Page 94 of The Match Faker

“What are you doing here?” He spots Rocco standing next to Ed. “Since when do you come in on your day off?” he questions as he slides behind Bernie at the bar.

Rocco shrugs and Bernie tries to distract Nick from the change in routine with her next words.

“There are a couple of customers down there I haven’t been able to get to yet.” She gestures toward Jade and me.

Still, he doesn’t notice us, chirping Rocco and Ed, his voice light. He’s clearly happy to be surrounded by people he loves. He throws a Labatt Blue coaster down in front of me still half-turned away, then finally,finally, he sees me.

The instant our eyes meet, he goes stock-still. After a heartbeat or two, his gaze jumps to Jade. Then he’s taking in the scene behind and around me, checking for any other companions I may have brought.

“It’s just me,” I say.

“And me,” Jade says. “Hi, Nick.”

“Hi, Jade,” he says, pointedly turning to her before turning back to me. “Hi.”

Willing my pulse to steady, I give him a small smile. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” His tone is hard enough that I fight the urge to wince.

“Ordering a cab sauv, if you have it.”

“As a matter of fact, we do. Berns,” he calls over his shoulder. “Can you open a new bottle of cab sauv?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Next to me, Jade practically vibrates with excitement.

I’ve made bad decisions with men before, a lot of them. Whether I was trying to take care of her or needed to be taken care of myself, I’ve let that cloud my judgment, and I’ve allowed myself to get hurt too many times. I’m still worried she’ll think I’m making another bad decision.

Genuine affection shines in her eyes, though, as she looks at me.

“Okay.” Nick turns back to me. “What are you doing here?” he asks again, more than just hard this time. He actually sounds angry.

Fuck.

“I…um…” I wipe my sweaty hands down my short black skirt and tights, my heart shuddering. I had a whole speech planned and suddenly I can’t remember a single thing. “I’m here because…”

He cocks an eyebrow. There are marks on his nose from the pads of his glasses. He must have been wearing them right before work.

“I want to buy the bar,” I blurt out.

His eyebrow only cocks higher, totally suspicious.

“Sorry. No. What I mean is.” I take a huge breath, and I don’t let myself hold it no matter how much I want to. “I have the money to invest in your business. And I think it’s enough.”

“Uhhh…” Nick looks more confused than ever.

“Enough for you to save the bar,” I say quickly, then gesture behind him at Bernie and Rocco. “If we all went in together.”

He turns back to his co-workers, his friends, his jaw set. “Oh, I see,” he says quietly enough that I have to read the words on his lips. “So, you all schemed behind my back, huh?”

“For the record, I was not part of the scheme,” Jade chimes. I kick her shin, and she yelps.

“Not. Helping,” I say through gritted teeth. “There was noscheme.” My hands are out to bat away any angry assumptions he may make. “I wanted to help. We all did.”

He shakes his head as Bernie slides my glass of wine toward me, laughs like he’s in disbelief. “You thought that would help me, Jasmine?” He leans over the bar, not crowding me, but so he can lower his voice when he says, “When it comes down to it, it’s not the bar I wanted. It was you. And you left me.” He leans back, his eyes dark, his mouth sneering. He raps the bar with his knuckles. “Twice.”

With that he steps away. “The wine is on the house,” he says. And he walks out from behind the bar toward the stage.

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