Page 6 of I Choose You
I put down my suitcase and left. The less time I spent in that room, the better. Based on what the receptionist told me, I looked up Harpoon’s Tavern. It had great reviews but virtually no online presence. Still, it sounded better than eating alone at a bar filled with noise and people.
I pulled up to the old wooden building within a couple of minutes. Everything seemed to be just a few minutes away in one direction or another.
Before I got out of the car, I placed a second call to Andrew to discuss the lodging situation after the first call on my way over here went to voicemail. No answer this time either. I left him a message to call me back as soon as possible without going into detail as to why. This was a big opportunity for me as my first project manager assignment, and I didn’t want Andrew to think that I was a complainer by nature. I wasn’t.
Inside Harpoon’s was dark, and there was music playing, but it wasn’t super loud. It was already after 6:00 p.m., and it was still pretty dead inside, but it was a Monday night, so that was probably to be expected.
The bartender was wiping down the counter as I took a seat. She asked me what I was having, and when she placed my lemon drop martini in front of me, she handed me a food menu along with it.
Turned out the food really was delicious here. I only ordered a Greek salad, but it was so good that I didn’t even realize someone had come in and was sitting two seats down from me at the bar.
“Christ, Ronnie. What are you feeding her?” he joked, or at least I think it was a joke. He didn’t have a smile on his face though, so it was hard to tell.
I had to cover my mouth to swallow as I tried to smother my laugh.
“Sorry. I must look like a heathen,” I told him. “This is just really good.”
“Clearly.” He shot me an unimpressed look. Okay, maybe he wasn’t joking. When he brushed his hands through his hair, it clicked. This was one of the guys who had been at the library earlier. The hot one. Now that I was up close, I confirmed that he was indeed as attractive as I thought he was from afar but also a lot younger than I expected. Too young to be ogling him like I was.
I turned back to my plate and took a smaller bite, a hum of appreciation on my lips. I almost choked when I caught myself making that noise again. I glanced over and caught him side-eyeing me, looking all broody and irritated.
“You’re not sitting in your usual seat, boy. You can’t go screwing me up like that,” the bartender chided him playfully, dropping off a pint of draft beer that he hadn’t ordered.
“I didn’t want to be creepy. The whole bar is open—I can’t come in and sit right next to the girl,” he muttered.
“Yeah, yeah. A likely story,” she said.
He got up and moved one seat over, side by side with me.
“Better?” His annoyance was written all over his face.
Her dark eyes danced with amusement. “Yup. Now, what’llit be tonight?”
He placed his order and leaned his forearms on the bar, sitting silently.
“Hey,” I started.
He looked at me like I had just uttered the most ridiculous word in the English language. Typically, I would make conversation in a situation like this, but his surliness wasn’t exactly inviting company.
“Sorry I’m all up in your personal space,” he grumbled, looking straight ahead instead of at me. Was he talking to the liquor bottles behind the bar? “She’s just fucking with me, but if I change my seat back now, I run the risk she won’t deliver my food, pretending she can’t find me.” His hand combed through his hair again.
“You’re fine. I don’t mind.” I tried to offer him a smile, but he never turned his head to see it.
Someone came up from behind us and pulled him into a conversation about how great their shed was. I figured he must have been on the crew that built it based on how much the guy was complimenting the workmanship.
“Seriously, Reid, you do a damn good job. Keep up the good work,” the guy said just as he left.
Reid? This was Reid?
He was younger than I expected, but based on the attitude he was throwing off, I should have predicted it.
“I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard that man call you Reid. Reid Wilder?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said, his head cocking to the side in confusion. “How’d you know?”
“The Delano Library.” I was going to introduce myself and clarify my involvement in the process just as soon as Iswallowed my next bite, but he jumped in before I had the chance.
“Ugh. Don’t get me started on that project,” he sighed. “I’m one day in, and I’m already questioning why I agreed to do this. Today was supposed to be my one good day to get some shit done before everything gets upended tomorrow. Rained all damn day.”
