by CJ Azevedo
“Yeah I know, but Bailey had a run in with some guy on her way back from the rest room and the seats filled up quickly tonight. That game was insane, Talon! I can’t believe they called interference on you! I’m surprised you didn’t hear Alan on that one!” she laughs hard. “He was so pissed!”
‘Bailey had a run in on her way back from the bathroom’ No way. That can’t be…
“Wait. Who’s Bailey?” As I’m asking, Kali is touching the shoulder of the woman who has consumed most of my thoughts for the past two hours or so.
“Bailey Hayes. Remember I told you I was bringing my friend from the gym with me tonight?” She looks at my shocked face and smiles wide with her eyes growing rounder by the second. “Bailey, I wanted to introduce you to my brother, Talon, but I’m thinking the two of you have already met.” Bailey doesn’t even flinch. She lets out a little laugh and reaches for my hand. In the meantime, I am still trying to gather a coherent thought.
“Talon, it’s nice to officially meet you while standing on my own.” She’s giggling. The sweetest giggle ever. I get annoyed with gigglers, but I’m certain I could listen to that sound coming from that sexy as hell mouth all the time. She seems totally comfortable with this situation. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s blushing like crazy I would have thought I’d dreamt up the whole thing.
“Bailey.” I sigh as I shake her very well-manicured, perfect hand. I give my most charming smile and stare right into those eyes that are already burned into my memory. “I came up with a dozen or so names that I thought could possibly fit you, but Bailey was not one of them. I definitely like it best though.” I let out a little huff of air and shake my head. I look to Kali. I should not have looked at Kali right now. She is all but bouncing with excitement at the exchange between Bailey and me.
“Well, we should get going or we’re not even going to make it in the doors with this huge crowd tonight.” Kali being the little spitfire she is nods once then whistles loudly and hails a cab.
CHAPTER THREE
BAILEY
We all pile into a van for the ten minute ride over to the pub. I had ordered myself not to think of my soul mate any longer. Yes, my soul mate. I am convinced that only your soul mate can make you feel the things Talon made me feel upon meeting him. I have read many romance books and love stories where the two people had an immediate connection. Where they consider themselves drawn to one another. I even bought into the whole “Love at first sight” mythos as early as junior high. But after maturing into an adult with real life experience I’d considered all of that to be false. Wishful thinking. Hopelessly romantic? Yes. Something that actually happens to real live people? No.
So when I felt the energy that tingled in my fingers and toes at his touch, the shot of the lightning bolt that raced through my body at the sound of his voice and the rate my heart was pounding when he stared into my eyes I couldn’t be more shocked. All that I deemed fictional was now running over me like a Mack truck determined to prove me wrong. Unfortunately there is not a thing I can do about it. However, when I convinced myself to no longer let him intrude into my every thought, I was unaware of the fact that he was Talon McAllister; my friend’s brother; the man I would be spending the rest of the evening with. Super.
We get to the pub and as promised, it is packed! Hockey players are rowdy, and so are their fans. It is so loud in the quaint pub that we can barely hear each other speak. The pub in P.S I Love You couldn’t hold a candle to Delaney’s Pub though and Gerard Butler is a distant thought in comparison to Talon McAllister. I don’t normally drink, but tonight I’m going to need it.
“Bailey, let’s go to the ladies’ room while the guys find us a table near the band. Aren’t they great? They sound just like the Blaggards, don’t ya think?” Kali shouts at me as I try to refrain from looking at Talon. It’s ridiculous how hot he is.
“I don’t have any idea who the Blaggards are but they do sound great. I’ve never heard anything like it, it’s pretty cool.”
“YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF BLAGGARDS??” Hunter shouts with complete disbelief on his face.
“Well, no, I mean I don’t typically hang out in Irish pubs.” I try to laugh off my lack of knowledge that seems to be astounding to everyone around me.
“Oh man babe, you need to bring her around more often, she needs help,” Hunter says to Kali.
