“Yeah, yeah.” Matt made his way to the far end of the bar and took orders. He smiled and cracked a few jokes and had the women laughing in no time, but he must have glanced at the door a dozen times in ten minutes. Bailey and her friends were late. He thought of texting her, but there wasn’t time. The place was getting crowded, and the orders were coming in fast from the tables. Half an hour went by before he realized it, then a familiar face popped up in front of him.
“Hey, man. Bailey sent me over to say hi and tell you we’re at table five.” Taylor Croft, Owen’s keyboardist, stood at the bar.
Matt shot a quick glance at table five where Bailey sat with a cute brunette. He caught her glance, and she blew him a kiss. Her companion turned around and grinned, then whispered something to Bailey, and they both giggled. “Oh…hey, nice to meet you. You must be Tanner. I thought you were your brother for a second.” Matt offered Tanner his hand, and they shook.
“I get that a lot.” Tanner jerked a thumb toward the little stage where his twin and Owen were already setting up their instruments. The resemblance was perfect.
“I bet you do. What can I get for you guys?”
“I’ll take a beer, Evie wants an appletini, and Bailey said to tell you…oh my God?”
Matt laughed. “Ah, specialty of the house. I’ll bring everything right over.”
Tanner made his way back to the table where he trailed his fingers across the back of the brunette’s neck under her perky ponytail. She gave him a look that could have melted lead, and Matt smiled. It was good to know a guy who looked like that already had a girl he was clearly madly in love with. Less competition.
He set up their drink order, but before he could bring it over, another familiar face appeared before him. A platinum blonde with ruby lips and a low-cut top slid a twenty across the bar. “Hey, stranger, I made it.”
“Hey…” Something told him he should know her, but her name escaped him. She was the girl from the university cafeteria.
“Can you make me a passion fruit margarita?” She winked at him as though her drink order might be some kind of code. He took the twenty and mentally started a tab for her.
“Sure. Let me deliver this tray, and I’ll be right back.”
She settled into her seat, a well-rehearsed pout on her shimmery lips.
Eagerly, Matt left the bar and made his way through the tight crowd to table five.
“Where’s Claudia tonight?” Bailey was asking Tanner when Matt arrived. He set the drinks on their table and leaned over to nuzzle her ear.
“Hey, hot stuff. Do you know there’s a guy at the bar who can’t take his eyes off you?”
“Ooh, really? Where?”
“Right here.” He kissed her lips as she turned, tasting sweet mint. His pulse quickened. How would he get through the evening with her so far away from him?
“Mmm. Can I have another one of those?”
“The first one’s free, but I have to charge for refills.”
“Oh my. You were right, Bailey. He’s gorgeous,” the brunette said, though she winked at Tanner. He rolled his eyes.
“Matt, this is my friend Evie Prentice. She writes for the Herald, and you met Tanner already.”
“Hi, Evie.” Matt shook the brunette’s hand.
In a teasing falsetto Tanner said, “‘Omigod, Bailey, he’s sooooo gorgeous.’ Yeah, that’s just what your boyfriend wants to hear.”
Evie blew a kiss to Tanner. “You know you’re the only man I want. I’m just agreeing with what Bailey told me.” She turned back to Matt. “She spends all her time at work texting you and giggling. It’s almost embarrassing, except it’s so damn cute. Together the two of you look like the cover of a romance novel. You will have stunningly gorgeous children.”
“Evie!” Bailey’s eyes widened, and she turned a gorgeous blush pink. Matt played it cool. He would have died before admitting he’d spent a second or two thinking that very thing the other morning when he’d woken up in her bed and watched her sleep. He shook off the thought and decided he needed to get back to the bar and pour himself a tall glass of ice water, then maybe pour it over his head.
“What? I’m just saying. You both have perfect bone structure and gorgeous eyes…”
“I’ve got to get back to work.” Matt kissed Bailey’s cheek. “Enjoy the music. I’ll stop back whenever I can.”
Matt let out a breath when he got back to the bar. He’d never make it through this night. The moment his shift ended and he could get Bailey alone, he planned to show her just how hard it was for him to keep his hands off her.
