Page 26 of Here In Your Arms

“Just the first one.”

“Round two is on me if you fuck off from the bar,” I tell him, still amiable.

“Deal, man!”

When Rory comes down to check on him, she sees me and startles, a real smile starts on her face.

“Hey Whes! Fancy seeing you here,” she says brightly.

“Get this guy another and put it on my tab,” I tell her.

She smirks and grabs the empty glass, putting it with the dirty dishes and grabbing a fresh pour. The guy takes the drink, salutes her with it, nods to me, and fucks off.

“That worked well,” I say, chipper.

“Did you just pay him off so you could sit there?”

“Will you believe me if I say he offered?” I ask her, smiling.

“Absolutely not!” She laughs.

“Then he offered.”

She shakes her head and grabs a beer glass for me, pouring something into it. I haven’t even ordered yet. “Try this one. It’s a new local and you might like it.”

“Thanks.” I take a sip and hum in pleasant surprise. “This is pretty decent!”

“It’s a winter version of their popular summer brew. Seems like it’s a hit with the fans of the brewery.”

“I can see why,” I admit.

Rory’s attention gets pulled away and I sip at my beer, waiting patiently for her to come back. Of course she does, and it doesn’t take her very long. From this position on the bar, I can see that Baldie is here again, his eyes following Rory. I don’t like the fact that he’s always watching her.

“What’s that frown for?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about work,” I lie to her. I don’t want to freak her out; I’m not sure if she knows about him. Plus, it’s sort of the truth. Work was frown-worthy today, at least.

“Shitty day?”

“Just frustrating. Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

“Good attitude.” She nods wisely. “Let me know if it actually happens.”

“Feeling bratty today, are we?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. She shrugs and winks at me.

Whelp, now my dick is getting hard. If I’m being honest, it doesn’t take much with her.

“How has your week been?”

She shrugs again. “Been better, been worse. How about yours? Other than today.”

“Day’s not over yet and it keeps getting better the longer I sit here,” I tell her.

She blushes a little and I grin immediately. She walks away to serve other customers and I wait patiently, my eyes flitting around her body as she works, especially enjoying her ass as she bends over to get things. My attention is also drawn by Baldie, and I keep an eye on him without staring. He gives me the creeps.

“Karaoke night is rough,” she says, coming back to where I’m sitting.

“Do you guys do karaoke a lot? I don’t usually see it on the weekends.”

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