“I do not need help!!” I laugh out loud and then take a chance glance at Talon. He seems quite amused watching me. I look back at Kali quickly. “Okay that’s enough, c’mon Kali.” I reach out my hand to pull Kali away from Hunter’s embrace. Then we walk over to the tiny bathroom with low lighting and metal cut outs of overflowing beer mugs; once we get in there she starts in on me right away.
“Ok.” She takes a real deep breath. “So I know you live with your boyfriend and are supposed to be super serious about him or whatever but I also know that you guys have problems more often than not and I totally saw the way you were looking at my brother tonight.” Kali leans back on the dingy counter top; crosses her arms over her chest and then with a perfect smirk she deliberately raises her eyebrows at me. “Want to tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours? Or would you rather continue on about your business and forget I said anything at all?”
“I would rather continue on, thanks!” I give her a single shoulder shrug and half a smirk. “OH!” My hands fly up in remembrance. “What’s with Hunter’s arm on your waist and calling you babe?”
“It’s kinda what he does. All the time, unless he’s freaking out and walking away from me because he’s suddenly remembered I’m seven years younger than him.” She shrugs her shoulders and pushes off the counter to glance in the mirror.
“That really sucks. Want to talk about it right now or later?”
“Later, definitely. Let’s go get our drink on! We have some celebrating to do! That game was seriously amazing!” Kali shrieks.
“Ok but I’m not a big drinker.”
“Hmmm? We’re in a pub. You can’t order a club soda, they’ll kick us out!” Her face expresses complete seriousness. She draws her eyebrows together in question and tilts her head to the side. “Why didn’t you tell me you don’t drink?”
I lightly shake my head and give her a wave of my hand. “It’s just been so long since I have that I probably shouldn’t start tonight with all that is going on and all who are here… I guess I can just have one whiskey and call it a night.”
“A whiskey?” Now her facial expression is a mixture of disbelief and amusement. “You don’t drink, but your drink of choice is whiskey? Old men drink whiskey Bay, not young attractive business women!” She’s laughing so loud.
“I have my reasons, don’t laugh at me!” I give her a swat on the arm and start to open the door.
“Ohhhhh no you don’t! I want the reasons!” She steps around me and blocks the door.
Deep breath. “Alright fine, but you do not repeat my reasoning to anyone and no laughing!” Her eyes are huge in anticipation like I’m getting ready to hand her the key reasons to life and she nods her head. I clear my throat and I stand a little straighter, straighten out any wrinkles in my skirt and then begin to flick off each reason with my fingers starting with my thumb. “Beer makes me bloated and there is no room for bloating in this skirt; any type of foo-foo cosmo gives me heartburn instantly; tequila makes me dance on the bar or sing karaoke and vodka is just nasty. So I drink whiskey or wine and I think, given the atmosphere, whiskey is the better option.”
She’s trying like hell not to laugh. “Whiskey it is!” She grabs my arm and pulls me through the door and down the long bar.
Kali calls out to the busy bartender “Hey Steve! Can I get a Miller on draft and a whiskey, please?”
My eyes absentmindedly search for Talon as we come out of the restroom. We stop just short of him standing at the bar with Hunter.
I notice his eyebrows skyrocket to his hairline at Kali’s drink order and she laughs. I know full well he
doesn’t have an issue with her choice of beer, so I need to hear what he has to say about mine.
“She has her reasons!” Kali laughs it off before she and I both turn back to face the bar.
Steve strolls on down closer to us and leans over the bar looking right into my eyes. “What kind of whiskey are you wanting, darlin’?”
“Pendleton on the rocks, please.”
Steve drops his head a bit, tweaks his eyebrow in a menacing fashion and looks at me like every other bartender did when I would go out and order a Pendleton.
In the most annoyed tone I can muster up, I give the bartender the answers to the questions he has yet to ask. “Yes, I know what it tastes like, yes I know that’s supposedly what old men drink and yes, I know you think I’m too cute to be drinking anything other than a Cosmo but let me assure you I. am. not.”
