Page 4 of Before We Were Us

“She’s good for him, she keeps him grounded.”

He sets a tray with three shots in front of her and gets to work on the rest of her drinks. Next is the whiskey and I see it as my opportunity to strike up a conversation. As well as asking a question without actually saying the words.

“Your date has good taste in drinks.” She looks over and I point toward the whiskey on her tray. “My drink of choice too.” I lift mine and her attention shifts to my hand that holds my tumbler.

I give it a few seconds, waiting for a response.

“What makes you think I have a date?” she asks me as she lifts the glass and takes a sip, not flinching in the slightest. Something shifts in me and until that moment I never thought something so minor as seeing a woman drink whiskey could turn me on. I was wrong.

“Here you go,” the bartender interrupts our stare down as he places the last two drinks on the tray. “I put it on the company tab.”

“Thanks Drew, I’ll tell Seb to give you a call.” She lifts the tray like a pro and turns, giving me her back. Her hair is much longer than I initially thought as it falls to her lower back. The black dress she wears is cut lower in the back than the front, stopping just above her perfect ass.

I can’t help but watch her walk away feeling my entire body come alive.

“You might want to rethink that attempt,” the guy behind the bar chuckles.

“Why’s that?” I ask without looking away until she disappears in the crowd. My stomach coils as I fight the urge to go after her. I turn to face the bartender. He is grinning. “Brynnlee Webster,” he says like I should know who she is. “As in daughter to Gerald Webster, owner of several hotels, restaurants, and clubs, including this one.” I’ve heard the name, most have. The man took two dimes and made millions. “Her brother is Sebastian Webster,” he adds and that is a name I know well.

Her brother got wrapped up with the wrong people several years back and was a suspect in a murder case. He was cleared quickly when his alibi was proven to be rock solid. More of a case of knowing the wrong people, and from that moment on, he’s been a lot more careful about who he spends his time with.

“Sebastian is a good guy, but he has three weaknesses that I can guarantee. His mother, his sister, and his fiancée, he is very protective.”

I arch a brow and wait for him to continue.

“Listen I don’t know you, I’m just saying, if it's not her brother then it’ll be her dad, or there is always her best friend Taylor. With the three of them, you’d have a whole lot of hoops to jump through and even if you managed to clear all those hurdles, Brynn is headstrong. The girl knows what she wants, she knows what she’s worth, and she isn’t willing to bend.”

“Who says she would have to bend?” I ask, still staring at this guy that thinks he’s got me all figured out.

He nudges his thumb in the direction of Connor who now has his tongue down the blonde's throat. “If you’re looking for that, I’d pick a different girl. You could be a straight up guy or a douche, I don’t know a thing about you.”

I stand, leaning back enough that I can pull over my sports coat and allow him to see my badge on my belt.

“No offense, but cops can be douches too.”

“They can, but so can bartenders, and lawyers, hell even the sweet old lady in a coffee shop who looks completely innocent.” I dare him to argue. “I’m not looking for that.” I nod toward Connor who is completely oblivious to the conversation taking place. “And until that gorgeous woman stepped up beside me I wasn’t looking at all.”

“Now?” he asks, and I wonder to myself if maybe the guy doesn’t have a little crush of his own.

“She definitely piqued my interest.”

“She has a way of doing that.” He nods with a smile, before pushing off the bar and moving down to take care of someone else.

I find myself looking back over my shoulder often, hoping she will come back and disappointed when she doesn’t.

“Are you staying or going?” Connor nudges my side and I glance in his direction to find his new friend clinging to his arm, her lipstick smeared and his lips tinged red from her color.

“I’m heading out,” I tell him. “I just need to settle my tab.”

He offers a nod, hooks the woman by the waist and together they start toward the exit. I lift my hand, motioning for the same bartender that gave me the speech earlier. He holds up a finger, indicating to give him a minute.

Taking a chance I look back again and hate that I can’t seem to let go of the idea that the beautiful Brynnlee Webster is out there somewhere.

“Do you need another?” I shift my attention back to the bar to find the guy now standing before me.

“Nope, I just want to settle my tab.” He offers me a nod and starts to step back. “Can you add another drink to be delivered to her table?” I don’t need to tell him who, as a smile stretches over his face. “Just tell her it's from a guy who thinks she is incredibly beautiful and who admires her taste in drinks.”

“You got it.” He doesn’t offer anything more as he takes my card, rings me up and passes it back.

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