Page 46 of OneTime Lovers
“Hi, Benny. Can I have a double of whatever the girls are having? It’s been a long week with difficult clients.”
My last comment along with a glare, is aimed directly at Scott who is leaning relaxed against the bar with an amused grin on his face. How I’d like to rub that grin right off his mouth. I ignore the little voice in my head, telling me it would be much more fun kissing it off his mouth instead.
Benny turns away to make my cocktail and I bend close to Scott so only he can hear me. “Why are you here in my bar?” I hiss, regretting instantly my close proximity to Scott as the usual electricity buzzes between us.
“Really, I didn’t realize you owned a bar.” Now he’s deliberately trying to wind me up, and it’s working.
Waving my hand frantically at him, I say, “I don’t. You know this is Benny’s bar, it says it on the door. What I mean is this ismylocal bar, where I meet the girls every Friday night for cocktails. You shouldn’t be here, not tonight.”
“Benny has been very welcoming, telling me all about the area, given I’m going to be a resident soon.”
The man in question, moves back along the bar, placing my cocktail down with his usual flourish. “Your drink, sweet Jasmine.”
“Thanks.” I take a long sip of the drink and the cool, tangy taste hits my tastebuds. “Excellent as always.”
“And for your friend Scott, another beer or can I make you a cocktail too?” asks Benny, directing his question more to Scott than me.
“He doesn’t drink cocktails. Besides, Scott said he was just leaving.” Benny looks between us, then nodding quickly moves to the other end of the bar.
“Nice one, now you’ve made Benny feel awkward,” Scott admonishes, making me feel worse than I already do as it wasn’t my intention.
Exasperated, I sigh heavily. “Look, I know you showing up in this bar tonight is no coincidence, so answer my question truthfully this time. Why are you here?” His low chuckle does nothing to ease the tension between us.
He leans in close to me again and keeping his voice low, says, “Jas, I just wanted to speak to you in person and it seems like this was going to be the only way. I’ll leaveyourbar when I finish my drink, but will you please meet me tomorrow afternoon. I fly out on Sunday night, and I’d like to talk over some business with you.”
Raising my eyebrows, I ask, “What kind of business?”
“Apartment type business, not sexy business, if that’s what you’re thinking.” I can’t imagine what additional business he needs to speak to me about, the contract for the apartment is all signed.
Rolling my eyes at him, I agree. “Strictly business, fine. I can meet you at six tomorrow night, but not in your hotel room. It has to be somewhere public.”
He smiles smugly, then says, “I get you can’t resist me when we’re alone, so how about the bar in my hotel … then if you change your mind …” I roll my eyes at him again.
Seriously this man makes my eyes roll more than the Wheel of Fortune slot machines in Vegas. I get that we need to discuss what happened the other day, but not tonight, not here. I’m not usually someone who avoids a difficult chat or for that matter runs away pantyless after sex.
But there is something about Scott and the feelings he elicits in me that cracks wide open the fortification I’ve built around my heart. In the beginning Scott reminded me of Brad, a smooth-talking, sexy flirt just out for a good time. Now when I look at Scott, I struggle to see how I ever thought he was anything like my ex.
Scott is smooth-talking, cocky, sexy, funny, and a flirt but he also has more depth of character in his little finger than Brad had in his whole hulking damn body. Scott is loyal, protective, and caring, nothing like my ex. Maybe opening up to him tomorrow, without an audience of friends will help me to stop running from him.
“Text me the hotel name and address and I’ll see you in the bar tomorrow. And don’t get your hopes up, I won’t be changing my mind about visiting your room. Now, have a good evening somewhere else and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He clinks his nearly empty beer glass against my cocktail before I walk away to join my friends.
Every one of the girls is doing a bad job at pretending to have not watched every second of the interaction between Scott and me.
Taking an empty seat beside Cassie, and with my back to the bar, I tell the girls, “That man makes my head explode.”
“From what you’ve told us in the past, he makes other parts of you explode too,” Trudy adds, and a ripple of laughter runs around the table.
Cassie tilts her head sideways, then whispers, “Exploding head or not, he seriously has the hots for you. His tongue was almost dragging on the ground as he watched you walk to the table just now. Tell me, what’s been going on between you two this week?”
“We’ve been apartment hunting,” I tell her, not wanting to elaborate further when the man in question is sitting on the other side of the bar.
“Isapartment huntingcode for something else? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t look like you’ve been spending time wandering around old buildings.” I turn my head sharply in her direction. Maybe I’m not very convincing, but it will have to do as I can’t say what really happened, not yet anyway.
“Did he find anything he liked?” Trudy asks innocently, not realizing Scott and I found something in one of the apartments that we both liked very much.
I try to block the mental image I just conjured up from my mind as I tell them, “Yes, in fact he chose one not far from here.”
“Really, so you’re going to be like neighbors ... you better get used to bumping into Scott then,” Trudy comments, clearly trying to suppress her amusement.
