Page 110 of Tapped By My Roommate
“Exactly! Let’s go.”
Ethan prodded me with questions all the way to the bar, but I wouldn’t budge. I had a surprise in store, and I wanted to see Ethan’s expression in the moment. My heart stuttered a little at what lay ahead, but I was more excited than scared.
A lot had changed in the past year. I’d spoken with an adviser—Mr. Kringle—who’d turned out to be the same man who’d helped jumpstart my car outside the tutoring center. He regularly worked with students in my predicament, and he’d guided me through the process of enrolling in the necessary courses for my degree change. He wasn’t one to sugarcoat things, and he’d been straight about what the change would cost me: an additional three classes that my scholarship wouldn’t cover.
Luckily, Hal had agreed to hire me on as a part-time bar manager and increase my pay, and I’d managed to work in my extra courses over the summer. I was on track to graduate in a few weeks, and then Ethan would finish his master’s degree the following spring.
I knew he might not want to stay in Hayworth once he graduated. Oasis already had a full-time staff member. We’d talked about our possible future paths, and both of us had agreed that regardless of which direction we took, we would do it together. But I figured one more year would be enough time to see Audrey graduate and start college—and I could leave my older sibling duties in her capable hands.
Already, Audrey and Cary called on me for favors less often. Now that they both had driver’s licenses—and part-time jobs—they’d become more independent. Sometimes, I missed being the amazing older brother who could save the day, but most of the time I was happy to live for myself—and for Ethan.
“God, this is so great,” Ethan said as we stepped inside.
We’d expanded on the Wild Night trivia event this year, playing to the theme a lot more. There was a large projection screen at the front of the bar, hanging over the stage where the trivia DJ was stationed. Until trivia started, a reel of wildlife images played across the screen, along with info about Oasis and its rescue animals.
A chalkboard listing drink specials and decorated with drawings of squirrels, turtles, and birds had been set up on an easel.
Ethan scanned the list and squeaked. “What isthat? Oh my god, Rhett, you have to change it.”
I laughed as he blushed. Seeing his cheeks turn pink was still a favorite pastime of mine, though Ethan had become so used to my dirty talk that I saw it less often. The cocktail list read:Lion’s Tail,Flying Goose,The Falcon,and—to Ethan’s embarrassment, a drink I’d renamed toEthan’s Green Iguana.
They were all real, pre-existing cocktails—even the green iguana—but we’d put them on special to add to the fun of a wildlife night.
“Nope. The drink menu is set. Sorry.”
“Rhett,” he said, “this event is not about me.”
I drew him across the floor, winding through the crowd. My bartenders were already hard at work mixing drinks and handing them out in specialty cups sporting actual images of animals in Oasis along with their names. Sweet Pea was the cutest cup, in my opinion, but I’d never tell Ethan anything was better than Zilla, who also got a cup, because why be in charge of an event if you couldn’t impress your boyfriend a little?
“This whole event exists because of you,” I told Ethan. “What you do is amazing, and I’m proud of you. The fact you work so hard for nothing in return—”
“I get plenty in return,” he said as we reached the bar. “I love what I do, and that’s the best paycheck possible.”
I kissed him. “That’s why I love you.”
“Ew, get a room,” Keri said playfully. “You’re going to make me jealous. I want an adorable little wildlife geek of my own.”
Ethan ducked his head, cheeks now blazing red, and I grinned—thinking of how much more he’d blush before the night was through. If I had my way, I’d be able to store up enough blushes to last me the whole summer.
I briefly considered tugging him into the backroom before the trivia got started, but just then the DJ got on the mic and began his opening spiel, and Linh arrived, shooting me a big smile and wink. My pulse raced a little faster as I nodded my head in silent thanks.
“This looks like so much fun!” Linh said. “I’m going to win this year. Ethan, you’re on my team!”
Ethan laughed. “No, I can’t play. I created all the questions.”
“Even better. Give me a cheat sheet,” Linh said playfully.
“No cheating,” Ethan said sternly.
Linh pouted. “Fine, I’ll just spend the evening drinking. No point in playing if I can’t win.”
“It’s about the spirit of the thing,” I said.
“We’ll see if that’s your attitude later.” She gave me a pointed look, and I swallowed my next tease. Best not piss off the keeper of my secret.
Linh turned toward the bar. “Barkeep, give me your drink specials!”
Keri raised an eyebrow and shoved a list of our night’s drink menu across the bar. Ordinarily, we were a fully stocked bar, but tonight—to keep up with the crowd and play up the theme—we were only serving a handful of our specialty items, along with beer.
