Oh no. Oh, absolutely not.
I watched in helpless horror as he approached, my indignant rage dissolving into absolute nothingness when he stopped at the booth and slid into the seat across from me.
CHAPTER 7
WILL
Eliza’s laptop was open to something that looked a hell of a lot like the sign-up page for an exclusive dating date. I grinned, inclining my chin toward the screen. “What are you looking at there?”
Her head snapped up so fast, I was mildly concerned about whiplash. “Nothing.”
She flushed, pink blooming across her cheeks, and the sight nearly made me fall face first into my whiskey.Holy shit, that’s hot.
Definitely not a sight I was going to forget anytime soon. I suddenly needed another drink. Promptly. I lifted a hand and caught the server’s attention, gesturing to my glass when he came over. “I’d like another, please.”
When he nodded, I turned to her. “What are you drinking?”
She glanced at the menu like it might attack her if she made eye contact too long. “I’ll have this one.”
What she pointed to after a brief moment of hesitation was without question the sweetest drink they sold here. It came with fruit skewered on a decorative stick and a small umbrella, if the bartender was feeling festive.
“Excellent choice,” I said solemnly.
She nodded equally as solemnly, as if she’d just signed an important treaty, and then we just sat there until our drinks came, neither of us saying a word. After the waiter set her cocktail down in front of her, she stared at it for a beat like it might contain secrets. Then she took a sip.
As soon as the liquid in her straw hit her mouth, she winced but took another sip anyway. Like she was determined to see it through. I watched her for another second before reaching across the table and gently taking the glass out of her hand, waving the waiter back over.
“Could you make this again, but with less alcohol and more simple syrup?”
She blinked hard, a slight, surprised smile ghosting across her lips. She glanced up at him. “A few more cherries as well, if it’s at all possible.”
The waiter gave me a look that suggested he hadopinionsabout this order, but he nodded anyway and took the drink away. When I turned back to her, she was blushing again, fidgeting in her seat like she wasn’t sure what to do with her hands.
I held her gaze, trying not to stare at that ridiculously pretty flush on her cheeks. “Do you even drink alcohol?”
She hesitated, but only for a beat before she sighed and shook her head. “I don’t really like the taste, so no. Not regularly.”
I nodded slowly. “Well, that explains a lot. Why order a cocktail that has alcohol in it then, though?”
“I figured this was a good time to start drinking.”
My eyebrows hiked up a little before I could stop them. “That’s rarely a good sign.”
She gave me a small, tired smile. “My life is likely going to hell anyway, and apparently, alcohol helps one care less. Or perhaps simply focus more on the after-effects. Either way, I figured I should give it a try.”
I chuckled and lifted my drink in her direction. “Let me know if you want any pointers. I’ve got enough experience to qualify as an expert in this matter.”
She arched an eyebrow at me as I took a sip. “So you drink a lot, then?”
“These last few days?” I shrugged. “Yeah. I’ve been drinking a lot.”
A slight, almost understanding smile spread on her lips, but then her new drink arrived, brighter and even more cheerfully garnished than before. The bartender had also handled her request for more cherries with enthusiasm.
It was promising. Eliza, though, still picked it up cautiously, slowly bringing the straw to her mouth and taking a small sip. I watched her reaction closely again, but she didn’t wince this time, going back for another tentative sip instead.
“Well?” I asked once she’d swallowed the second. “How it is?”
“Better,” she said after thinking it over for a beat. “I like it a little bit more like this.”
