Page 15 of Always the Baker

“What are you drinking?”

“Oh, this?” I looked down at my cocktail, suddenly blanking on its name. “It’s, um… Jake, what did you call this again?”

Jake grinned, sliding Brax his whiskey. “That’s a French 75, remember? You said you wanted something fancy.”

I wanted to crawl under the bar as Jake laughed. He’d better hope Brax didn’t leave anytime soon because I was going to let him have it.

“Right, of course. French 75. My new favorite.”

Brax chuckled. It was a warm, rich sound that made my stomach flutter. I wouldn’t say they were butterflies. They were bigger. His laughter made me feel like I had eagles flapping around in my stomach.

“Aw yeah. I’ve heard of those but never tried it. Is it actually good, or can you just not taste it because of all the liquor he puts in it?”

“It’s strong,” I admitted, deciding honesty was my best bet at this point. “But good. I think. I’m still deciding.”

He laughed again, and I felt myself start to relax a little. My mind was all over the place. I was sure I sounded like a damn fool, but as long as he laughed, I didn’t care.

“I’m Brax, by the way.” He extended his hand… As if I didn’t know. As if his face wasn’t plastered on billboards and album covers across the country. Hell, his fine ass was plastered on posters in my room.

I shook his hand, hoping mine wasn’t too clammy.

“Billie.” I managed to reply, proud that my voice didn’t crack this time.

“Nice to meet you, Billie,” he said with a genuine smile before licking his lips. “You come here often?”

“Oh, sometimes,” I lied. “But I usually prefer another place.”

Real smooth, Billie.

“Yeah? Where’s that?” Brax seemed genuinely interested, which caught me completely off guard.

Panic coursed through me. I scrambled for an answer because the only two bars that came to mind were back home in Jasper Lane.

“It’s this little spot downtown,” I said vaguely, praying he wouldn’t ask for details. “More lowkey than here. But I like the vibe of this place too.”

Brax nodded, looking around. “Yeah, it’s got good energy, and it’s never a bad time. I always stop by when I’m in town. It’s one of the few places I can grab a drink without getting mobbed.”

I tried to look nonchalant, like I was used to chatting with stars in swanky bars. “Must be tough being recognized everywhere.”

He shrugged and took a sip of his whiskey. “It has its moments... But nights like this make up for it. Meeting interesting people, having real conversations.”

When he winked at me, my heart did a little flip. Did he just call me interesting? I took a big gulp of my drink to hide my grin, nearly choking as the strong liquor hit the back of my throat.

“Whoa, sweetheart, take it easy,” Brax said, patting me on the back as I coughed. “You okay?”

“Fine.” I wheezed and coughed. So much for playing it cool. “Just went down the wrong way.”

He laughed. I noticed he’d stood to pat me on the back. The warmth of his body, the smell of his spicy scent. God… he was so close. “Been there. First time I tried whiskey, I thought I was dying. Granted, nobody told me to sip the shit. I tried to chug it to make myself look cool and damn near coughed up a lung.”

I couldn’t help but giggle, picturing a young Brax choking over his first drink. “I did the same with moonshine for the first time and smoking paper cigarettes with my cousin. Not sure what made us think it was cool or safe to smoke paper, but I was sure I would lose a lung that day.” Brax and I continued to trade stories, and it made him seem more human, less like the untouchable star I’d always imagined him to be.

As we continued talking, I felt myself relaxing more. Brax was surprisingly easy to talk to, asking questions about my life and seemed to be interested in my answers. I found myself forgetting who he was, just enjoying the conversation. The empty glasses continued to line up in front of us, but I knew my limit. Even with the extra shots Jake gave us, I knew exactly when to stop. The last thing I wanted to do was get tipsy or drunk and embarrass myself in front of Brax even more. For now, I felt like my quirks may have been cute to him, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Then, out of nowhere, he asked a question I didn’t want to answer. “So, do you live around here?”

My brain short-circuited. I should’ve just told the truth, but something made me blurt out the stupidest reply I’ve ever given. “Yeah, I do.”

Brax’s eyes lit up. It was like he wanted more from me, and I couldn’t understand why. Either way, I didn’t want to disappoint him. Besides, this weekend was about me reinventing myself. What was wrong with a little while lie? “Really? What neighborhood?”

---