Page 9 of Mending Me

“That’s the soldier,” I explained, a smile blooming across my face. Hewasa fine specimen of a man and seeing him out of the gym and in normal clothes continued to prove that to be true.

“No fucking way.” Ophelia’s mouth fell open and her eyes grew into large, round saucers.

“Yes fucking way.” I rolled my lips under my teeth before taking a sip of my drink with a smile.

“Girl…” she fanned her face with one of her hands and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m gonna go say hi.” I wiggled my eyebrows and gave my friend a sly grin. My belly did a flip as I thought about approaching him with his friends around. I don’t normally get nervous like this around guys, but something about him was different.

“That’s my girl,” Ophelia encouraged as I hopped down from our hightop and headed towards the bar. I made sure to swing my hips a little more dramatically as I approached him.

Hank had his back to me so he didn’t notice me coming. As I got closer, one of the guys he was with noticed me and gave me a smile.Not here for you buddy but I appreciate it.

“Hey there, soldier,” I hummed once I was close enough.

“Soldier?” the guy to the left of him exclaimed, “Hank, do you know this beautiful woman?”

He turned around in his chair and when he saw me, his face morphed into a stunned expression, surprised to see me standing behind him in the restaurant.

“I’m Bailey. Bailey Brown,” I stuck my hand out to the guy who had just spoken and shook his hand. “Soldier and I go to the same gym. Don’t we?” I smiled at him and waited for him to say something.

He didn’t.

Instead, the guy to his right slapped him on the back which seemed to snap him out of whatever thought he was lost in.

“Sorry our friend here is being rude, I’m Kolbi.” The man who just slapped Hank on the back extended his hand towards me and I shook it. “The moron on the other side of Hank is Conrad.”

“So Conrad, Kolbi, and Hank,” I said as I pointed to each of them. “It's nice to meet you both, and see you again Hank.” I looked at him again and waited for him to say something.

Anything.

He didn’t.

After an awkward pause, a bartender from behind the bar came up behind the guys and looked at me.

“Who is this beautiful woman? And why is she so close to you idiots?”

I blushed and tried to stifle a smile. Never in my life had so many men called me beautiful all at once.

“This is Bailey. She knows our Hank here, who seems to have forgotten how to speak,” Conrad chaffed, looping an arm around Hank’s shoulder and shaking it. Hank was still staring at me, his mouth slightly ajar.

“Well, I’m Malcolm and these three idiots are my best friends.” He reached across the bar and shook my hand. “They like to come here on the weekends and bust my balls while I serve them drinks and slip them free food.”

I smiled at the group of guys who I could tell were close. I thought it was nice that Hank and his friends would come and visit their friend at work.

“That sounds fun. I’m actually here with my best friend Ophelia.” I flipped my thumb over my shoulder towards our table. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw her watching the entire exchange go down. She wiggled her fingers in a wave asthe five of us looked towards her and took another sip of her drink with a flirty smile.

“You look really nice tonight, blondie.” Hank finally spoke, breaking his vow of silence. I turned back to look at him and he had a small, shy smile on his face. His eyes were flashing between my dress and his shoes.

My heart squeezed at his words and how sweet he was. He’s hot as fuck but still shy.Who would have thought such a man existed.

“Blondie?” Conrad barked from his seat. Kolbi smiled at his friend.

“Thank you, soldier.” I reached out and brushed my fingers across the top of his knee. I felt him stiffen as the pads of my fingers brushed along his jeans. “You look nice tonight too.”

I didn’t miss the slight color change in his cheeks and how his eyes flashed back to his shoes.

“Welp, I’ll let you boys get back to your drinks. I just wanted to come and say hi. Will I see you in the morning?”

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