“Ah, so you thought I was the hater.” Jack placed his hands on the bar, leaning forward. “I’m glad to prove you wrong. I like all music, too. It’s about the sound for me.”
“Good to know.” Realizing Levi was studying me, I swiveled in his direction. “What about you? What kind of music do you like?”
Levi shrugged. “I’ll give anything a try. I’m not very particular.”
His answer slid something heavy into my stomach, which was silly. I didn’t need to have a lot in common with someone who was just a hookup.
“I was thinking I’d make you something new tonight?” Jack asked it as a question, pulling my gaze back to him.
“That sounds good.” As much as I’d liked the purple sparkling drink, I wasn’t sure I wanted to order it again. “Surprise me.”
Jack moved down the bar to get started.
“So you two are friends?” Levi asked.
My hand closed around the edge of the bar, wondering if I should admit it, but it wasn’t like I’d played it cool. “Yeah, we’re friends.”
“That’s smart.” Levi looked at me ruefully. “It can be kind of nerve-racking to meet up with someone from the apps. Since he didn’t kick me out, I guess I passed the initial test.”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t a test. I just like it here and feel safe.”
“Feeling safe is good.” He smiled at me. His nostrils flared when he did, making his nose seem a little bigger, and I settled even more.
“So, your answer about music, was that you being diplomatic?” I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Do you secretly hate country music?”
“Called out!” Levi laughed. “Not hate, but it’s not my favorite, to be honest.”
I nodded. “What do you normally listen to?”
“R&B and jazz. There’s a jazz bar on the other side of town I was going to suggest, but you mentioned this place first.”
“I’ve listened to older jazz. Tell me a few favorites.”
He was telling me about them when Jack slid my drink in front of me. It was clear with streaks of red this time. The mini umbrella matched and was linked to a lime. As I was taking my first sip, Jack pointed toward Levi’s half-full soda. “Need another?”
Levi shook his head. “Not yet.”
Jack moved down the bar, even though no one had called to him yet.
Levi caught me looking at his drink. “I’m not much of a drinker,” he admitted, rubbing his head again.
“I’m not judging.” I lifted my drink, which was delicious, sweeter than I expected. “This is a mocktail, actually. Jack likes to experiment with them.”
“Something in common, then.” He smiled, his fingers playing in the condensation on his glass. “I haven’t actually done the app thing much, and I’ve never tried casual.”
“You mentioned you’d just gotten out of something serious,” I said, leaving it at that. It wasn’t my place to ask for more details, not when my profile made it clear I still had a boyfriend.
“Yeah, I haven’t quite worked through it yet. I figured maybe dating would help, but I know I’m not ready for more yet.” He licked his lips, his tongue a flash of pink. “I liked how straightforward your profile was. You’re also really cute.”
My cheeks burned. “Thanks. You look good, too.”
“That part works, then.” He took another sip of soda. “I have to confess, I’m not a sure thing tonight. As I said, I’m new at this and still feeling it out.”
“That’s fine. I’m not either. I don’t think anyone should expect that.” I shifted my gaze to my drink. I still didn’t know if I’d be able to trust anyone enough to move to that next step.
“Another checkmark,” Levi said. He cleared his throat. “So, we already covered music. What about shows? What are you watching right now?”
Levi was easy to chat with. We shared a love of binge-watching dramas, avoiding sitcoms, but agreed to disagree on the merits of reality TV. I was laughing at his professed love of Jeff Probst when Jack’s voice came over the microphone, introducing the band for the night. When the first song started, the singer’s voice seemed to come from deep in his chest but had a definite twang. I smiled as he sang about losing his girl.