Ol’ Stevie boy chuckles, turns around, and makes our drinks. Kali is astounded at the attitude I just spit out at the bartender, not quite sure what to say. Then her gaze falls right behind me, so naturally I spin my bar stool around to see what she’s looking at. It’s Talon, right behind me. Well, now right in front of me; my knees graze the front of him, too much in shock to let my curiosity get the better of me to allow myself to look and see what exactly I grazed, I just spin right back around. Steve first slides Kali her drink then slides mine to me with a wink. “I like you; you should come around more often.”
I lift my glass at him then take a long gulp. Just as I get my swallow down I feel my hair being swept to the side allowing the left side of my neck to breathe. Then strong calloused fingers slide along the nape of my neck and a deep sultry voice breezes into my ear. “I’m going to need to hear the reasons behind your whiskey only rule. Please.” Through my heartbeat pounding out of my ears and the tingling sensations running their course through my body, I swear I can hear him grinning. I slowly turn to face him.
I will myself to give the coyest smirk I can manage as I lift my eyebrows and tilt my head back to look into those fantastic eyes of his. “Oh, it’s not only whiskey, I drink wine too.” I’m fairly tan; my dad has great coloring and he very kindly gave me some of it, but I know Talon can see how red he has made me and he looks like he’s enjoying it probably a little too much.
“Reasons?” He is so sexy I want to tell him anything he wants to know. Unfortunately, what he wants to know involves heartburn and bloating. Sooo not gonna happen.
“Yes, I do have them.” I slightly clear my throat. “But I’ll never tell you.” I gave a shy smile and turned back to face the bar and take another too big drink.
He leans into my ear again. His hand slides down from my neck to my lower back and his hot breath sears my ear and neck as he whispers, “We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” He walks away. I just about choke on my drink; and Kali had walked away at some point but I can’t even begin to guess when. I really don’t mind at all because I could use a minute to collect myself and remember that I am in a committed, exclusive, ‘living with your boyfriend’ relationship. The thought of this makes me slumpt in my low back barstool and start chewing the skin on the side of my thumbnail.
If I was as committed to the relationship as I should be then I definitely wouldn’t be having these thoughts of Talon that I am having. What am I going to do? Forgetting about Talon would be a good start. Yeah, that’s not going to be so easy to do though. Man, I wish Hollister was the same man I fell in love with; that would make this situation so much easier.
“Do I need to go kick Talon’s arse?” Steve asks with his strawberry blonde hair hanging down into his eyes.
Startled out of my thoughts I ask, “What? Why would you do that?”
“Well,” he rubs his hand across the stubble on his chin with both elbows on the bar right in front of me, “before he came up and whispered sweet nothings in your ear you were having a good time, now you just look depressed. Want to talk about it or should I just take him outside for making that beautiful smile disappear?” He actually looks truly concerned.
“No, thank you and no, definitely don’t do that. It’s not Talon’s fault, but I will take another whiskey if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all darling, but you better find that smile or I’m going to have to kiss ya!” He winks and turns around. His bluntness makes me laugh. The kind of laugh that throws your head back and most likely makes people turn around to stare at you.
CHAPTER FOUR
TALON
Bailey is still sitting over at the bar by herself and I am thinking of going over to her since Hunter is monopolizing my sister at the moment, and well, I just really want to. However, while I am lost in thoughts of learning everything about her and other thoughts not so PG, Steve swoops in. I don’t know what he has said to her but apparently he was being a funny guy because her laugh just made its way to my ears; and not just my ears, I think every guy in here has now noticed her. I don’t like that, not even a little bit. Get it together Talon. I think to myself and try to relax. She can’t see you being all alpha male on her when you just met her.
I come back to reality in time to see her leading the way to the dance floor with Brantley Smith, the goalie for my team; his hand on her hip. Apparently I need to remind myself that I am not a hothead because the urge I have inside to go yank his hand off her hip feels a lot like a hothead. The band is on a break so the jukebox is playing some hip-hop something or other. I have never been so turned on watching a woman dance, especially not with another man. Thankfully, she seems to be enjoying the music too much to notice that Brantley is trying to have sex with her out there. She’s lost in the music; her eyes keep closing, her hips are dipping and swaying, I’m not sure how she’s moving like that in that skirt but it looks damn good.
