Page 10 of Clueless Romeo

Roman snorted. "Stop eye-fucking him, Olive. Unless…" He raised a brow toward me.

I gave a subtle shake of my head. Even though the girl was a knockout, I wasn't in the mood for a hook-up tonight. Relaxing with a beer sounded more appealing, and I wouldn't bail on Roman. I was more curious about him than getting my dick wet anyway.

She folded her arms on top of the bar and sighed. "Fine. Then what can I get you two?"

He turned toward her. "My usual."

"In a glass?" she asked. When Roman nodded, she turned toward me. "And you?"

There wasn't a sign anywhere with a list of options, but I wasn't picky. "Whatever's good on tap."

Drumming her palms on the shiny bar top, she nodded. "Got it. Two beers coming up."

While she retrieved two tall glasses and filled them, Roman and I remained quiet. We thanked her when she passed us the beers and carried our drinks to a dark-stained wooden pub table. The place was small enough that the music reached every corner. Still, we stayed as far away from the rambunctious group of guys as possible.

Roman tugged off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. It was impossible not to stare at the defined forearms covered in ink. Still, I didn't allow my gaze to linger long, even though I wanted to study each design and run my hands over them. I chose the safe route and removed my coat before we slid onto the barstools across from each other.

"So you're a regular here?" I asked before taking a healthy swallow of the bitter beer.

Roman bobbed his head once. "Something like that. It's a good place to relax when it's not packed, and the best part is it's close to home."

"You live close by here, too?" From what I knew of the area, most of the area was commercial properties, so I wasn't sure where he could live that was nearby.

His lips grew into a familiar crooked grin making my pulse jump. "I actually live in the apartment next to yours. It seems we are not just business neighbors."

I wasn't sure that was a good thing since I was attracted to him. Not that it really mattered. Roman was straight—or at least I was pretty positive about that. I was getting hetero vibes in spades. But I knew from personal experience that those vibes didn't necessarily mean anything. Probably wishful thinking. "Well, I apologize in advance for Caleb. He's loud and obnoxious most of the time."

Roman simply chuckled as he slouched on his stool and sipped the beer. "He can't be that bad."

I begged to differ but didn't argue the point. Besides, I really didn't want to talk about Caleb tonight when all I wanted was to know more about him. "She"—I gestured toward Olive—"said she hadn't seen you in a while."

Roman hummed in acknowledgment. "I don't come here as often as I used to. Business has been booming for the last month or so. It's like this every winter when it's cold. People are holed up in their homes, bored as hell, and considering their lives, wishing they had significant others. It's easier for them if I do the leg work rather than having to drag themselves out and put in the effort."

Attempting to focus on his words rather than the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed another sip was more difficult than it should have been. I cleared my throat and forced myself to look up. It didn't help. His eyes, the color a stormy-blue, studied me back. "It's Georgia. Does what we get really count as winter?" Remembering the arctic breeze from the cold front awaiting us outside, I tacked on, "Usually?"

Roman let loose a husky laugh that sent a different kind of shiver through my body. "Anything other than stifling Georgia heat seems to be considered brisk weather around here. I'd hate to see how they'd react to winter in Seattle."

"Seattle?" I tilted my head, and he nodded.

"Seattle born and raised, but I've been here almost ten years. The rain and cold drove me out, and my sister tagged along. Our parents are still back in Washington, though," he shared. "So I guess I'm used to shit weather, but I'm not a fan of it following me here. I like the sunshine and heat of the South." He paused to take a swig of his beer before asking, "What about you? Have you always lived in Atlanta?"

"We're from Vermont, actually, but my family moved here when we were in high school. I've been here for almost a decade, like you."

Roman tilted his head. "So what brought your family to The Peach State?"

"My dad started his business here. Well, one of his businesses. He remodels houses on the weekends, but it's more a hobby than a business. Anyway, our shop is actually just part of his franchise. Georgia is a hotbed for sports year-round, especially with the collegiate world and the successful professional teams. It made sense, I guess." I shrugged.

"It does, and southerners take their sports seriously. You mentioned you played ball in college. I guess your dad's a big sports fan too?" Roman watched like he was genuinely interested. Probably adding everything he discovered to the mental catalog he'd claimed to create with his professional observational skills.

Out of the blue, I was hit with a wave of anxiety that I might give away my interest. To cover my heated face, I tilted my glass back and drained it before placing it on the table. "The biggest fan ever," I confirmed. "That's how Caleb and I got started. Our dad played in college too, and he sort of passed along his passion to us, I guess. There was no question whether we would play sports. We loved it, so it wasn't a big deal."

Roman eyed my empty glass. "Another?"

His gaze was intense as if he was trying to pick me apart from the inside out. I wondered if he looked at everyone that way. I swallowed hard. "Yeah, I'll take another."

His lips kicked up into a grin. "Be right back."

"I can get it—" I started.

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