Page 3 of Eternal Hoptimist

While I waited at the bar to order a drink, I scanned the crowd again. My attention immediately landed on a man across the bar from me wearing a bright-blue shirt under a navy jacket. He had pale blond hair and a trimmed full beard. His face lit up as he laughed at something the olive-skinned, dark-haired smaller guy on the stool next to him said.

I continued looking around, but my attention wandered back to the blond. There was something about him I couldn’t shake. That tingly feeling in my stomach that had gotten me into trouble dozens of times before, the feeling I couldn’t trust, roared.

As I watched him put a glass to his lips, I considered channeling Ty for the night and having some fun to kick off the new year. Ty’s casual approach hadn’t worked for me before, but there was a first time for everything. The blond’s professional blazer didn’t fit the trendy crowd. Some sort of corporate job? My mind took off with that hypothesis and conjured thoughts of him being uptight at work and needing someone to make sure he let loose.I can make him forget his name with my bag of tricks.Being a service top was a lot of fucking fun filled with lots of fun fucking.

“Looks like I’m up, boys. Don’t wait up for me at the hotel, but leave the deadbolt undone.” Ty waggled his eyebrows before sauntering toward a tall, thick, dark-skinned guy blatantly eye-fucking him.

Caleb returned and kissed Austin on the cheek before taking his beer. “Wanna dance?”

Austin glanced at me.

“Go ahead. I don’t need babysitting.” I shooed them away, then turned to the bar to find the bartender standing in front of me.

“Here, man. This is for you from Navy Jacket over there.” He gestured to the blond hottie, who was now by himself, then handed me a drink.

“Thanks.” I caught Navy Jacket looking at me. His mouth curved in a quick grin. His pale skin would flush so well. Mm, his mouth slack with pleasure. It’d been far too long since I’d been able to unravel someone completely. The last few people I dated had preferred more control, which was fine, but I itched to make someone mindless with pleasure as I figured out what made them tick.

It would be rude not to thank the man who sent me a drink. I wove through the cluster of people waiting to order until I squeezed in next to him. Lifting my glass, I bent toward his ear. “Hi. I hear I have you to thank for this.” He smelled amazing. Citrus and something earthy.

“Me?” He looked between me and the cocktail as a crease formed on his forehead. I wanted to press my thumb against it and smooth it out.

My confidence cracked. “I thought the bartender meant you. Must be someone else with a navy jacket. God, I’m sorry. So embarrassing.” Ringing in the new year by making an ass of myself?Great.

The gorgeous man began laughing. He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. It seemed so touchable and soft. “That explains the cryptic message.”

I arched my eyebrow as I took a sip of the gin cocktail.

He shifted on his stool to face me more fully. His eyes were as blue as an Oregon summer sky. “My assistant ordered a drink, then said ‘you’ll thank me later’ before fleeing.”

“Ah. So your assistant hit on me, not you?” The prospect of hot sex teetered perilously out of reach.

His eyes sparkled with humor, but his scorching once-over left a trail of heat spreading across my skin. “An unintentional oversight.”

Maybe it’s not a bust after all.

“He’s on a mission to find me a boyfriend.”

Danger, danger!

“Sounds like there’s a story there.”

The man barked out a laugh. “He’s far too invested in my love life. He’s worse than a meddling grandma who fancies herself a matchmaker.”

“Is that what you’re looking for? A boyfriend?”

“I don’t have time for one, but it would make life much easier.” He must’ve seen something on my face because he continued. “I’m trying to get a promotion, and single people historically don’t get it.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Tell me about it. Sorry, that’s an awkward overshare. Can we blame it on being surprised that the gorgeous guy I stared at from across the bar is now talking to me?”

My eyebrows shot up. “Smooth. You didn’t even need your assistant for that. Or did he leave you with some lines on cue cards?” I pretended to look around for them.

He laughed. “Don’t give him any ideas, or he’ll try to Cyrano de Bergerac me.”

“Don’t worry. I’m immune to his persistence.”

“Guess I wasn’t so smooth after all.”

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