Kali is in my face suddenly forcing my eyes off Bailey.
“So are you just going to let Brantley dance with her that way or are you going to go get her?” She’s smiling all smug like.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about Kali.”
Kali’s short black hair starts swishing from side to side as she shakes her head at me. “Um ok, sure you don’t. But you look like you’re getting ready to beat the hell out of Brantley and piss on Bay’s leg to mark your territory. That’s not like you Tal, you should go fix it before anyone sees you lose your cool.” She scoots her chair back, stands up, and pats my shoulder leaving me with my thoughts again.
I try to think this through, but I can’t focus on any one thought before I find myself heading their way. I put my hands on Bailey’s hips and pull her close to me; Brantley looks pissed.
“What the hell Talon?” Brantley spits out through his teeth.
I spin Bailey around so I’m looking directly into her beautiful eyes and I don’t look away from them as I tell Brantley what’s going to happen. “Brantley, I’m cutting in, go get a beer on me.” He retreats peacefully and Bailey is staring up at me, like she’s not sure what she should do but definitely doesn’t look like she’s going to pull away from me.
“I was dancing with him,” she says dramatically and plops her hands on her hips and tilts her head, but never loses eye contact.
I lower my head to hers so only she can hear me. “I’m sorry about that love, but I couldn’t watch you dance without me any longer.” With absolute perfect timing a slow song comes on and without saying another word I spin her around and pull her backside up against me. I run my hands down the length of her arms and relish in her silky skin. I reach her hands and pull them up behind my neck. Automatically, she rolls her head back against my chest and closes her eyes. She bends her knees and dips down and then rubs against me as she stands back up. Oh God, maybe this wasn’t a good idea. She grabs my hands and puts them on the front side of her hips as we sway together to the music. It is taking all that I have to stay on the dance floor and not take her away right now. Dammit.
Bailey and I continue to dance in this fashion for the rest of the song. When it ends, I turn her around by her
hand and brush her hair out of her face as she steps up to me. She is so incredibly beautiful. There are little beads of sweat just at her hairline and her breathing is rapid. She looks like she wants to say something but nothing comes out so I lean down so she can hear me over the music but she closes her eyes. I’m as close as I can get to her without our lips touching and she closes. Her. Eyes. I want nothing more than to submit and give her what she clearly wants… but I won’t.
When I kiss her we won’t be in a crowded pub with all eyes on us. No. Bailey will be with me and me alone when I get that kiss. Instead I move to the side of her head and let my lips graze her ear. Bailey sucks in a quick breath at the contact but doesn’t pull away. “Thank you for the dance Bailey. Can I get you another drink?” Her hands are on my chest when I pull back and I keep my hands wrapped firmly around her waist.
Her eyes slowly flutter open and she keeps her gaze intent on my stare. She looks confused or maybe perplexed. Drunk? I’m not sure so I reach up and cup her face to gauge the look in her eyes. She hesitates for a moment before reaching up on her tiptoes and loudly whispers towards my ear, “I should go.” She drops back down off her tiptoes and starts to walk away. I don’t know what happened or what to say to make her stay, but I definitely can’t let her go that easily. So with nothing more to say than ‘Wait’, I reach out and grab her hand. “Bailey, wait.” She stops but doesn’t turn around.
“Let me just let Kali know you’re leaving and I’ll walk you out to make sure you get in the cab ok.”
“I need to go pay my tab; I’ll meet you out front,” her voice comes out a little raspy.
“I’ll take care of your tab Bay, just wait inside for me. Please.” I probably sound desperate but I don’t want her to leave yet and I feel this insane urge to protect her. She nods her head and walks towards the front. I walk quickly towards our table with all eyes on me. I know what is about to come and I don’t have time for it so I hold up a hand. “Not right now.” I grab my coat off the back of one of the chairs and clear my throat. “Kali, Bailey’s leaving. I’m going to make sure she gets in a cab and then I’ll be right back.”