Page 9 of Taming His Rockstar

Jane sighs. “That’s because you’re not even trying. Look, there’s a couple of cute guys at that table over there, and I swear they’ve been eye-fucking us ever since we walked in. I mean, they look like they’re probably still in college, but who cares?”

“Gross.”

“I bet you’ll change your mind once you’ve gotten a few drinks in your system. Me, I can’t wait to flirt again. The things you give up when you get married.”

“Sure. I mean, you get a guy who loves you to pieces and two beautiful kids. But it’s such a sacrifice to give up flirting with a couple of drunk fools who probably only laugh at your jokes because they want to get in your pants.” I know from the way she looks at me that my reply had been meaner than I want it to be. Sighing, I cross my legs and lean on the bar. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch.”

Jane stares at me. Then she shrugs. “Don’t worry. I guess you’re right, and I have no right to complain . . .”

“Hell no,” I retort immediately. “I was an asshole, is what it was. Look, of course you miss some parts of being single. I mean, it’s kind of amazing. Maybe I’m just being a little bitter because I just realize that what I want is what you have with Travis. The stability of knowing I don’t need to go through any of this again.”

“And you’ll find it,” Jane replies, staring at me with a gentle expression. “Look at Travis and me. It’s not like I went searching for him. The idiot crashed into my life, literally.” I chuckle, remembering clearly the first day Jane and Travis met. Jane had turned a corner and crashed into him. “But,” she continues, “even though I wasn’t looking for him, I wasn’t closed to the possibilities. If I was, I wouldn’t have said yes when he asked me to come to his trailer later that night.”

“So, you’re thinking that I can find the hookup that will turn to my own forever?” I ask with a smile.

She smiles back. “That’s one way. But no. I just want you to be open to the thought of it. Your Mr. Right could be standing in front of you right now, and you’ll miss him if you aren’t open to the idea of it.”

She barely finishes speaking when Jake, the bartender, slides our drinks in front of us. “Ladies,” he says with that devastating grin of his. Like seriously, dude should charge a fee for that smile.

I stare at mine. It’s red and has a straw sticking out of it and a slice of lime wedged on the rim. Jane’s is pink and delivered in a champagne glass.

“Why is mine different from hers?” I ask curiously.

He grins at me and shrugs. “Her drink is for someone who’s down to have some nice fun. Yours is for someone trying to work up the courage to have fun. In other words, your drink is stronger.”

Jane bursts into laughter, and even I can’t help the smile that appears on my lips.

“For that, you’re going to get one hell of a tip,” she says as she reaches for her purse.

Suddenly, a card appears out of nowhere.

“I’ll be paying for that,” a smooth voice says behind us. “And two dirty martinis for my friend and me.”

Jane and I turn around. Two men stand behind us, one of whom is holding the card. Jane immediately gives them a smile.

“Thank you,” she says with body language that has me rolling my eyes and encourages the men to move even closer.

The man with the card edges closer to Jane and the other to me.

“Hey,” he says with a grin. “What type of world would it be when girls as beautiful as the both of you have to pay for their drinks?”

“A tad less misogynistic one,” I want to tell him. But I know I would just be bitchy if I said that, so I grab my drink and take a long sip.

“I’m Dan, and this is my friend, Ryan,” the guy who paid for the drink introduces.

Jane replies to him, “Hello Dan. I’m Jane, and this is my friend, Katie.”

“Hello Jane.” Dan sits on the chair next to Jane, and Ryan takes the one next to me. “You come here often?”

“So . . . Katie?” Ryan smiles at me. “That’s short for Kathrine?”

I give him a small smile and nod. He looks nice enough, even though he seems a little nervous. It’s been a while since I’ve been in one of these situations, but I can’t help feeling a little sorry for him. Jake arrives with their drinks and hands one to Ryan and the other to Dan who seems to have struck a very interesting conversation with Jane. And again, I wonder how it is that I got stuck with the dull one. Almost as if I’m emitting pheromones that attract them. Feeling guilty for my thoughts, I quickly turn my attention to Ryan.

“Ryan, what do you do?”

“Uhm, I’m a tax accountant,” he replies and gives me a small smile. “I know. It’s probably the most boring job ever. Sometimes, I wonder if I should lie and say I’m a surgeon or something like that.”

I smile. I can’t help myself. He’s funny, in a cute kind of way.

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