Page 70 of Mr. Flirt

He didn’t have that familiar sparkle in his eyes and the cheekbones and jawline that made me drool.

“I am, actually.”

He looked briefly disappointed. “Mind if I slide in for a second?”

“Uh, no? I don’t mind.” I looked around the bar, thinking this had to be a setup by Shep.

“You’re so beautiful.”

I laughed and shook my head. “It’s the lighting. They keep it dark enough to confuse everyone.”

The man laughed. “I don’t believe that for one second.”

“It’s true.” I chuckled, scanning the bar and waiting for Shep to hop out of his hiding place.

“Are you dating anyone?” the man pressed.

I tried to figure out whether I was supposed to play along and say no or what Shep might have in mind.

“No. I’m not seeing anyone seriously. You?”

He shook his head, and his eyes lit up, which made my stomach churn into an uneasy mosh pit of nerves.

“I’m Julien.”

I nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’m Terry Bartholomew.”

Oh. Shoot. Or was it Perry that Shep used that first night? Either way, I’d have some fun with this.

Maybe Shep was listening in. He could be in the booth behind me and I didn’t know. Maybe it was time to heat up my flirting skills. Maybe this was a test.

“Ah, Terry is a nice name. It’s one of those that can go either way.”

I laughed. “I suppose it could. So, what brings you here this frosty night?”

He waved the bartender over and ordered the same drink he’d had delivered, which I had no plan of drinking.

“Just unwinding after work a bit, trying to get out of the cold.”

“I know how that goes.” I let out a sigh and asked myself what Shep would do. “Maybe you could use someone to keep you warm tonight?”

The man’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and he immediately straightened up. “Well, yeah. I wouldn’t mind that one bit.”

“Really?”

“Of course, really. It sounds incredible.”

“Doesn’t it? We could get into fuzzy jammies and sit by a roiling fire all night.”

“Terry, you’re the most incredible woman I think I’ve ever met.” He looked like he wanted to lean over the table and lick my face right when Shep appeared from nowhere.

“Am I interrupting something?”

I laughed and glanced up at the man who literally made my heart skip a beat. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

He cocked his head slightly and eyed me. “I wouldn’t know.”

A gasp of horror slid from my lips as I looked at Julien and back at Shep before looking at Julien.

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