“I thought today went well,” Gia notes from beside me.
She’s sipping on Rome’s Corona because I learned that the saying‘Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, in the clear’is the cold, hard truth.
“It went better than I thought it would,” I admit. “I didn’t think we’d get first. Not yet, even if Rome is extremely skilled–” I pause. “Do not tell him I said that.”
Gia smiles with the beer bottle up to her lips. “I don’t think Rome needs any ego-boosting. Your secret is safe with me.”
True.
I grab mynewJack and Coke and take a sip. “Once we work the kinks out, I think he’ll be right up there with Noah.”
“Once you two trust each other, you mean.”
I eye Gia from the side. “Same thing.”
She laughs. “I’m going to take some content. Are you good over here?”
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” the bartender says from behind, his accent thick but his English well pronounced.
Gia glances from him to me, and I wink at her, giving her the okay to leave me.
I’m a big girl, even if my brothers think otherwise. What more do I have to do to prove to them that I can handle myself? I’m paired with Rome Pierce, for goodness’ sake, and we somehow still finished in the top five today.
I’m fully capable of surviving the real world.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” I ask, turning around to face the bartender.
He’s a handsome guy–tall, with a black t-shirt that hugs his toned biceps. He shakes a drink with a sexy grin. “I am, but as long as you stay right there, I can make sure no one hits on you.”
I eye him closely. “And what if I think you’re hitting on me?”
He stops mid-pour and glances at the faint grin on my lips. “What if I am?”
I think about it for a second, and knowing my brothers and Romeare behind me, likely plotting some grand scheme to interrupt any type of fun I want to have, I fix my small smile into a larger one. “Then I guess I’ll stay.”
His smile grows, and it’s a nice one. He has bright, white teeth that stand out against his tanned skin with scruff lining his jaw. “Then drinks are on me.”
Butterflies flutter as I tip my drink back and swallow the rest of it.
I know my limit, and I won’t go beyond it, so when he puts another drink in front of me, I drink it slowly while chatting in between his drink orders.
Rome saunters up beside me at one point, ordering another Corona.
I keep my fingers wrapped around my drink and pretend he doesn’t exist. Even when his gruff chuckle hits my ears, I stay angled away from him.
It isn’t until I hear a girly voice ask him to dance that I give in. Her hand falls to his chest, and I can’t help but turn my nose up at her. I don’t know why the reaction comes, but he doesn’t notice because his eyes are too locked in on her cleavage spilling out from her low-cut dress.
I focus on my burly bartender.
He’s much more interesting.
Right?
A Corona slides next to my Jack and Coke. “Can you watch this for me?”
I turn and gape at Rome with irritation.
“I’m going to dance, and since you’ve sat here most of the night, I don’t see you getting up anytime soon.”
