Page 7 of Waiting for Tuesday

Becky’s shoulders sagged. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

“Bingo.”

* * *

Afew hours later, parked in the back of Donovan’s Irish pub, I pulled down the visor to check my reflection in the mirror. I was tired… too tired to be out this late on a Tuesday, but the face that looked back at me didn’t look half bad. I slammed the visor up to the ceiling, jiggled it to make sure it was securely closed, and then climbed out of my truck.

I spotted Becky a few rows over and made my way through the lot.

“I’m still not sure why we couldn’t drive together,” she called across to me.

“Because,” I stated, “you’re going to hook up with your bartender, and I have to meet the HAZMAT crew in the morning.”

She made a face that said she didn’t like my answer, then stopped at my side and looped her arm over my shoulder. “I’m not hooking up with Colin. Not yet anyway. We’re still in the foreplay stage.”

“Oh yeah,”—I made air quotes in the sky—“theinfamousforeplay stage.” I looked around the lot to the group of college girls streaming into the building in front of us.

“Why didn’t you tell me to dress better?” I glanced down at my faded, oversized overalls to prove my point. “These girls make me look like a sixty-year-old homeless person.”

Becky laughed and scanned me from head to toe. “First of all, I did, and second, you lookfine.Better than fine.” She tucked the strand of feathers behind my ear and winked. “Like a bohemian hippy goddess.”

I raised one eyebrow and wrinkled my nose.

“Okay, a nerdy, bohemian hippy goddess. She grinned. “But I’d do ya.”

I laughed and started walking again. “I had enoughdoinglast month. In fact, I’ve decided I’m going back to my ten-date rule. Coffee then lunch, then?”

“Then a G-rated movie, I know… Just because you had a bad night doesn’t mean that’s going to happen again.”

My jaw fell open. “G-rated? I’m not that bad!”

She laughed and kept on walking. “Okay, PG-13.”

I pushed my glasses to my forehead with my thumb. “Have you seen him at all? Austin I mean?”

She shook her head and glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. “Let’s forget about him. Anyone who walks out onyouisn’t worth the time of day. We’ll find you someone better. Someone who knows how to put on his own shoes.”

I laughed then pulled the door open and let her enter the pub before me. But when I stepped inside, I immediately regretted letting Becky decide the location tonight. A man was literally standing on the bar. Literally.

He held a bottle of whiskey in one hand, tequila in the other, and at least a dozen women lined the seats in front of him like fangirls at a concert. He smiled down at them, a smile that was guaranteed to break hearts, and walked down the line, filling the glasses of women who couldn't be much over twenty-one.

“I think I know why the parking lot is so full,” I whispered.

All the women were desperate for his attention, which made me look a little closer. He was good looking, sure, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t seen before. Short, brown hair, almost buzzed, tall, nice build—nothing that warranted women lusting at his feet.

“I hope that’s not Colin,” I stated.

Becky took my hand and pulled me toward the corner.“No, I don’t know who that is, but he sure is popular.” She raised one brow then led me to a table at the back of the room.

I hopped up on a stool and glared across at her. “Organic beer, she said.You’ll fit right in, she said.”

Becky cringed. “I’m sorry, the atmosphere normally isn’t like this. It must be the Toasted Tuesday thing. Dollar shots.”

“Must be.” I opened the menu, determined to make the best of the night, and scanned their impressive list of organics. “I’m only having one beer, then I really need to get to bed.”

Becky sagged a little and frowned. “Come on, you haven’t been out since the launch party. Just stay until Colin gets off work. I promise you won't turn into a pumpkin.”

I gathered my hair in a ponytail then pulled it over one shoulder. “Okay.” I knew I’d been too much of a hermit lately, and Becky didn’t ask for much. “But as soon as he’s off, I’m going to bed.”

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