Page 21 of Bastard Bartender

Chapter Seven

Nic pours a drink and hands it over to someone before coming back to me. This time, he stops just on the other side and lowers his head, so he’s closer to me.

“How about we start over? Erase that jerk and find you a real man? Someone deserving of your attention and the sound of your giggle.”

“I don’t giggle.”

“You giggle, and it’s fucking cute.”

I try to turn away because I want to be annoyed with him, but his eyes keep following mine until I give in and look back at him and his stupidly perfect face.

“I’ll make sure the next guy checks off a few boxes before he heads over.”

“And what boxes are those?” I ask.

He counts out on his fingers. “I’ll search for any sign of a ring. I’ll check out his address on his license to make sure he’s not here on vacation. And I’ll make sure I approve of his drink order.”

Marie points at him, agreeing with this thought process. “You’re brilliant.”

Nic places his hand to his chest. “I know. It’s a gift.” He grins brightly as he walks away backward, keeping his line of sight on us as he goes to get more glasses.

“You know, that gift of yours would have been helpful ten minutes ago,” I call out, and he smiles back as I run my hands through my hair.

Sometimes, I wonder if this experiment is going to make me hate men. I’m really disappointed that my Q went into the negative column because I was hoping my last ten prospects would be spectacular.

Nic is now down the bar, raising his arm toward someone in the back of the room. A beautiful woman with long, dark hair, a porcelain face, and legs to die for gets up from her seat in a booth and struts over to Nic. She leans in, brushing her silky hair over her shoulder, listening intently. She has a disgusted look on her face and then a stern one as she looks over her shoulder and then back to Nic before nodding her head and walking back to her seat with a sassy swish to her hips.

Next, Nic gets Quinten’s attention, who is now walking up to the bar. Nic leans forward and whispers in his ear for what seems like quite a while. When he pulls back, Quinten seems pleased and shakes Nic’s hand.

My scowl is deep, and I can feel my spine straighten at his bro-like attitude to the super-creepy philanderer.

Quinten walks away from Nic, past me, and over to the woman who is now back in her booth with two friends. They’re as gorgeous as they are graceful as they sip martinis.

They welcome Quinten to sit with them as the one gives Nic a subtle wink. Then, she turns her attention back at Quinten, who is making himself comfortable.

By the time Nic makes it back to the service well, I’m confused and becoming angry that he’d toss Quinten a bone. I don’t know why he would do such a thing. I hoped he had better morals than that.

“You get this line in your forehead when you’re annoyed.” He taps where he meant, and I look up at him. “It’s cute.”

I make my line deepen further. “Why did you set Quinten up with that woman?”

His eyes dance to them briefly and then come back to me. “That beauty over there happens to be a very good friend of mine. Her name is Destiny, and she hates men who cheat. Despises it actually. Just went through a bad breakup herself and is on a bit of a man-hating kick.”

Marie appears equally as dumbfounded as I am as she lifts a finger and asks for Nic’s logic on sending Quinten over there.

Nic laughs. It’s a low, deep one. “Destiny loves to mess with men on the prowl, away from their wives. She’ll have him sit there all night, buy her drinks, and waste his time. When the night is over, she’ll let him in on a little secret—that what she has under her skirt is not what he’s interested in.”

My scowl jumps into a surprised, high-browed expression. “She’s a drag queen?”

“One of the most famous female impersonators in Vegas. Stunning, isn’t she? And funny. I won’t ever let her leave until I see she’s safe in a cab. She can hold her own, but I don’t trust everyone.”

“What makes you think Quinten won’t hurt her?” Marie asks.

“He’s too much of a pussy. Besides, see those ladies with her?” He nods toward the booth, and Marie and I turn in unison to see the woman next to Destiny and another approaching the booth. “The three of them are a gang of testosterone. They can kick the shit out of anyone in here, including me,” he states proudly of his friends. “When I told her that guy degraded a very good friend of mine, she was more than happy to teach him a lesson.”

“You are the most incorrigible man I’ve ever met,” I state.

He smiles a big, bright, gleaming smile. “That, Evette, is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”