Harry’s door banged into the wall, making him jump. He must have fallen asleep after the earlier conversation with Jax. Murky light filtered through his window and he realized it must be late afternoon.
“Get up. I called the guys and we're going out.” Jax kicked the edge of Harry’s bed, jostling him.
Harry blinked at Jax, not understanding. “Going out?” He rubbed his hands over his eyes while he yawned before settling his gaze on Jax again.
Jax nodded. “Yeah. We’re going to hit up a Wings N’ Things for some wings and then we’re gonna hit Flashbacks.”
Harry sighed. “Look, man, I appreciate you…”
Jax held a hand up. “I wasn’t askin’. I’m telling. Either you get your smelly ass in that shower or I’ll throw you in because you’re coming. Bentley, Grayson, and Waylon are all meeting us in thirty.”
Jax turned and left, leaving Harry’s door wide open. Harry stared at the now empty doorway, willing Jax to come back and tell him he was just joking. But that didn’t happen.
“I don’t hear water!” Jax yelled.
Harry rolled his eyes before sitting up and moving off his bed. He quickly moved into the bathroom to shower before getting dressed. Twenty minutes later, he was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt. They might be forcing him out, but he wasn’t going to put any effort into this whole night. If anything, he’d use it as an opportunity to get drunk again to forget what happened.
“You ready?” Jax asked, leaning against Harry’s door jamb.
Harry glanced up from his phone, which he was staring at, willing it to ring and be Bailey.
“Yeah, let’s go.” He pocketed his phone before he grabbed his wallet and keys before following Jax outside.
“I’ll drive,” Jax told him, walking to his car.
Harry nodded. That was fine with him. It meant he could get hammered.
They rode to the restaurant in silence, which wasn’t unusual. Though they were best friends and were in business together, neither were the type to fill silence with unnecessary chatter. It was nice at this point because Harry had zero desire to actually hold a conversation about anything.
A few minutes later, they were seated at a large booth waiting for the rest of the guys to show. Harry already had a tall beer in front of him, frost glimmering on its surface. He was steadily drinking it, his eyes glued on the TV mounted to their right.
“Dude, why don’t you slow down? We’re going to a bar after this. You might want to eat first.”
Harry placed his glass down and glanced at Jax before looking at his beer. He saw what Jax meant. He had drained half of it already without realizing.
He pressed his lips together in a tight smile and curled his hand around the glass, but didn’t lift it again. A few minutes later, the guys joined them and it grew loud with jokes and shouting at the baseball game playing throughout the bar.
Though he wouldn’t admit it, by the time they left Wings N’ Things to head to Flashbacks, Harry was feeling better about everything. Though, that could have had something to do with the two tall beers he drank while there.
Upon entering the bar, Bentley said he’d get two pitchers and join them at the pool tables.
The guys continued to joke while they selected their cues and fed money to the table to get the cue ball.
Waylon elbowed Harry in the side. Harry glanced at him as he chalked the end of his cue. “Yeah?” he asked.
Waylon jutted his chin toward the bar where Bentley was chatting with a petite brunette. Harry cocked a brow. “Looks like Bentley has found his victim for the night,” Harry joked, placing the chalk down and turning to the table.
The guys laughed. A few moments later, Bentley joined them, shaking his head.
“You get her number?” Jax asked, lining up to break the balls.
“Nope, she said she wasn’t interested.” He leaned against a tall stool and crossed his arms. “Her loss.”
Grayson snorted and Bentley glared at him. “I mean, of the two of us, I’m the more attractive brother. Everyone knows this.” Grayson smirked at Bentley, who had a vein pulsing in his forehead.
“Maybe she doesn’t go for baldys,” Waylon interjected, making everyone break into laughter.
With a smack, Jax sent the cue ball careening into play and the guys quieted down, ribbing each other as they played through a round of pool.
Once the pitchers were empty, Harry offered to get refills and handed his stick to Waylon to play for him.
In the time since they’d gotten to Flashbacks, it had filled up quite a bit. Even though there were three bartenders working, people were three deep at the bar, so Harry patiently waited until he could sidle up and get the attention of one of them.
He waved his pitchers and smiled when one of the female bartenders took them from him with a wink, quickly filling them. She placed the now full pitchers in front of him and he passed her a twenty, telling her to keep the change.
He carefully picked them up and turned, bumping into someone behind him. He cringed as the beer sloshed in the pitchers but thankfully didn’t spill.
“I’m sorry,” he said, meeting the gaze of the pretty brunette from earlier.
She smiled sweetly. “It’s no problem. I shouldn’t have been standing so close.”
With a nod, he slipped past her and made his way back to his group.
“Dude, that chick is totally checking you out,” Waylon said as he took a pitcher from Harry’s hand. “Seems you’re more her type than baldy over here.”
Harry cocked a brow and looked over his shoulder to see that Waylon was right. The girl was definitely staring at him while she bit her lip. He turned back to everyone and shrugged. “So?”
The guys all paused and looked at him. “Are you serious?” Jax asked, taking the pitcher from Harry’s hand and filling his glass before passing the pitcher on to Bentley.
“Yeah, I am.”
