by J. S. Cooper
“Come on, doll.” I pulled her towards the bar. “Let me get you drunk.”
We made our way through the double doors at the entrance into a packed and noisy bar. The air stank of stale beer, and there were stickers all over the walls. It was a true dive bar, and I loved it. I pushed past a group of guys who were ogling us, angling towards an open spot I saw near the bar.
“Come on. There’s an open space at the front!” I hurried over to grab it before someone else did. I tried to signal to the barman but he was ignoring me. “I guess it will be a few minutes before we get a drink.”
“Looks like it,” she nodded. “But I need the restroom. I’ll be right back.” She looked around and made a face. “Hopefully I can find it. It’s packed in here.”
“Good luck.” I laughed as she walked away. It was then that I became aware that there was a man standing next to me. I looked up and tried not to ogle him. He had to have been at least six-two with a muscular body that told me he worked out far more than I did. He had deep green, sparkling eyes, and dark brown hair. The intense way he was looking at me made me feel a little overwhelmed. I looked away because I was horrible at flirting, but I could still feel his gaze on me. I took a deep breath and decided to be as flirtatious as I could. What did I have to lose?
“Hi,” I said, smiling up at him. “See something you like?” GROAN, that was awful.
“I don’t really know how to take that comment.” He looked me up and down. “Why? Do you see something you like?”
“Yes,” I said, and he gave me a self-assured grin. I could tell from the look on his face that he knew just how handsome he was, and I couldn’t stand cocky men. I pointed at the bottles behind the bar. “Lots and lots of alcohol.”
“Touché,” he said, laughing. “Nice to meet you.” I caught his gaze resting on the top of my breasts before he looked back into my eyes.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve met yet, so I don’t really know that you can say it’s nice to meet me,” I pointed out. He chuckled as I looked him over from head to foot. Definitely too handsome for his own good. And mine.
“I noticed you and your sister coming into the bar—”
“She’s not my sister, she’s my friend.” Many people assumed Susie and I were sisters as we both had black hair and brown eyes.
“You’re both very beautiful.” He grabbed his beer and took a sip. “But you seem particularly fiery.”
“Sorry, not tonight.”
I knew men like him. Men who complimented you and made you feel like a million dollars. Men who took you back to their apartments and fucked you with their tongues like it was their job. Men who made you orgasm before they even entered you. Men that made you scream out. Men who were gone before breakfast.
Men that made you cry.
As much as I wanted a night of passion, I wasn’t ready for my newest mistake. No matter how much his emerald eyes dazzled me with their keen and focused stare, I didn’t need to be the center of his attention tonight.
“Not tonight what?” He raised an eyebrow. “Can I not be a gentleman?”
“We both know what you want.” I pressed my lips together.
“What I want?” He shook his head. “You’re the one that asked me if I saw something I liked?”
“That wasn’t an invitation into my bed.”
“It doesn’t have to be in a bed.” He licked his lips slowly and I swallowed hard. This man was trouble. And I knew trouble all too well. My middle name was trouble. And broke. And heartbroken. I didn’t need any more trouble in my life.
“I’m going to have to say not tonight, not ever, no thank you.” I turned away from him and tapped my foot in beat to ACDC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.” I sang quietly along to the lyrics as I waited impatiently for Susie to make it back.
“I haven’t yet, but I could.” The whisper in my ear made me jump.
“Sorry, what?” I glared at the man I’d been talking to.
“I can have your earth quaking, though.” His lips twitched. He was teasing me.
I was about to respond when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Susie.
“Back.” She grinned. “Man, this place is packed. Did you get our drinks yet?”
“No, not yet. What do you want to drink?”
“I could buy you ladies your first drink,” the man next to me said. I wasn’t sure why he wasn’t getting the hint. Just because he was a hottie he thought he could get any woman he wanted.
“No, thank you.” I rolled my eyes. “I can buy a drink for myself and my friend.”
“I didn’t think you couldn’t, but—”
“Look, dude, my best friend and I are here celebrating, okay?”
“That’s nice—”
“And so I’m not going to sleep with you or do anything with you, so you can back off.”
“Okay, then. I didn’t expect that you—”
“Whatever.” I put my hand up and turned back to Susie. “So, did I tell you that the CEO of Winchester Enterprises is worth $10 billion?”
“Winchester Enterprises?” The man cleared his throat and tried to talk to me again. I looked at him.
“Stop eavesdropping on our conversation, but yes, I work there.”
“You do?” He stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing. “In what capacity?”
“She’s just a—” Susie started.
“I’m actually one of the presidents of the company.” I gave him my best contemptuous look. I had acted in a lot of plays in high school and knew how to look snooty. This man needed to be put in his place. He might be hot, but I was rich. Well, in my dreams.
“You’re a president at Winchester Enterprises?” He tilted his head to the side and sort of squinted like he was trying to place me.
“Yes, I am actually the head of marketing.”
Susie was staring at me, wide-eyed. I hoped she didn’t blurt out the truth and make me look like a fool.
