Page 26 of Just a Number

“Mel, I saw him with his top off the other day. You seriously have to hit that. He had abs for days. And those delicious arrows down from his hip bones. I wanted to reach over and lick him.”

I’m guessing I don’t have a poker face and my intense jealousy is showing because she backtracks suddenly. “Not that I would. As his supervisor, I couldn’t. Butyou Mel, you totally should.” She pats me on the back like she’s encouraging me and then disappears into the crowd.

“What did you tell her?” I hiss at Cassidy.

“I just told her that the hot young stud you’d been fantasising about was none other than Alex, the hot barman. She thought it was too good to be a coincidence as well.”

I can see that I’m not going to win the ‘fate has plans for me’ argument with Cassidy, so I decide to drop it and change the subject.

We drink our mojitos whilst mostly chatting books. I now have a list on my phone of reverse age gap books Cassidy recommended, but I need the bathroom and I can’t wait anylonger. The band is about to start, so I’m hoping this is a good time to go without too much of a wait.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom and I’ll get us more drinks on the way back. What shall I get this time?” I hop down from the stool, eager for another drink.

“They’ve got daiquiris? At least we’d be sticking with rum that way. What do you think?”

“Sounds good. I’ll be back as soon as I can. No running off to snog Tom while I’m gone. I don’t want to lose our table.”

She laughs. “We’ll see. If he beckons me over, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back.”

I head towards the back corner to where the ladies' toilets are. The queue isn’t too bad and I’m out and heading across to the bar in no time. There’s a decent crowd still waiting to be served, but it’s calmed down a bit now that the band has started.

I wait patiently and then squeeze into a gap as one guy leaves with a tray full of drinks. I rest my arms on the bar and freeze when I spot Alex. He’s wearing a tight t-shirt with the bar logo on his pec.Hmmm, Abby wasn’t lying. He might not be topless, but the top shows every ridge of his abs. I want to lift that shirt and run my fingertips over every single one before pushing him back onto my bed and straddling him.

He pulls pints and smiles at whoever he’s serving, which means he hasn’t spotted me yet and I wonder if I should take my chances with the bartender at the other end, but something keeps me frozen in place.

Alex leans forward and cocks his head as if he’s trying to hear an order. My eyes are fixed on him, so I know the moment he spots me. His hazel eyes pierce mine, his lips curl upwards into a smile, and he gives me a wink. A blush rises to my cheeks as butterflies flutter in my belly. He hands a half-poured pint to another member of the bar staff and heads my way.

“What can I get for you?” His tone is low and suggestive as he raises a brow in question. My blush intensifies at his flirtatious tone and my pulse kicks up a notch.

“Two daiquiris, please. And maybe some water, too.”

“Coming right up.” Even that sounds dirty.

The band is playing a popular song from the noughties which has got people singing along and it’s impossible to even consider starting a conversation. Instead, I’m riveted as he mixes up our cocktails. It’s crazy to think he’s fairly new. He seems so adept.

“There you go, Mel.” He puts the drinks down far too quickly for my liking because it means I no longer have a reason to stare at him.

I waggle my bank card at him and he holds the card reader up for me.

“Can I add a tip there?” I ask him.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I want to give you a tip.”

“You don’t need to.”

I frown, trying to stand my ground, but he leans over the bar to talk to me, ghosting my ear with his lips. “Meet me in the back corridor. Just along from the ladies. In ten minutes.”

I rear back. “What?”

“I can’t hear what you’re saying. Meet me there and we can chat.” He makes it sound so innocent, but the hammering of my heart and the butterflies in my stomach make me think it’s anything but.

I give him a slight nod in agreement, pick up the drinks tray, and carry it back to Cassidy, trying to mask my emotions from my face as she will know something is going on otherwise.

Ten minutes later, I excuse myself, telling her I need to use the bathroom.

“Didn’t you just go before you got the drinks?” Cassidy frowns.

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