His smile flickered as his eyes widened. They were dark brown in the soft lighting. “I’m sorry. Have we met before?”
The flush to my cheeks would never fade at this point. “Oh, no. Sean told me your name and that you’re the owner of the bar.” I shifted around in my seat, finding the man in question grinning at us.
“That guy’s trouble,” Jack muttered, but his lips twitched.
“I thought he was nice,” I admitted, studying Sean again. “He offered to keep an eye on me.”
“Did he?” Jack looked surprised. “Do you need looking after, then?”
“I was kind of nervous, and he could tell. I’ve never been here before.” I glanced over at the nearest painting, the blonde muse depicted with flowers in her hair, but the world around her shaded in darkness. It just made her appear more beautiful. “I think I’ve been missing out. I really like your bar.”
“Thanks.” Jack’s eyes traveled around the open space and over the tables before moving back to me. “I like it too, but it’s nice to hear.” He pointed at my drink. “Did you want to start a tab?”
“Oh, yes.” I reached into my purse, pulling out a credit card to hand to him. Jack returned my card and started putting the juices away. I studied his face while he was busy. He had a wide smile beneath a very prominent nose. I tried not to stare at it.Besides Neil, the men I’d dated had bigger than average noses. I liked them. Maybe because my foster father had a nose too wide and tall for his face. He’d been the kindest man.
“So, why The Muse?” I asked, sipping at my drink again.
“Well, before opening the bar, I was a musician. When I was younger, I wrote some cheesy love songs and some even worse breakup songs. I had quite a few muses back then.” His smile wasn’t arrogant but more bashful. “I liked the idea behind the Greek version, that someone whispers ideas in artists’ ears.”
“So you see music as art?” I asked, happy someone thought like I did.
He laughed. “Yeah, I’m a bit too much, aren’t I?” He grabbed one of the bottles and turned toward the shelf behind the bar.
“No, I wouldn’t say that. I—”
“Hailey,” Neil said, settling on the barstool next to me. “Sorry I’m late.”
I blinked at him but knew better than to tell him I hadn’t even realized he was late. Jack moved down the bar toward someone who caught his eye to order.
“It’s okay,” I told Neil. “I’m glad you got here before whoever we’re meeting.” It would have been extra awkward to meet them alone. I wasn’t even sure what they looked like.
Neil’s eyes slid down my outfit, his mouth hardening as he sighed. “You could have put in a bit more effort.”
My hand tightened on my drink, the condensation on the glass making my skin clammy.
“Can I get you something?” Jack asked Neil. He wasn’t wearing the smile I’d seen before.
“Um, yeah. It’s a whiskey bar, right?” Neil looked at the line of bottles. “Do you have any recommendations?”
“Depends on what kind of whiskey you like,” Jack said. “Though if you’re new to it, we’ve got a few flights. Or I could make you an old-fashioned, which is a popular choice.”
“That last one, I guess. Any type of whiskey is fine,” Neil said. When Jack turned away, Neil leaned closer to me. “Are you anxious?”
I hadn’t been while I’d talked to Sean or Jack, but now that Neil was reminding me what we were there for, the tightening in my chest was back. “A little.”
“It’ll be good. I’m sure of it,” Neil tried to reassure me, but all I could think about was how long he’d been talking to this couple to be so confident. It seemed like it’d been longer than a week, but he’d denied it.
“Here you go,” Jack said, sliding Neil his drink. “Did you want to open a tab?”
“You can put it on hers,” Neil said, tilting his head toward me.
Jack looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Shifting on my seat, I nodded. I wasn’t sure why I felt embarrassed. While Neil and I kept our finances separate, we shared expenses all the time. I made more money than he did, so I’d often offer to pick up the bill.
It felt different when Neiljust assumed.
“Neil and Hailey?” a voice asked from behind us.
We turned around to face the couple we’d come to meet, and my heartbeat sped up. The woman wore a clingy top that showed off her assets paired with tight jeans. Her dark hair was long and wavy, like I’d always envied. The man next to her was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. He had styled hair, a trim beard, and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. His outfit was more business than casual, with the sleeves of the black button-down shirt rolled up to show off his strong forearms. The front was unbuttoned enough to display a chain around his neck and a few strands of curling dark chest hair.
