Page 6 of The Hot New Bartender in Town

Once he’s gone, I kick my toes against the leg of my stool and squeal a little.

This night just keeps getting better and better.

Ten minutes pass before Riley steps out of the back again, this time with Jake by his side. Jake gives me the slightest of nods and runs a tired hand through his shaggy black hair. I sit back, not wanting to interrupt whatever instruction he’s leaving Riley with.

After a minute, Jake glances over again. “Have a good night, Tish,” he says.

“You, too, Jake,” I say. “See you next weekend.”

He voices a grunt and walks into the back again, leaving Riley and me alone.

“I can never tell if his grunts mean something good or something bad,” he says.

“Good, usually,” I answer. “You get used to it.”

“Ready to go?”

“Yes, please.”

“Follow me.”

Riley steps out from behind the bar and gestures toward the hallway. I pause, having expected the front entrance, but I’m too interested to back out at this point. I follow Riley into the hallway and together we pass the restrooms on either side, walking straight toward the back alleyway exit.

The alley is dirty, as expected, and narrow. It’d be just wide enough to drive a full truck through if there weren’t two dumpsters stacked side-by-side along the length of it.

“You parked back here?” I ask.

Riley answers with a mere chuckle before turning left and walking directly down the concrete stairs connected to the pub.

I don’t follow, eying it at first with a wrinkled nose as I watch Riley descend toward a door, his fingers fiddling with a set of keys.

“What’s this?” I ask, not interested in getting murdered tonight.

“It’s my place,” Riley answers.

With the door now unlocked, he walks inside, leaving it open for me to follow.

Okay.

I’m really curious now.

3

TISH

Noting the lack of railing, I take each step carefully on the way down.

I expect... exactly what a girl expects when entering a room nestled beneath a bar, but as I poke my head into the open doorway, I find myself pleasantly surprised.

It’s an apartment. Not too big, but large enough to fit a full-sized mattress and a dresser with three drawers along the far right wall. There’s a kitchenette along the left side; recently renovated by my guess with brand new appliances and a small table big enough for two to eat comfortably. In the opposite corner sits an L-shaped brown couch and a coffee table.

Very cozy.

And sitting upon the table is an acoustic guitar.

I smile instantly. “Do you play?”

“I play,” Riley answers. “Do you want something to drink?”

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