* * * *
“Are you trying to scare him off?” Bailey glared at Evie as soon as Matt returned to the bar. “You’re talking about babies?”
“Oh, he knows I’m kidding. Well, I’m not actually kidding. You two look amazing together.”
“Well, how’s he going to look racing out the door? I told you he’s not into commitment.”
“And you told him you weren’t either, and that’s not true.”
“For now, it’s true. Can we just leave it at that?”
“Ladies,” Tanner cut in. “The band’s going to start.”
Bailey took the cue to keep quiet, but she and Evie continued their argument through stern looks while the band, still minus Claudia, began their first song. Bailey couldn’t understand why Evie was suddenly so adamant that she fess up to her real feelings about commitment right now.
The first song ended, and Bailey jumped up. “I’m going to the ladies’ room. Be right back.” Evie might have wanted to follow, but Tanner put a hand on her arm to stop her, and Bailey escaped. She circled toward the bar and found Matt pouring a set of shots.
“Hey.” She slid onto an open barstool next to a leggy blonde. “Sorry about that.”
“About what?” He finished setting up the drinks on a tray that one of the waitresses picked up.
“Evie’s remark. I don’t know what got into her.”
He shrugged. “She’s right. The bone structure, the eyes. Let’s face it, we’re gorgeous. Well, you definitely are.”
The blonde in the next seat tossed an odd look at Bailey, which she caught out of the corner of her eye. Bailey glanced her way but didn’t make eye contact.
“I can’t wait for your shift to be over,” she said.
“Me too. This is the longest night ever.”
“Shhh. I’m trying to listen to the song, if you don’t mind.” The blonde tossed her pale hair over one shoulder and glared at Bailey again.
“Sorry.” Bailey raised her brows and slid off the stool. “See you later,” she mouthed to Matt and headed back to her table. She noticed the blonde staring intently at Taylor and wondered if she’d come to see him. Of course, about half the single women in the bar were drooling over Tanner’s brother. The rest seemed to be focused on Owen and Matt, and she’d noticed Tanner received a couple of appreciative glances as well, but she didn’t mention that to Evie.
“I just remembered why I hate bars,” she whispered to Evie. “Especially on a Saturday night. The band’s great, but the crowd…forget it.”
“I have to go to the ladies’ room now,” Evie said, with a sidelong glance at Tanner who was clapping and tapping his foot to the music. “Come with me.”
“I just went.” Bailey hated to lie, and she’d probably confess the truth to Evie once they got away from the table anyway.
Evie grabbed her purse and nodded toward the restrooms. “Come anyway. It’s conference time.”
Chapter Twelve
“You know, I’m a little pissed at you.” The blonde at the bar slid her empty glass toward Matt a few minutes after Bailey walked away. He still hadn’t remembered the woman’s name.
“Oh? What did I do?” He gave her half a smile, trying to look innocent.
“You watered down my drink.”
“Sorry, nope. I’m not allowed to do that unless you’ve had at least five.”
“Well, I want another drink, a
nd make this one stronger.”
Matt shrugged. She was well over twenty-one and not acting the least bit intoxicated. He could serve her a slightly stronger drink, but just one. “Will do.”
“I’m also pissed that you don’t remember me.”
He feigned indignation as he poured her drink. “What do you mean? We met in the cafeteria. You were asking about the band.”
“What’s my name?”
Damn. He thought about guessing, but the last time he’d done that with a woman, she’d thrown a drink in his face. “You got me. Sorry. All I remember is I was really distracted that day.”
She sighed. “Selene. Ring any bells? You invited me here.”
“I did?”
“Yes, you did.” She eyed the new drink and took an experimental sip. “This one’s better.”
“Oh, yeah. I told you to come and see the band.”
“I’m seeing them. They’re okay. I really came to see you. I thought…you know…we could hang out.”
Matt offered his best disappointed look. “I’m sort of with someone.”
“Only sort of?” Selene wet her lips and pouted. “That doesn’t sound very definite.”
“I’m definitely with someone.”
