Page 27 of The Hot New Bartender in Town

I nod. “We had sex last night.”

She jolts in her seat, her eyes darting for eavesdroppers. “Riley,” she scolds.

“It was hot, incredible sex between two consenting adults,” I continue. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I’m notashamed.”

“We didn’t know. How could we have known? They chose to not tell us until now. So, really, this istheirfault.”

She snorts, showing that cute smile.

I lean forward, wanting it to stay a little longer. “You’re well within your rights to freak out,” I say. “I am, too. Believe me, I am. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

Tish lowers her hands. “It doesn’t?”

I shake my head. “Look, if you want me to, I’ll back off. I’ll move on. But I told you this morning that I wanted to see you again, and I meant it. I still do.”

She briefly closes her eyes, her shoulders sinking a bit. “I hate this,” she whispers.

“So do I.”

“It’s stupid that I even feel this way. It was just a one-night stand, for god’s sake. I barely even know you!”

“You know plenty.”

“I didn’t even know your real name last night.”

“My name is Riley,” I say.

“Your name is Richard,” she says.

“My dad’s sex trophy is named Richard. My name is Riley. I’ve never gone by Richard in my life.”

“Okay, your name is Riley,” she says. “You’re a bartender. You play guitar. You grew up in Pleasant Place.”

“See? You know a lot.”

“That’s nothing.”

“Well, what else do you want to know?” I ask. “Ask me anything.”

Tish eyes me as she sits back, her arms crossing over her chest. “Why did you drop out of school?” she asks.

“Hated it,” I answer.

“What’d you hate about it?”

“Everything.”

She cants her head.

“Everything,” I repeat. “The classes were bullshit. The other students were assholes. I was only there because my fatherwanted me there and I wasn’t about to torture myself to make him happy, so I left.”

“What’s your mother think?”

“She’s dead.”

Tish blinks. “Oh.”

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