The guys shook their head. “Dude, a hot as hell woman is checking you out and you ain’t excited? I mean, she’s a stone cold fox!” Bentley said, sipping his beer.
“Weren’t you just hitting on her? Why are you encouraging this?” Harry snagged a pitcher and filled his own glass with the frothy beer.
Bentley cocked a brow. “Just because I failed doesn’t mean I want you to. Dicks before chicks.”
The guys all nodded. Jax clapped him on the shoulder. “Come on dude, live a little. Go chat with her. No pressure or anything.”
No pressure. Right. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the girl was still looking his way. Now that he really looked at her, he did see that she was pretty hot. She had silky, straight, long brown hair, almost to her waist. Unlike most women in the place, she was also dressed pretty conservatively in a pair of jeans and t-shirt.
Grayson nudged him toward her, making him stumble. “Just go talk to her.”
He blew a breath out and took a big gulp of beer before slowly walking over to where she was sitting at the bar. As he walked closer, the stool next to her opened up. Was it fate?
“This seat taken?” He cringed at the triteness of the question.
She glanced at him and smiled. “Nope, all yours.”
He grinned and sat down next to her. She turned toward him and her smile widened. “I’m Emily.” She held her hand out.
“Harry.” He carefully shook her hand before dropping it quickly.
“Nice to meet you.”
Harry nodded but didn’t say anything. How did people do this talking to others thing? He’d never attempted. At that thought, he drew up short, his body stiffening at the realization. He’d never gone out and hit on a woman before and that was a bit weird the more he thought about it.
Shaking himself mentally, he looked at Emily who was looking at him expectantly. “So…” he started, still feeling awkward, “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. You new to town?”
Pink suffused her cheeks and she looked down into her empty martini glass.
“Is it that obvious?” she asked, glancing at him through her lashes.
He chuckled. “Yes and no. This is a small town, so locals recognize newbies.”
She giggled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. His eyes were riveted on the long strands as she flipped them into place. “Yeah, I’m new. Though, I’ve worked in the town before, but I used to live in Greenville.”
Harry’s eyebrows rose. “What made you decide to leave the big city for this little slice of life?”
She shrugged and looked away. “A change of scenery, I guess.”
He nodded and didn’t push for more. It was obvious it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about. He cleared his throat. “So, what is it you do?”
She met his gaze again. “I’m a music teacher. I give private voice lessons and teach the piano and guitar.”
Harry’s eyes widened. What were the chances of that? Of all the women he could meet and talk to, he found one that was interested in something he was: music. He was thinking it more and more likely obvious that fate was at hand.
“Really?” he asked. “Much market for it here?”
He sipped his beer while he waited for her response. He was definitely intrigued now.
She nodded. “You’d be surprised. There are quite a few people that I taught before moving here. And the surrounding area has a need. That’s one reason I moved to Gunner Falls. There were so many people wanting my help and the cost of living is lower, so I thought why not.”
He nodded. “That’s cool.”
“What about you?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“I own an auto parts warehouse on the outskirts of town. I’m also the lead singer for a local band.”
Her eyes lit up and leaned closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. “You are? What’s the name? Maybe I know it.”
He was a bit taken back by her eagerness but shook it off. “Southern Sands.”
She gasped and clapped her hands together. “Really? I’ve seen y’all play every time you’ve come to Greenville! I thought you looked familiar!”
His eyes widened at her admission. It struck him odd that she hadn’t recognized him right off; he was probably the most recognized of the bunch since he was essentially the face of the band. He brushed it off, though, and concentrated instead on continuing their conversation.
He smiled. “Yep.”
She danced in her seat. “This is amazing! I seriously love your band. You play some great covers and always put on a good concert.”
He had to smile at the enthusiasm in her voice. It was always nice to find someone that appreciated their sound and enjoyed listening to them.
They continued to talk and Harry relaxed the more time he spent with Emily. They each refilled their drinks once more, but they remained mostly untouched as they discussed everything they could think of music related and anything else that struck their fancy.
It wasn’t until the house lights rose and lowered to signal last call that Harry realized how late it was. He looked at the pool tables and didn’t see his friends. His brow furrowed as he glanced around. He looked behind himself and met Jax’s amused stare.
“How nice of you to notice me,” he drolled. “I’ve only been sitting here for the last hour and a half.”
Harry shrugged. “Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied.”
Jax smirked. “I can see that.”
He reached around Harry and held his hand out. “Hey, I’m Jax. I’m this lump of nothin’s best friend.”
Emily giggled and shook Jax’s proffered hand. “I’m Emily.”
Jax glanced at Harry and cocked a brow. “You ready to leave?”
Surprisingly, Harry wasn’t ready to leave. He wanted to spend a little more time chatting with Emily. But he didn’t say that. Instead, he nodded. “Yeah, we can head out. Got to head to work and all that.”
Jax chuckled. “You mean you’ll actually make it in?”
Harry shot Jax a glare before turning to face Emily. “Sorry to run or whatever.”
She waved a hand. “It’s no big deal. I should probably head out myself. I have some meetings tomorrow anyways.”