“Not that mouthy redhead?”
Matt’s patience took a nosedive. Did this woman think she could get him interested by making snide remarks about Bailey? “Yeah.”
“Come on, you can do better than her.”
“I disagree.”
She tossed her hair, nearly hitting the guy on the stool next to her with a cascade of pale curls. “I could change your mind.”
“Not tonight.” Someone at the far end of the bar signaled him, and he walked away, resisting the urge to shake his head at her brazen attitude. Buck would skin him for being rude to a customer, but he could only take so much.
He served a couple of drinks, made change for one of the waitresses, and managed to clear a clog in the seltzer dispenser before heading back to his station. Selene was still there, clapping to the music, but she stopped when he arrived.
“Hey, I’m sorry I dissed your girlfriend. I’m jealous, okay?”
“Sure.” He wiped a couple of spills on the bar and waved to a regular who was heading out the door. “No problem.”
“Can you hold my seat for me while I go to the little girls’ room?”
“Just leave your drink here. No one will take your spot. I’ll keep an eye on your glass.”
“Thanks, I’ll be back.” She slithered away, swaying her narrow hips in time to the music. Matt rolled his eyes. The more he thought about quitting this gig, the more it seemed like a good idea.
* * * *
“I’m sorry about before,” Evie said as soon as she and Bailey reached the ladies’ room. “I’m not trying to screw things up. I just looked at the two of you together, and…it’s pretty clear to me there’s a lot going on between you.”
Bailey leaned against the cool tile wall and sighed. “A lot. He’s amazing, and I don’t want to screw anything up either, but as soon as I say that or think it, I think to myself, why am I the one so worried about screwing things up? Maybe it’s time the guy was worried about screwing things up. Dan messed me up big time, and I still can’t get my head on straight. I don’t want to compare every guy I date from now on to him. Matt is nothing like Dan. He’s a million times better, so why am I so scared of how much I want him?”
“I saw the way he looked at you out there. He wants you just as much.”
“For now.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just enjoy this.”
Bailey ran cool water over her hands and patted her face. “I want to. You have no idea how much. But I’m really terrified of turning into that paranoid girl who thought every woman in the world was sleeping with her boyfriend.”
Evie patted her shoulder. “Honey, it’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you. Dan was sleeping with everyone…at least everyone who could stand to be near him. Matt is a different species all together. He’s human, whereas Dan was a reptile.”
“I know. I see that, but…”
The door to the bathroom swung open then, and Claudia came in, oddly enough with Owen, the guitar player, two steps behind her.
“I told you I don’t want to talk about it,” the pretty brunette said through clenched teeth.
Evie and Bailey stared, jaws practically on the floor.
Owen caught their shocked looks and blushed bright red as though he hadn’t even realized he’d followed the singer into the ladies’ room. “I’m…sorry…uh…”
“Go. Will you just go? I’ll be out in a minute, and I’ll be ready for the next set.” Claudia pointed at the door, and Owen spun on his heel and slouched out of the room. “I’m sorry about that…” She said, turning to Bailey and Evie.
“No problem,” Bailey said. “Uh…are you okay?” Clearly Claudia had been crying. She moved to the row of sinks and started dabbing under her eyes. Tears glistened on her long lashes.
“Yeah…I’m…do you ever just want to shake some sense into a guy?”
Evie laughed. “God, yes. What did he do? Or not do?”
“He’s…and he’s not even my boyfriend. He’s just…a complete idiot, clueless, head up his own ass.”
Bailey offered Claudia a tissue. “And he’s not your boyfriend? The way you two sing together I would have thought…”
Claudia let out a sound that was half giggle, half sob. “You’d think, wouldn’t you? When he sings to me… God, I’m so stupid.”
“There’s someone else?” Evie asked.
“No…I don’t even know. He’s…one minute he’s acting like I mean the whole world to him, and the next minute, I have to wonder if he even knows I exist. Listen to me, I sound like I’m sixteen, crying in the bathroom over a guy.” She sniffled and blew her nose, then straightened her shoulders and eyed herself in the mirror. “Time to pull myself together. I’ve got a set to do. I’m sorry. Thanks for the tissue.”
