Page 6 of Sam (Eye Candy Ink)

Nico comes out then and we say goodbye to Zeke at the door as he leads me over to my car. He’s tall and he towers over me. I watch his feet as we cross the parking lot to my old car.

“Hey, Nico?”

He stops and looks down at me.

“What do you think about Zeke’s friend, Max?”

“Good guy,” he says before he starts walking again.

“Marry him already, would ya,” I tease and Nico smiles before he opens my car door for me.

“Night, Sam.”

“See you tomorrow, Nico.”

4

Max

I growldown at my phone when I check it for the hundredth time and see that Sam still hasn’t responded to my latest message. I should be concentrating on work. I’ve been in my office in the back of Abernathy Brewhouse, staring at the same spreadsheet that I’ve been trying to figure out for the last hour and a half. This woman has me tied up in knots and I don’t like it. I want to be the one tying her up in knots, in more ways than one.

Usually I’m good at reading people but I messed up with Sam. I shouldn’t have invited her out to dinner so soon, but I was impatient. I’ve been out of the dating game for too long I guess. I jumped the gun. I take a deep breath. I need to get better at controlling myself where she’s concerned. I don’t want to blow it with her.

I’ve been trying to stop in and see her or text her a couple of times a week. I get the feeling that she doesn’t take to people too quickly, so I need to get her used to me before I make my move. Nothing that I’ve done so far has seemed to help though.

I sent her two dozen red roses and she sent them back torn to shreds. I’ve brought her dinner and she’s told me that she already ate. On nights that I can’t go see her, I’ve had food delivered from some of the best restaurants in the city. She sent me back pictures of her eating crackers and chips from the vending machine. I try to text her most days and ask her about her day and she’s brushed me off or ignored me.

I would have given up and left her alone a long time ago if not for the way I see her watching me when she thinks I’m not looking. I know that she can feel this thing between us too.

She’s watching me right now. I can see her eyes roaming over me in the reflection on the front window. I’m up front catching up with Zeke but I’ve been keeping an eye on her the entire time that we’ve been talking.

I keep trying to remind myself that her generation is different from mine and they play these ridiculous games before they date or whatever the hell they call dating these days. I’m more than happy to chase Sam but I need to know that in the end, she wants to be caught by me. Otherwise, I’m no better than those other guys who hit on her and can’t take a hint.

She acts differently with me than she does with them though. That guy the first night I met her, she couldn’t wait to usher out the door. She had looked bored the entire time but she never looks bored around me. She might try to but there’s always this spark in her eye and I can tell that she’s interested in me too. Zeke even said that she asked about me one day.

Growing up poor taught me to fight and work hard for the things that I want and I want Sam. I’m a tenacious fucker by nature and I hate to lose. I hate losing even more when it’s because I made a wrong move. Life is like a chess game. I made the wrong play when I first texted her and she took my pawn but I’m still in the game. I just need to tweak my strategy.

I’ve been trying to learn all that I can about her. I ask her a question every single day but I’m lucky if I get an answer. So far I’ve learned that she’s twenty-five, a whole ten years younger than me, although that doesn’t seem to bother either of us. That she refuses to date boys, or guys who act like little boys. She had looked me right in the eye when she told me that and I wanted to assure her that I was all man but a client had come in and she had to get back to work. I know that she has two older brothers who she assured me would murder me in my sleep if I got too close to her. She told me that one of them was a cop and knows how to get away with shit. I think she thought that would scare me off but I have a feeling that Sam is worth it.

I’ve noticed that she does that a lot. Gives people little tests. It’s like she’s seeing just how much someone cares about her, just how far they’re willing to go. She’s about to learn that I’ll go all the way. That nothing can stop me from winning this game. I just need her to give me a shot.

For now, I’ll keep coming by the shop and I’ll keep trying with her. She’s long term for me. I can just feel it.

5

Sam

I ignorethe asshole who is trying to flirt with me at the bar.Come on, bartender. Hurry it up so I can get the hell away from this guy.I keep my eyes locked on the bartender as he makes up my drink, ducking out of the way when the guy talking to me almost smacks me in the face.Who uses hand gestures like that in a crowded bar?Someone who is so self-centered that they don’t even realize there are other people around, that’s who.

I finally get my drink and I toss a twenty on the bar, turning and walking away without a backward glance. I hear the guy call me a bitch and I just roll my eyes. What a prick.

I weave my way through the crowd, keeping a tight grip on the glass in my hand as I make my way toward where Mischa is waiting back by the speakers. My eyes look around, taking in the crowd around me as I finally get to where he’s waiting for me.

“This place is filled with douchebags,” I say as soon as I’ve made it back to where Mischa is hiding along the back wall. My eyes cut back to the asshole who had been trying to hit on me at the bar and I see he’s already moved onto some other poor chick.

“Then why did you want to come here?” He asks, his tone bored.

“Just thought you should get out. You’ve been so gloomy these last few weeks. It’s all anyone can talk about,” I say sarcastically as I bring my whiskey sour to my lips and drink half of it in one big gulp.

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