“You’re the head of marketing at Winchester Enterprises?” The man stared at me for a few seconds. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
“Yes. So now you know why I don’t need you to buy me a drink, thank you very much.”
“Well, maybe I should be asking you to buy me a drink,” he chuckled.
“Why?”
“Because you must make so much money working for… What’s the CEO’s name again?”
“Mr. Winchester,” I said, not even blinking. “And sorry, I don’t buy drinks for broke-asses.” Pot meet kettle, my inner voice was mocking me.
“Oh, so you’re not on a first-name basis with him, then?”
“Well, I mean, he’s Finn to his friends like me, but you’re not his friend.”
“No, I’m not his friend.” He shook his head. “But I’ve heard of him. Read about him in the papers.”
“Yes. Well, he’s in the papers a lot because he is a billionaire,” I said. “But excuse me, like I said before, I’m having a private conversation with my friend, and I don’t want to be rude.”
“No need to be sorry for calling me a broke-ass and being rude.” His lips twitched again. “Go ahead with your conversation with your friend.”
“So,” I said to Susie. “I was looking…” I paused and looked over at the man. He smiled at me in that devastatingly bone-tingling way that men who are too handsome for their own good do. His green eyes seemed far too knowing and seductive. I wanted to kiss him, slap him, and run away all at the same time. “We can talk about it later,” I said to Susie. “Know what you want to drink?”
“Yes. Let’s get some margaritas. I feel like some tequila.”
“Sounds good. Strawberry?”
“Yes.” She grinned. “Should I go and look for a table?”
“That would be great. Are you hungry?”
She paused. “Well, I’m kind of, but…”
“It’s fine. I got this.” I gave her a meaningful look. If she brought up the fact that we didn’t have money to pay our bills in front of this guy next to me, I
would scream.
“Okay. Just some mozzarella sticks or something, okay, Marcia?”
“I’ll see what they have. Now go and find a table.” I watched as Susie hurried and then I turned back around.
“The nachos are really good,” the man next to me said. I wasn’t sure what his problem was or why he thought I was interested in chatting with him.
“Okay.”
“And so are the chicken wings.”
“Okay.”
“If you and your friend are hungry, I would definitely recommend them. The onion rings are good, too.”
“We’re not going to eat all that. And I’m not going to get any onion rings tonight.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No. If I’m going to be making out with a hotty tonight, I don’t want onion breath.” I looked at him poignantly. “And when I say a hotty, don’t get your hopes up.”
“I am not getting my hopes up.” He shook his head. “But are you trying to say you don’t think I’m hot?”
I stared into his gorgeous green eyes and at his handsome face, and I didn’t know what it was about the smile on his face that made me want to lie, but I just wanted to bring him down a peg or two.
“You’re not my type. I mean, I’m sure you’re someone’s type somewhere.” I shrugged carelessly.
I didn’t know why I was being a bitch. Well, that wasn’t true. I was being a bitch for all the women like me who’d been dissed by all the good-looking men like him, men who always thought they could get whoever they wanted. And I wanted him to know that he couldn’t get me, not in a million years. Maybe it was because I’d been burned in my last relationship, but I was over good-looking guys, especially ridiculously good-looking guys, which this man was.
“Okay. Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” He took a sip of his beer.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, you’re the first woman who’s ever said I’m not attractive.”
“Oh, well,” I shrugged. “I guess there’s definitely going to be more of that coming.”
“Okay.” He drained the last of his beer. “Well, I guess I will bid you adieu and go and find someone else who’s interested in talking to me.”
“I guess you should do that.”
“Yes, I think I will. So anyway, good luck at Winchester Enterprises.”
“Why would I need good luck?”
“I mean, as the president of marketing I would assume that you have a lot of pressure on you. I’ve heard that Finn Winchester is a very demanding boss.”
“He’s actually quite wonderful,” I said. “He loves me. He treats me like a daughter.”
“He treats you like a daughter?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “How old are you?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m just saying you look young, but not that young. How old was Finn when he had you? Ten?”
“Obviously, he’s not my actual father.” I lifted my nose up in the air and stared at him through narrowed eyes. “I’m just generalizing our relationship and stating it is akin to family.”
“Sure.” He laughed.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glared at him.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Well, good luck with everything.”
“I don’t need it. Bye,” I said, waving at him.
He gave me one last stare that I couldn’t quite interpret and then walked away. I let out a huge breath as the bartender came to take my order. I didn’t know what had come over me, but just the way he’d been looking me up and down and the tone of his voice—absolutely everything about him had rubbed me the wrong way. And maybe I shouldn’t have lied, but who was he to know that I wasn’t really the president of marketing and that I was a lowly temp? I mean, unless he was a temp at Winchester Enterprises as well, he’d never know.
I ordered the drinks and some mozzarella sticks and then looked around to see where Susie was. I hurried over, grateful that she found a little corner spot, and slid into the seat next to her. “Oh my gosh, that guy was so annoying.”
