Nico turned back to Cooper who stood behind the bar, twisting off the cap of a bottle of beer.
“I’m back on the no-liquor wagon,” Cooper said as he took a swig.
Nico took a seat on a chair with a golden base and a leather back opposite Cooper. “Never knew you were on the wagon or off it.”
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
“Tell me something interesting about yourself.”
Cooper passed Nico a tall but thin cocktail menu. “Fun fact! I learned how to make all of these just in case you decided you didn’t want the spiced pear mojito.”
“You think you know me like that?” Nico questioned, searching over the menu. There were nine drinks in total with options ranging from an espresso-based old fashioned to a Hollywood Knights themed tequila cocktail called the sword and shield.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” Cooper demanded.
Tequila was off the menu because it did funny things to Nico. Made him act a fool. More a fool than was typical. Otherwise, the spiced pear mojito called Nico’s name, but he decided to challenge Cooper. He couldn’t let the other man be right. “I’ll have the cucumber kiwi mule.”
“So, you pick the most complicated one?” Cooper bit into his lower lip with a cackle that was torn between amusement and frustration. “That tracks.”
“What can I say, it was calling my name.”
“One complicated drink coming right up.”
Cooper ducked beneath the counter, and rummaged loudly through the cupboards below. When he came back up, he placed a tall tumbler glass on the counter. He turned on his feet and searched the bar behind him, grabbed three different bottles, a small dish, and a muddler. He turned back around and clumsily laid out the ingredients and tools.
“I know it doesn’t appear as if I know what I’m doing,” Cooper said with a sigh. “I just need you to trust the process.”
“The process is trusted,” Nico responded, raising his hands in the air. “I have all the faith in the world that you studied just the right amount.”
Cooper ripped open a drawer, searched inside, and pulled out a small peeler. He got to work, stroking the device over the fuzzy outside of the kiwi, leaving tiny strips of fur along the slick surface of the bar. He chopped up the fruit, threw it into the small dish, and muddled it until the kiwi looked what Nico imagined his insides looked like when Cooper was done fucking him.
Nico watched as his new favorite bartender scooped the kiwi guts into the bottom of the tumbler, and then poured a not-so-appropriate amount of cucumber vodka into the glass. What Cooper didn’t know was that Nico spent his summers during college bartending. A normal recipe called for a shot of alcohol, maybe two. Cooper’s free pour was closer to four, but Nico wasn’t one to complain about a free drink.
Cooper topped the drink off with ginger beer straight from the tap, tossed in a metal straw, and garnished theglass with a full slice of a cucumber. He slid a black slate coaster across the bar and sat the drink down in front of Nico.
Nico palmed the drink in one hand. “Isn’t a mule supposed to be in a copper cup?”
Also, wasn’t it supposed to have ice?
“It’s elevated,” Cooper said flatly, and Nico was certain he was full of shit.
Nico pulled the straw to his mouth and took a sip. The concoction tasted like absolute shit with the texture of pulped orange juice, but it was pulped kiwi. “Damn, that’s good.”
“That’s good to know because I told a little bit of a white lie.” Cooper leaned over the counter, a proud glint in his eye. “I only learned to make the one drink that I’m pretty damn sure you wanted, but are too damn stubborn to admit that I was right.”
Nico took another quick sip to really sell the lie. “Perfecto.”
Nico drummed his fingers on the table as they waited for service. Cooper reached across the circular surface and held his hand over Nico’s, calming him.
The door to the kitchen swung open and out came Stassi Davies.
Cooper’s fucking girlfriend, and yeah Nico understood it wasn’t a typical boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, but it still unsettled him. Nico tried to pull his hand away from Cooper’s, but Cooper grip was stronger.
Nico would never let the other man know that, though.
Stassi looked stunning in a shiny silver dress that reached just to her knees, with matching shoes that blinded as if they were embedded with the same diamonds that hung from her ears.
“Good evening, gentlemen. I’m Stassi and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.” She placed a menu in front of Nico first and then Cooper. “I see our bartender has already taken care of your drink order. I’ll go grab some bottled water while you check out the menu.”