As quickly as she’d breezed in, Claudia left, and once again Evie and Bailey exchanged a glance. “I feel for her,” Evie said.
“My God, I was her.” Bailey said. “Poor girl. I hope they get it together. Have you seen them sing? They’re perfect together.”
“Like you and Matt.”
Before Bailey could respond, the door swung open again and the blonde from the bar walked in, talking loudly, a sequined cell phone plastered to her ear. “I just picked up the bartender…yeah, the really cute one I had lunch with the other day. His name is Matt…uh-huh. He said he’s with someone, but he told me he’d blow her off and hook up with me later tonight. Yeah, gotta go. Bye.”
Evie’s deadly stare followed the blonde who flounced into one of the stalls and shut the door. She made wide eyes at Bailey whose face was on fire, not because she believed the act she’d just seen, but because she couldn’t believe the woman’s audacity.
Evie raised her fist to knock on the stall door, but Bailey caught her hand and shook her head. No, she mouthed and jerked her head toward the door. Let’s go.
Once they reached the alcove outside of the rest rooms, Evie whirled around. “Why didn’t you say something to that…b—”
“Because I don’t believe a word of it. Remember, I’m not that girl anymore. Old Bailey would have left here in tears. New Bailey trusts Matt, and I know she’s not his type. I’m going to go lay a lipsmack on him, and I’ll meet you back at the table.”
“I’m gonna stay here and kick her butt when she—”
“No, you’re not. Go sit with your guy. He looks lonely, and half a dozen women are eyeing him like he’s raw meat.” Bailey shoved Evie toward their table and marched off to the bar to lay claim to her man.
Chapter Thirteen
Fortunately, Selene didn’t return to her seat right away, but Bailey appeared and made her way around the bar to Matt’s station. The intensity of her stare held him enthralled for a moment, and when she lick
ed her lips, he could have sworn the temperature in the whole place shot up by ten degrees.
“Can I get you something?” He had to concentrate on not stammering. This woman had him in her sights, and he loved it.
“Yes, you can. I’ll tell you all about it later when we’re alone.” She leaned over the bar, grabbed his tie and pulled him toward her for a kiss that stopped conversation for three or four seats in each direction.
When she let him go he actually stumbled back a step. Before he could think of a cool response, she was gone, on her way back to join Evie and Tanner. He stared after her, his lips tingling from the intensity of her kiss.
A couple of the men at the bar gave him the thumbs up, which he acknowledged with a wry grin. The women ignored him, and he figured he’d just dealt his tips for the evening a crushing blow. He didn’t care.
Selene returned not long afterward and gave him a come-hither smile. “I’d like another drink,” she said, tapping a long fingernail on a folded twenty.
“Sure, but regular strength this time, or I’ll get in trouble with management.”
She waved a hand at him. “Whatever. I’m not driving home.”
Good, he thought. The way she was kicking back those drinks, she was determined to get herself drunk. Hopefully she had someone responsible hanging on to give her a lift. The one thing Matt hated most about this job was staying after hours to make sure the really plastered people got themselves safely into cabs. It didn’t happen often. The Spring River Valley police were very strict with their DUI policies and set up check points on the weekends, but every now and then someone tied one on and needed to be seen to a safe ride. He hoped that wouldn’t be Selene this evening.
* * * *
Bailey kept one eye on Matt for the rest of the night. The blonde from the bathroom had taken up residence in front of him at the bar, but he seemed to be ignoring her. The girl would be in for a rude awakening when she realized her little act wasn’t going to get her the man she had her sights on. She kept her other eye on Claudia and Owen, who’d belted out a couple of soulful ballads. During the intermission, the guitar player whispered something in the singer’s ear, and she’d smiled, but both Bailey and Evie could see there was still a lot of tension there. She wanted to ask if everything was okay when Taylor took a break and joined them, but he was having too much fun catching up with his brother, so she kept her questions about the other couple to herself.
Spring River Valley: The Spring Collection (Boxed Set) Page 15