“Can I get your number?” Harry asked, surprising not only himself, but Jax as well who elbowed him in the back while chuckling. Harry ignored him.
Emily blinked slowly at him before a large smile broke out across her face. “Sure.”
He pulled his contacts up and input her information, sending her a quick text before pocketing his phone.
He rocked on his feet a bit, not sure how to walk away. “Well…it was nice meeting you. I’ll chat with you soon?”
Emily nodded and Harry turned to follow Jax out to the car.
“It was nice meeting you?” Jax asked, shooting Harry a look over the top of the car as he unlocked it, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter.
Harry shrugged and was glad the parking lot was dimly lit. His face was hot, a sure indication that he was blushing. Even he had to admit that the way he said goodbye wasn’t exactly smooth. “I didn’t know what to say,” Harry told him once they were buckled up and on their way home.
Jax burst into laughter. “You have to be one of the most socially awkward people I know.”
Harry shrugged. He couldn’t really deny it.
The rest of the ride home passed in silence. Upon arriving, Jax dropped Harry off, saying he’d be going to Karlie’s for the night before pulling away with a small screech of his tires.
Harry let himself into the house and walked to his room, falling onto his bed. Unlike the night before, he wasn’t trashed and was able to think clearly. He hadn’t set out to meet anyone, but meeting Emily was a nice surprise on a day that hadn’t started out so well.
He was hesitant to admit it to himself, but he found himself excited to talk to her and to even see her again. Anticipation wasn’t something he was used to anymore and it was nice. He rolled to his side and punched his pillow into a more comfortable position while he thought back over his evening.
He chuckled to himself as he remembered how much he didn’t want to go out that night, yet here he was thankful he’d been convinced to go out after all.
Chapter Seven
Harry
“Have you texted her yet?” Jax asked as he dropped into a chair across from Harry’s desk at work.
Harry sighed and concentrated harder on his computer screen, trying to look like he hadn’t been sitting there daydreaming. He knew Jax was just there to try and distract him and throw him off his game.
“That sigh sounded frustrated.” Jax broke into Harry’s concentration again.
Harry glanced at Jax from the corners of his eyes and caught the smirk that flashed before Jax’s face relaxed.
“If it’s frustrated, it’s because you’re bothering me.” Harry hoped he looked annoyed and that it would put Jax off more.
“I can’t bother you if I’m your best friend. It’s, like, illegal.”
Harry rolled his eyes and turned to face Jax fully, leaning back in his chair, making it creak. “What are you? Twelve?”
Jax shrugged and threw an arm over the back of his chair as he slouched down. Even though Jax was dressed in a nice suit, just like Harry, you wouldn’t know he owned a successful business because of it. The suit was already wrinkled and Jax looked a bit like a teenager playing dress up as it was ill-fitting.
“For real though,” Jax said. “Have you texted her?”
“No.” Harry leaned forward and turned back to the computer, and the quarterly report he was trying to finish.
“Why not?” Jax was certainly chatty today.
Harry’s right leg started jiggling and he was thankful there was a desk hiding it. It would alert Jax that he wasn’t as nonchalant as he tried to seem. “Why would I text her today?”
He thought he came across as bored and gave himself a pat on the back. Jax was silent and Harry flicked his eyes to him to see that he’d narrowed his eyes.
“What?” Was he not a
s calm and collected as he thought?
Jax rolled his eyes. “Dude, come on. I know you’ve heard the same shit about ‘wait three days’ or whatever they’re sayin’ now, but who gives a fuck? You obviously like the girl, so why aren’t you currently textin’ her? You’re only delayin’ the inevitable.”
One of Harry’s brows rose. “Oh, I am?”
Jax nodded. “Yep. You’ve got the hots for her and she has them for you. So, why not just text her, ask her out or to come to our gig and call it golden?”
Harry opened his mouth to reply but found he wasn’t sure what to say. While what Jax said made sense, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that going out with another woman was like cheating on Bailey, even though they weren’t actually together.
“Dude. Where the fuck did you just go?”
Harry shrugged and looked at his desk, straightening the already neat surface.
“Seriously, you went somewhere weird.”
Harry spun a pen on his desk, watching it make a circle as it slowed and stopped. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
Jax snorted. “Please. If I was a betting man, I’d say you were thinking of someone in particular.”
Harry made sure to not look up at Jax and continued to fidget with the pen. He knew if he looked up, Jax would read him like an open book. Of course, he probably already had Harry’s number and was just biding his time.
“You were, weren’t you?” Jax accused, slapping a hand on Harry’s desk.
Harry’s head jerked up and he met Jax’s calm gaze. Based on how and what he just said, he assumed Jax was angry. Apparently, he feigned it to get Harry to react.
He sighed. “Fine, my thoughts went to Bailey.”
Jax rolled his eyes and relaxed back into the chair again. “Why are you still hung up on her? I mean, dude, you got wasted.” He wrinkled his nose, showing his disdain for how he found Harry the previous morning.
“I don’t know…” He knew it was irrational and that he needed to move on, possibly with someone like Emily. But he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Too much time was invested for one thing, but when he saw his future, he saw Bailey, no one else.
Harry (Southern Sands Book 2) Page 5