Some of his jovial tone was missing. “It will depend on where I get an internship. I could have long hours or a big workload. We can talk about it later. I just know if they’re slammed, I’m going to jump in.”
I smiled. “I can help too, ya know. I’ve tended bar a time or three.”
His beautiful smile and warm gaze were back on me. I didn’t have to look at him to know. I could feel it in my soul.
“Well, I wanna see that,” he laughed.
“Are you insinuating that I can’t make a mixed drink?” I asked, incredulously.
Nick laughed, and the sound filled my chest like the air I needed to breathe. “Not at all, Big Daddy. But I’m thinking we need to have a competition and place a wager.”
I grinned. He had no idea how good I was. “Okay, what did you have in mind?”
He thought about it for a moment. “The winner gets to choose whether to top or bottom and they can use anything in their personal toy box.”
My skin heated and my mind filled with all kinds of dirty things we could do. “You have no idea what you’ve started.”
Nick leaned over the console and sucked my earlobe into his mouth, making my dick twitch. “Don’t you play dirty, Nicholas.”
He grinned. “The way I see it, we’re both gonna win in the end. We just have to determine whose end is getting it.”
* * *
The bar was hopping justlike we thought it would be, but Ben and Alejandro worked side by side, making drinks and pulling beers while Anna took care of the bar tabs. In another year, she’d be behind that bar and slinging drinks like her old man.
I slung my arm around Nick. “Doesn’t look like they need you, babe.”
He frowned. “I’m gonna check, anyway.”
I followed him to the bar, and when Alejandro looked up, I knew his smart mouth was going to slay me. “You a fanboy now, James?”
I looked down at the new Pirate’s jersey Nick insisted I needed from the stadium store. “Fuck you,” I said, flipping him the bird.
“Do you need some help? I can jump in,” Nick offered.
Alejandro looked around and over at Ben. I saw the barest hint of affection on his face when he looked at him. “I think we got it. I’ll tap you if we need more hands.”
Nick nodded. “Okay, the Pirates are coming in. Coop texted they were on the way.”
“Great! You wanna check over on the reserved side and see if they have space?”
“Sure,” he replied before turning to me. “I’ll be right back.”
I watched as he snaked his way through the crowd. There was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I was missing something.
“You want a beer?” Alejandro asked, opening the beer case.
I turned to look at him. “Yeah, make it two.”
Pulling out my wallet to pay, he waved me off. “I’ve got it,” he said, sliding them over to me. I pulled out a twenty and stuck it in the tip jar. Maybe everyone would get the hint to tip the bartenders.
A young woman approached Alejandro from behind the bar. “I’m here, boss. Want me to take over?”
His eyes lit up. “Regan, yes, please! Thanks for coming in early.”
I frowned at the young woman and looked at Alejandro. “New hire?”
He nodded and waved me toward the back of the bar. I got up from my stool and took our beers with me. When I met him at the backside by my favorite spot, he sighed. “Yeah, she’s new. She came highly recommended. I’m going to have to replace Nick soon.”
