I lifted our joined hands and kissed the back of his. This felt like an actual date, so the best way to sell it was to go with it.
After we walked through the dark, eerie underground tunnels on the Pub Tour, we strolled hand in hand down to Alejandro’s to grab a burger. We sat at a high top table in the back, closest to the bar so I could see the door.
It wasn’t long before Ben, one of the bartenders, came over to greet us. “Hey, how’s it going Michael? Good to see you.”
I smiled. “Good, Ben. How are things with the boss? He here tonight?”
The handsome, dark-haired bartender smiled. “Things are good. Really good, actually. And yeah, he’s in the back. His office probably. I think Anna stopped by.”
Ben released a heavy sigh, then glanced at Adam. “Aren’t you Adam Spencer?”
Rockstar nodded and held his hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you, Ben.”
“You too. I really love your music. Can’t wait for the tour. I bought tickets for San Diego.”
I smiled as Adam chuckled. “Thanks, we appreciate that. But why San Diego? San Francisco is closer.”
Ben smiled. “True, but my friend lives on the beach in San Diego with his boyfriend, so we’re gonna stay with them and do some surfing. God, I miss California some times.”
I smiled to myself, knowing exactly who Ben was talking about.
Ben turned his attention to me. “Do you need me to run interference if customers recognize him? The local celebs section is available if you’d rather sit back there.”
Adam looked at me with a raised brow.
“I think we’re good here. But I’ll let you know if we need to move.”
Ben nodded and smiled. “That works. So what can I get you?”
Adam ordered an IPA and a burger. I opted for the same, but with a club soda with lime instead.
Ben nodded. “Let me put your order in, then I’ll be back with your drinks.”
When he walked away, I turned my attention to Adam and wrapped my arm around his chair to pull him closer. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
“No. I knew they were chill here. Patrick talks about this place all the time.”
Having put in our order, Ben returned a few minutes later to drop our drinks off. “Let me know if you need anything.”
I nodded as Adam took a sip of his beer. When he put it down, he shifted his gaze to me. “So,” he teased, “how do you know the cute bartender?”
Chuckling, I bumped my shoulder into his. “Not how you think. I met him and the other bartender, Nick, when we stopped in for a beer with GQ. Turns out Ben’s an adrenaline junkie on skis, so that got Daredevil’s attention.”
He nodded, and I leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “He’s also in love with his boss.” I placed a kiss on his cheek, making him smile.
“Yikes. By the look on his face, it must not be going too badly.”
I chuckled. “The last I heard, things were fine. But it turns out Anna has a crush on Ben.”
Adam furrowed his brow. “Who’s Anna?”
I picked up my glass and replied before taking a sip. “Alejandro’s daughter.”
His eyes widened comically. “Oh shit. That’s terrible. How old is she? And doesn’t she know about her dad and Ben?”
I chuckled, thankful it wasn’t my tangled life. “She’s twenty, I think. And no. She has no idea about them.”
Adam whistled and took another swallow of his beer.
