefully, I won’t regret this. I’m almost certain he is in no way associated with the people I’m hiding from. I feel like I’m rolling the dice, but something about him makes me feel lucky. And for two damn years, I’ve felt nothing but lonely.
