The Bartender (Modern Love World) Read online

  “I’ll grab you some plastic bags for when he does his business.” My grandpa shuffles to the back of the house toward the kitchen.

  Ugh. I forgot about the part of dog ownership where you have to pick up their fecal matter.

  I take the leash from my grandma and bend over to put it on Sparky. His tongue is hanging out of the one side of his mouth and the excitement vibrates off of him.

  Once I’m done I stand back up and look down at him with my hands on my hips. This dog is nothing but trouble. He better behave. I have enough on my mind without adding a canine companion into the mix.

  “Here you go.” My grandpa comes up behind me and I take the plastic bags from him and shove them into my purse.

  “Thanks.”

  “You two have a nice time,” my grandma says. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Cole.”

  “Same to both of you. I hope to see you again sometime.” He smiles that smile that makes my insides tingle again and turns to open the door.

  What the hell is he talking about? Why would he be seeing them again?

  I pick up Sparky’s leash and follow Cole out the door. “Bye.” I turn to look at my grandparents and my grandma has a grin on her face so wide it’s possible her dentures might fall out.

  Ha! Forget it, Grandma. Not going to happen. This little walk today is all about etching the lines in the sand and making sure they aren’t crossed.

  The ride over to the park is silent. Well, except for Sparky’s yipping whenever he sees another dog being walked by their owner. I tried to put him in the back seat, but he just kept climbing up to the front and using my lap as a perch to see out the window.

  “He really likes you,” Cole says, turning onto the street that I know will take us to our destination.

  “He likes anyone with two feet and a heartbeat,” I say.

  “I’m not so sure about that. He seems pretty enamored with you specifically.”

  I glance over at Cole and shrug. “If you say so.”

  “I understand where he’s coming from.” His voice is soft and quiet so I’m not certain if I was supposed to hear him or not, so I pretend I don’t. Because I have no idea what to do with a statement like that. And the way I’m already second-guessing what he could mean by it only tells me that I need to stay as far away from Cole as possible. Which is going to make the next eight months impossible.

  Cole pulls his Jeep into the parking lot and finds a spot to park in. A Jeep. I know. I mean, it’s a nice Jeep with all the fanciest features, but knowing the type of money his family has, I was really surprised that this is what he chooses to drive. I’ve seen his brother’s sports car, which doesn’t seem that practical to me in San Francisco, but it screams money. I guess I expected the same from Cole. I’ll begrudgingly admit to being pleasantly surprised.

  “All right, you little fur ball. You ready to do this?”

  Arf.

  I pick Sparky up and place him on the ground outside the vehicle. He immediately begins sniffing around and leading us toward the grass in the park.

  “Looks like it might rain.”

  I follow Cole’s gaze to the sky above and see that he’s right. Some clouds are moving in quickly, as they tend to do here. Hopefully, the rain will hold off because I’m not sure I’ll be able to work up the nerve again to do this with him.

  Cole and I head to the path and walk in silence for a minute. When we stop to let Sparky do his business—just a number one, thankfully—Cole puts his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He tilts his head like he’s trying to figure me out or something and then finally speaks. “So… why did you want to meet up?”

  “You don’t remember who I am, do you?”

  “Sure I do. You’re that cute brunette who was lamenting her life in my bar, had one too many, and then took me home to have her way with me.” His eyes sparkle and he’s clearly joking with me.

  “Har, har,” I say and roll my eyes. “Before that.”

  He shakes his head slowly and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head. Did he sleep with me before? Did we work together? Go to school together?

  “Don’t give yourself an aneurysm trying to figure it out.” Sparky’s now tugging on the leash and so we start a slow walk down the path again.

  In my peripheral vision, Cole shoves a hand through his hair. Damn. I would’ve really enjoyed having that visual in my memory bank for later.

  “Should I remember you?” he asks from behind me.

  I blow out an exasperated sigh and turn toward him. “Six years ago. When Tahlia and Chase started dating they tried to set us up… arranged for us to meet at a restaurant in Chinatown…”

  I angle my head to look at him and I see genuine confusion there. Until I don’t. And then all color drains from his face. “That was you?” I purse my lips and nod. His eyes widen. “Oh, shit. I swear I didn’t know.”

  God, the idiot still doesn’t get it.

  “I’m not mentioning it because I think you should have known when you saw me.” We never even met in person, so how would he? I stop and inhale a deep breath in an effort to prevent my temper from running away from me. “Do you even remember what you said to me before you hung up? While I sat alone at the table in the restaurant?” I add.

  Cole hangs his head and looks genuinely concerned about what I might say. “I’m afraid to even ask.”

  “I was so stunned that I was being stood up that I said something stupid like, ‘What about our Chinese dinner?’ You responded with, ‘I’m about to feast on an even better Asian buffet. I’m good.’ That was followed by a girl’s giggle and then you hung up.” My face reddens as I recall how humiliating the entire ordeal was.

  Cole shakes his head and runs his hand through his hair again. This time I catch it. And boy, was it worth catching, making me hate myself just a little because I am not supposed to be ogling this guy while I try to give him a piece of my mind.

  “I really said that?”

