Page 14 of Broken Promises
I didn’t want to think about that either. I just wanted to forget the name Lenkov for at least the night.
The car pulled up to the curb and I thanked the driver, added a tip on the app, and made sure I had all my stuff before getting out. Looking up, I confirmed I was at the right place before walking inside. A bouncer checked my ID and stamped my hand before allowing me to enter.
There was a faint smell of cigarettes and weed lingering in the air as I looked through the crowd for Samuel. Seeing him at the end of the bar, I side-stepped through the people enjoying their evening and walked straight to him. He saw me and hopped off his stool to give me a hug.
“Girl, I was about to send out a search party for you,” Samuel said as he helped me get onto a stool and pushed me closer to thebar. He took a seat next to me and pushed a drink toward me. “I ordered something fruity, but feel free to get whatever you want. Nick is covering our tab tonight.”
I took a swallow of the drink, and the sugary taste was overpowering the liquor, making it dangerous. Turning to smile at Samuel, I said, “I appreciate you inviting me out. I needed a night away from it all.”
He slapped my hand. “Don’t we all,” he said as he bounced in his chair. “Let’s get a shot.”
Raising his finger in the air, it took a minute but a hot bartender sauntered up to us and leaned over the bar to kiss Samuel. My toes curled watching two beautiful men show affection, and when he stepped back, he looked at me. “You must be Hannah. I’m Nick. Sammy told me all about you.”
I reached out and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Honey, can we get some shots?” Samuel asked, and Nick smiled at him.
“Anything for you, lover. I’ll be back,” Nick replied before walking down the length of the bar.
“Damn, he’s hot,” I remarked, and Samuel smiled deviously at me.
“Don’t I know it. And he’s all mine.”
His eyes flashed wide and he wiggled his eyebrows as we both watched Nick return with two glasses holding at least a double shot in each.
“I wanted to make sure you were taken care of for a bit. It’s getting busy and I don’t know how often I can get back to you.”
Samuel pushed my half-full cocktail to me. “Drink up so we can order another, then we should be good for a while.”
“Coming right up,” Nick said and turned to make whatever it was we were drinking.
I picked mine up, and Samuel did the same as Nick placed two more drinks in front of us and slapped the bar with a winkbefore turning to help another customer. Samuel clinked his glass to mine and said, “Here’s to new friends.”
“To new friends,” I returned, and we tapped the glasses onto the bar before drinking half the contents.
The cinnamon whiskey was delicious, and I looked at Samuel, who explained, “I remember you saying you liked it, so I made sure to tell Nick when I got here. I want to pamper you, so you’ll come back out with me again.” He batted his eyes at me with a coy smile, and I was glad I agreed to join him.
Samuel’s work area and mine were next to each other, so we often poked our heads in to check on each other or ask a question. He’d been a sweetheart since my first day, unlike most of the bitchy women in the office, and I realized he didn’t have many friends in the office. I don’t know why because I thought he was amazing, but some people were narrowminded assholes.
When I placed the empty glass back on the bar, Samuel pushed my cocktail closer so I could chase the whiskey. Looking over at my new friend, I thought about how much my life had changed over the past six months and quickly pushed the sad thoughts to the back of my mind.
“So, Hannah, tell me all about yourself,” Samuel encouraged, and I turned to face him as I sipped on the last of my first cocktail.
“Born in Missouri and raised in Georgia by my Granny. She passed earlier this year, so I moved here to get a fresh start,” I replied, keeping it vague and skimming the top of the truth.
“No siblings?” he asked as he finished the last of his drink.
I shook my head as I reached over, grabbed the second drink, and took a sip. “As far as I know, it’s just me,” I sassed, and he offered a smile. I wasn’t going to tell him that I may have three siblings from my gangster father but wasn’t sure. No one needed to hear that crap, so I inquired, “What about you?”
“Oh girl, let me tell you,” he started, and for the next ten minutes, I listened to him regale me with tales of being an openly gay man in the closeted southern U.S., how his twin brother was straight and an asshole, and how his mother thought all Samuel needed was a good woman to set him straight. “I should take you home to meet my mother. She would be so pleased.”
He rolled his eyes as I chuckled at his animated story. Nick swung by and took our empty shot glasses, only to return a minute later with fresh shots for us. Samuel winked at him and asked, “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Of course not,” Nick answered as he smiled hugely and walked away.
Samuel leaned over and said, “That man knows he’s got a delicious ass that I’m powerless to resist.”
I was taking a sip of my cocktail and sprayed it out of my mouth before breaking out in hysterical laughter. I wasn’t used to people being so open and carefree and it was refreshing. For too long, there had been all these dark secrets hanging over my head, and after we downed the second shot of cinnamon whiskey, I felt the worry and stress bleed out of my neck and shoulders.
