Page 4 of The Businesswoman and the Bartender

“What was your name again?”

“Oh, it’s April. I don’t think I properly introduced myself yesterday.”

He waved his hand, telling her not to worry. “You were jet-lagged.”

Another thing he’d remembered about her. It made her impossibly warm all over.

“Enjoy your meal,” he said.

The steak sandwich was perfectly cooked and exactly what she needed after a day of being on the go. While at the other end of the bar, Nick looked over and caught her eye. His eyebrows raised in question, and she gave him a thumbs up, signaling that the sandwich was as good as he’d promised. He winked in response, and she nearly whimpered at the flirtatious gesture.

She needed to get a hold of herself. But the truth was, it felt like an eternity since she’d indulged in a bit of flirting. When her one meaningful relationship had ended five years ago, she’d thrown herself into work. After being with her college sweetheart for so long, she’d lost her identity and had wanted to remove men from the equation entirely until she figured out who she really was. Her career flourished as the years passed, but she realized her dedication to the journey of self-discovery meant she’d shut out even the possibility of a new relationship. Now the idea felt downright foreign, and, in some ways, she was no different from an inexperienced teenager.

Her heart ricocheted against her sternum each time he returned to his workstation to prepare a drink order. So painfully close, despite the gleaming bar between them. After he crafted two martinis—one with a twist and one dirty—his long fingers pulled the next order slip from the tiny printer, and he set to work on an old fashioned, dashing bitters into a lowball glass.

The reemergence of his throaty voice jolted her concentration back to his face. “So, April…you probably get this a lot, but were you born in April?”

She did get it a lot; so much so that she typically rolled her eyes at the question, but coming from Nick, it made her downright giddy. “My mother’s due date was April seventh. She’d already had her heart set on my name when my stubborn self decided to come early. My birthday’s March thirty-first.”

He chuckled and handed the old fashioned over to the second waitress. “Keeping people on their toes from the beginning, huh?”

“Something like that.”

Her sandwich hadn’t stood a chance, the plate practically licked clean, so he removed it and asked if she wanted another drink. She certainly wasn’t about to call it an early night—not when he was indulging her with a bit of attention—so she nodded, and he got to work on her gimlet.

“You’re busy tonight,” she observed.

“Yeah. Hopefully, it starts to clear out soon. I assume a lot of these people are from your conference?”

A few faces were recognizable, although none she was familiar enough with that she felt required to join. “Probably. But the conference ends tomorrow evening, and people usually depart right after. Things might be quieter for you. Unless you’re not working then?”

Yes, she was fishing. Sue her.

“Oh, I’m here all week,” he confirmed. “No rest for the wicked.”

There was a heated twinkle in his eye as he set her drink down before moving to check on the rest of his customers.

April, for the love of God, you need to get a grip.The man was a bartender. It was his job to make her feel welcome and special. And the more flirtatious he was, the more likely he was to get a good tip. It wasn’t rocket science.

Still, where was the harm? Maybe this was exactly what she needed to thaw her and get her back in the habit of meeting men. While she wasn’t keen to return to the bar scene of her college days, and the idea of going on a dating app made her want to pull her hair out, she had to take baby steps. A bit of frivolity with a cute bartender was just the thing to accomplish that. Even if he was surely in a relationship and too damn young for her.

People began to clear out around nine thirty. Her second gimlet was almost finished, but she wasn’t ready to go yet—especially if fewer customers meant he’d have more time to chat with her. She sipped at the ice water, hoping it wasn’t insanely obvious that she was purposefully lingering.

A pair of women were soon the only ones left at the bar besides herself. As Nick conversed with them, April kept her attention on the television—basketball again—but eavesdropped on the conversation.

“How handsome you are,” one of the women mused. “Are you single?”

“Indeed I am. You looking to wine and dine me?” Nick joked.

The ladies tittered at his teasing. “No, but my niece would.”

Stunned by the knowledge that he was single, April immediately wanted to sabotage any chance for this faceless niece to sink her claws into Nick, but she composed herself and let common sense return. It was ludicrous to get territorial over someone she’d never see again.

“She’s a sweet girl,” the woman continued. “She’s twenty-four, a dental assistant, and loves dogs.”

“Ah, a little too young for me, I’m afraid,” Nick replied regretfully.

Another jolt of surprise struck April. Twenty-four was too young for him?

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