“I didn’t think he was so bad,” she said. “He was actually really cute—”
“Ugh, I don’t even want to talk about guys right now. Let’s just talk about my new job and all the awesome things we’re going to do with all the money that I make.”
“Well, you’re not making that much, Marcia. And don’t forget, you’ve got to try and get me a temp job too.”
“Trust me. It’s in the bag. They’re going to love me. Who knows? Maybe if I pray on it and manifest it, I’ll become VP of marketing.”
“Girl,” Susie shook her head and sighed, “you’ve got about as much chance of becoming VP of marketing as I have of becoming president of the United States.”
We looked at each other and burst out laughing. She was right, of course. There was no way that I would ever be the VP of Marketing at Winchester Enterprises. Not unless hell froze over.
Three
“Okay. Don’t look, but that guy from the bar is staring at you,” Susie leaned towards me as we sat and munched on our greasy mozzarella sticks.
“Which guy?” I said, turning immediately to look at the bar.
“I told you, don’t look!” she hissed.
I immediately regretted looking. It was the annoying guy again. He obviously saw me looking because he lifted his drink up in a cheers.
“Oh my gosh. What is that guy’s problem?” I turned back to Susie without raising my glass back to him.
“I think he likes you.”
“Whatever. He is such a player.”
“Um, you don’t even know him, Marcia. Why do you think he’s a player?”
“He’s gorgeous, and guys like that are always players.”
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”
“Really? Who says I’m judging a book by its cover?”
“You think he’s hot.”
“I never said he’s hot.”
“Girl, you just said he’s gorgeous.”
“Okay. Well, maybe he is gorgeous, but that doesn’t mean I think he’s hot.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I knew I wasn’t making sense. “Girl, you know how it is. Ever since Jeremy…” I sighed.
“I know.” She squeezed my hand. “He was a jerk, but not every guy is a jerk.”
“Most good-looking guys are, though. They think they run the world.”
“That’s not true,” Susie said, though she sounded kind of half-hearted.
“Yeah, it is.”
Jeremy, my ex, was the reason I’d wanted to leave Florida so badly. The fact was I could barely call him a boyfriend. He was a guy I’d met on a dating website who had said he was looking for his “true love.” His words about wanting to find his fairytale princess had seemed so romantic that I’d jumped at the chance to meet him. We’d gone on about three dates before he’d kissed me. And he hadn’t even tried to get into my pants. He’d been absolutely gorgeous and charming. I’d really thought he was the one.
I’d slept with him on the sixth date. And it had been pretty amazing, I couldn’t lie. We’d spent the weekend making love, and I’d never been happier. But then he ghosted me for two weeks. I’d been devastated, but then he’d come back, and he’d said he was a covert spy with the CIA and been on a mission. He hadn’t ghosted me on purpose, he said; he just hadn’t been able to contact me. And I’d wanted to believe him so badly that I ignored all the holes in his story.
So I’d allowed him to take me on another date to make it up to me. We’d gone drinking and dancing, and he’d flirted with other women and barely paid me any attention. I hadn’t wanted to bring it up because I didn’t want to argue with him. I’d just been so happy that he’d called me again.
We’d gone back to his place and hooked up again, but the sex had not been as good. There had been no foreplay and he’d basically gotten his and then rolled off me. The worst part had come when ten minutes later he’d yawned a
nd said, “Are you leaving now?”
I’d stared at him, perplexed. “I thought I would spend the night.” I tried to cuddle up next to him.
“Oh, I prefer sleeping by myself.” He’d rolled over and so I’d slid out of the bed and left in tears.
He’d called me a couple of days after that, asking if I wanted to go out again. And me, like the fool that I was, had said yes. We’d met up for a coffee and he’d slipped his hand under the table and tried to squeeze my leg and touch other parts.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you think?” He’d pushed his finger through a circle he’d made with his thumb. “Want to fuck in the bathroom?”
I’d been shocked. “What is going on here?” Like a dumbass, I still thought he was interested in an actual relationship and not just sex.
“What do you think?” he’d replied.
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”
“You’re a good time girl, Marcia.” He’d grinned at me. “I mean, you have to know a hot commodity like me gets around.”
He hadn’t even noticed the tears welling in my eyes.
I hadn’t seen him again after that night, but I’d felt humiliated, heartbroken, and embarrassed for months. The fact that I’d even believed he was with the CIA had told me just how desperate I was. Six months after the end of that relationship, and now here I was with Susie in New York, living my best life. But I was still over really good-looking guys. I wasn’t going to give any of them a chance ever again.
“Well, don’t look now,” Susie said, “but I think Mr. Hottie is heading over to us.”
“He better not be heading over to me, or I’ll throw my drink in his face.”
“You can’t afford to throw your drink in his face,” Susie said, with a slight giggle.
“I can. I—”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” said a deep voice.
I looked up and scowled. “Yes?”
“Marcia?”
“Yeah? What do you want? I think I made it very clear when we were at the bar that I’m not interested. So can you please leave me alone?”
“Well, this is awkward.” Based on his self-assured smile, he didn’t feel awkward.
“What’s awkward?”