  “You did.” I stop and face him, crossing my arms over my chest. To my surprise, Sparky accepts this and doesn’t protest by tugging on the leash.

  “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Seriously, Cole?” I reach out and swat him on the chest. “Sorry would be a good start.”

  “I’m sorry,” he says while laughing.

  Really believable.

  Pissed that he’s not taking this at all seriously, I stomp forward on the path. He catches me by my elbow to get me to stop and turn to face him. I don’t say anything, but I give him a look that I hope implies that if he says the wrong fucking thing I’m going to rip off his balls and feed them to him with a nice Chianti. Hannibal Lecter would be proud.

  “I wasn’t laughing at you.” When I still don’t speak, he continues. “I just can’t believe I actually said that. I mean… who the hell did I think I was?”

  Though I hate the fact that I’m being charmed by him, I give in anyway. “Hugh Hefner?”

  He laughs. “Apparently.”

  “I sat around in that restaurant waiting and waiting. It was so embarrassing. The waiter felt so sorry for me that he told the manager and they comped the two drinks I had while I was sitting there.”

  Cole cringes and runs a hand down his face. “Shit.”

  “Yeah, shit.”

  I have to say… this Cole seems like a totally different guy than the one that was at the engagement party. This Cole reminds me of the guy I met that night at the Thirsty Monk. Not a totally unlikeable guy.

  “I don’t know what to say except apologize and tell you that I’m not that guy anymore.”

  I raise a brow. “Sure didn’t seem that way at the engagement party.”

  He shifts his weight and looks down at his feet for a second before returning his gaze to my own. “You thought you had me all figured out. I didn’t want to disappoint you.” There’s an edge to his voice and it’s clear to me that I struck a nerve that night. Interesting.

  “In my defence, I th
ought I did. When I realized who you were… and then the fact that I’d gone home with you a few weeks before…” I trail off and I’m not able to meet his eyes when I say that last part.

  “You thought nothing had changed.”

  I shrug.

  “The night you came back to my place… that was different.”

  “How?”

  He pauses and then shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. Just was.”

  Another interesting little tidbit I file away and plan to examine later. “All of that doesn’t matter anyway. I wanted to meet with you today to clear the air. You know, since we’re going to have to see each other a lot in the coming months.”

  A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad you did.”

  “I also wanted to ask you not to mention anything to Tahlia about us going home together.”

  He raises a brow now and studies me.

  “It would only stress her out more and she’d be worrying if the two of us can coexist. I don’t want to add to an already stressful time for her.” I keep the part about her knowing exactly how much Cole’s little stunt affected my life to myself.

  “She’s getting married, not getting divorced,” he says.

  “I’m aware. But even good stress is still stress.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Look, something you need to know about Tahl is that she’s been planning her wedding in her head since she was ten. This is a big deal for her. And her mother isn’t going to get off her back until she has the perfect society wedding. You haven’t mentioned anything to Chase, have you?”

  Cole crinkles his forehead and shakes his head. “My personal life is none of my brother’s business.”

  “Good. So, you agree?”

  He shrugs. “I guess so. If you’re comfortable lying to your friend about it.”

  Ouch. That stings. “It’s to help her, and really what’s the point in telling her? Nothing is ever going to happen again.”

  He chuckles for a split second. “If you say so.”

  That gives me pause. “I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “You think I don’t notice the way you check me out every time you see me?”

  I clench my hands into fists at my side. Who actually says this shit out loud? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He chuckles at me. Again. And it makes me want to rip his larynx from his throat so I don’t have to listen to it anymore.

  He takes a step toward me so there’s little to no room between us and I’m forced to tip my chin up to look at him. “Really? I must be imagining the way your eyes dilate every time I meet your gaze. Or the way your breath hitches just a little any time I touch you.” To prove his point, he takes his index finger and runs it along the curve of my neck. I suppress a small shiver but from the shit-eating grin on his face I can tell that he knows he’s affected me. “Maybe I’m dreaming up the way your nipples harden whenever I get within a few inches of you.” His gaze slips down to my chest and I don’t need to follow it to know that he’s right.

  “It’s a little chilly out here,” I say meekly in defence.

  “Admit it.” He leans in even further and I can smell his cologne and feel his breath tickle my cheek. His mouth is now lined up beside my ear when he says, “You want me.”

  I push at his chest and roll my eyes. “You really do have the world’s biggest ego.”

  “You told me I had the world’s biggest cock the night you came home with me.”

  Heat floods my face because I can’t even defend myself. I was too drunk to remember. “I think you’ve got that twisted. I probably told you you were the world’s biggest dick. And look at that, I’m right.”

  He looks like he’s about to say some quip when he pauses and studies me for a few beats. “Wait a minute. You really don’t remember saying that, do you?”

  Shit. I do not want him to know that I don’t recall what happened that night. It will only give him the advantage. “Come on, Sparky.” I turn and begin walking further down the path. Sparky’s loyal because although I know he’s as attracted to Cole as I am (based on the two-pump hump on his leg when they first met), he follows me and prances happily by my side.

  At first, I think that Cole’s going to let us walk away, but he catches up after a few seconds.

  “Do you remember anything from that night?”

  “I remember you feeding me drinks at the bar so I’d go home with you.”

  “Whoa. Hold up.” He grabs my elbow and forces me to stop once again and look at him. “I was not getting you drunk to take you home. You were already well on your way to being shit-faced before I even stepped into the bar that night.” I stay silent because it’s true and I have no retaliation to that. “I had a few myself, if you recall. It was your idea to leave the bar together. I did not take advantage of you.”

  I can’t believe I’m about to ask this, but I have to know. I suck in a big breath and swallow my pride. “What happened after we got to your place?”

  A lopsided smirk pulls up one corner of his mouth. “You don’t remember anything?” I shake my head. “Interesting.”

  That’s all he says. Interesting. And I’m left looking at him, waiting for him to enlighten me. “Are you going to tell me?”

  “Nah. I think I’ll keep that to myself because I, for one, remember everything.”

  The way he says everything has me clenching my thighs together. The word sounds about as loaded as I was that night, which is a lot.

  “Seriously. You’re not going to tell me?”

  He waits a beat before answering. “I tell you what. I’ll reveal one thing that happened that night every time I see you if you give me a chance and don’t act like a total bitch.”

  “I am not a bitch.” I cross my arms over my chest.

  “I didn’t say you are one. I said you can’t act like one. There’s a difference.”

  “Semantics.”

  “Specifics.”

  I stand there heated and staring at him. I’m equal parts angry and hot for the guy, which is messing with my mind.

  “Do we have a deal?”

  “Fine.”

  He holds out his hand and I take it. We shake on it and I let go pretending my palm isn’t still tingling from his touch.

  “Good. And to show you I’m a man of my word I’ll even fill you in on something right now even though you haven’t been especially nice to me this afternoon.”

  I grit my teeth and clench my fists, otherwise I’m afraid I might actually haul off and hit the guy.

  He reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket. “You forgot this at my house.”

  It all happens in slow motion. His hand pulls out of his jacket and I see a flash of bright pink. As he pushes it closer to me I realize it’s the Tickled Pink vibrator that Lennon gave me.

  My breath hitches, my heart stutters, and my hands fly up to cover my face. He’s holding it out in between us like he’s passing me some mundane object and before I know what’s happening Sparky jumps up and snatches it from his hand.

  And because I’m so brilliant and dropped the leash to cover my face, he takes off in the direction of the small forest at breakneck speed, hot pink vibrator clenched tightly between his teeth.

  “Shit!” I yell and start to run after him. It’s only seconds before Cole overtakes me and is running ahead of me.

  Sparky really knows how to work those little legs of his. I had no idea he could run this fast. When he reaches the edge of the forest he stops and turns to face us. I swear the little shit is grinning at me with that sex toy between his teeth. I can’t focus on the complete mortification of having Cole return the vibrator to me because if I return home without this little fur ball my grandma is going to kill me.

  Cole and I both slow our approach and try to come at the powder puff like you’d approach a wild animal.

  “Come here, Sparky,” I say in a soft and lilting voice. “Come over here.” I stretch my hand out and for
a second I think that maybe he’s going to make this easy on me and head my way.

  Thunder claps from above us and Sparky darts further into the park.

  “Damn it.” We both follow him and within seconds the sky opens up and cold rain starts pelting down on us. This situation just got a whole lot shittier, given the fact that I chose to wear a white shirt today.

  “Sparky!” I yell after him.

  “Come here, boy!” Cole calls out. I roll my eyes at that one. Does that even work?

  Sparky comes to a grouping of trees and seems unsure what to do. Thunder sounds from the black clouds hanging overhead and Sparky panics again, whipping his head side to side, looking for a place to go.

  I see it at the same time he does. A downed tree that’s hollow inside. He turns and covers the few feet to the entrance in seconds.

  “Sparky, no!”

  But it’s too late. He’s already inside.

  “Shit. Now what are we going to do?” I scream and stomp my foot on the ground like a two-year-old.

  I glance over at Cole, who’s kneeled at the other end of the log, peering into it. “Hey, buddy.”

  I begin to shiver as my wet clothes cling to my body. Lightning flashes and I wrap my arms around myself in an effort to conserve body heat. “This is all your fault, you know.”

  “How is this my fault?” He raises his head and glares at me.

  “If you hadn’t held out that… thing like a bone, he never would have gone after it. I mean, who does that in the middle of a public park?”

  “Who leaves their vibrator in someone else’s house?”

  “It’s not my vibrator.”

  He screws his face up. “So, you walk around with other people’s sex toys?”

  “Yes. No!” I let out some noise that’s a mix of a scream and frustration. “You can be so annoying.”

  He ignores my last comment. “Well, which is it, yes or no?”

  “Technically yes. But it’s brand new and a friend had just given it to me to try out.”

  Cole shakes his head to himself. “I swear I’ll never understand women.”

  I blow out a long breath. “Can we just focus on getting Sparky back so that we can get the hell out of here?” I cast him an irritated look and bend back down on my haunches and peer into the hole from the other side. Sparky’s still there, cowering against the inside of the large log, hot pink vibrator still in his mouth like it’s a fucking stick.