by Lea Hart
Waving to Andi, she slid into the booth and let out a breath. “I’m so happy that you could make it tonight.”
“Me too,” Andi replied. Lifting her glass, she winked. “This Basil Daisy Martini has set my world right.”
“What’s in it?” Claire asked as the waitress walked toward them.
“It’s got vodka, Aperol, simple lemon, peach bitters, and basil 9. Not sure what half those things are but it sure is delicious.”
When the waitress approached, Claire ordered one and then sat back. “Well, if we go down after a couple at least we go down together.”
“Always.”
Taking a pen out of the bun on top of her head, Claire let her hair fall down onto her shoulders and grinned. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that I didn’t have to do my hair and makeup before I came to work today.”
“Dating more work than you expected?” Andi asked as she sat back in the booth and crossed her legs.
“Uh…yeah.”
“That’s why I don’t take the time to do it. I barely get a shower, a meal, and some sleep in before each shift, so I can’t imagine taking the time to go through the painful process of first dates.”
Claire’s drink was delivered and she took a sip and grinned. “You were right. This martini is going to fix whatever ails me, including my flagging interest in my dating project.”
“I told you going on that many consecutive first dates wasn’t a good idea. Unless you have crazy chemistry with someone, the whole thing is a lot like seeing your accountant. Necessary but not a lot of fun.”
“Amen,” Claire murmured.
The waitress came by again to see if they needed anything, and Andi ordered some small plates for them as well as a second round. “Seems we’re going to need a second drink so that you can get through the descriptions of the men you’ve spent time with over the last couple of days.”
Claire sipped her drink and stared over the top of her glass at the restaurant. The low lighting and warm casual interior were making her feel relaxed and she realized that was the thing she’d been missing during the dates. “I might be too uptight about the whole thing because I haven’t allowed myself to enjoy one minute of this process. Which clearly wasn’t the goal.”
Andi threw a sympathetic smile toward Claire and shrugged. “I know you just wanted to step back into life and meet new people, but I think that analytical brain of yours turned a good idea into something that’s not a lot of fun. Dating success is not something an algorithm can solve. Human beings with human feelings rarely fit into a program.”
“I know,” Claire moaned. “I just thought since my human feelings steered me into the last disaster, that applying logic to the process might net better results.” She rolled her head in a circle, then rested her face on her hand. “That’s why I chose a different sort of man for each date.”
“Tell me who you’ve met so far,” Andi said as their second round was delivered.
Claire drained her first drink, then pushed it away and pulled the second one closer. “Get ready. I’m going to give you the CliffsNotes version.”
Andi turned in her seat and rested her hands in her lap. “Hit me… I’m ready.”
“Monday was Kevin the pharmacist, who has a penchant for hand sanitizer and recounting full episodes of Game of Thrones. Tuesday was Ed the orthodontist who has the prettiest smile you’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, he cheats at miniature golf and chews with his mouth open. Wednesday was Lewis the personal trainer. He took me bowling and has the body of a Greek god. We didn’t have much in common, but every time he bent over to bowl, I didn’t much care. I think if I could keep my sentences to five words, he might actually be willing to go on a second date with me. Which I might do if it gave me a chance to see him with his shirt off.”
“And what about the guy who you were supposed to go out with tonight?” Andi asked.
The food that Andi had ordered arrived and they each took a moment to fill their plates before Claire responded. “Tonight, was Ivan the ER doctor. He had to stay for a second shift and I’m guessing we may never reschedule.”
Andi sliced into a fried green tomato and shook her head. “Yeah, that date is never going to happen.”
“Tomorrow, I have a date with Roy the mechanic, and after that, it’s Vince the vet, and on Sunday, it’s Sol the pharmaceutical sales rep.” Taking a bite of the crawfish cake, Claire moaned. “Holy shit, this is delicious.”
Nodding, Andi took her own bite and then moaned as well. Once she had wiped her mouth, she smiled. “Too bad it’s just our food that’s making us moan and not a man.”
Claire lifted her fork and waved it at Andi. “There is a really good-looking man who is ready, willing, and able to make you moan and you won’t give him five minutes of your time.”
Sitting back, Andi tilted her head against the back of the booth. “I know. But if I let Kane in an inch, he is going to take a mile. I have six months left on my residency and I can’t be distracted.”
“I know.” Claire twirled her hair up and thought about a man who seemed to want some of her time. A cocky, beautiful man with mesmerizing blue eyes. A man who made her shiver when he touched her. Realizing the road she was going down, she shook her head and cleared the picture of Brady right out of her mind.
Which didn’t really work since the man himself was striding in their direction. Along with Kane, who was smiling at Andi like she was the last drink of water in the desert. Sweet baby Jesus, this was supposed to be a night off from men. Was there a cosmic joke that she was unaware of? Sure seemed like it was possible if the one man who flustered her was walking in her direction.
“Did you tell them where you were going?” Andi asked out of the side of her mouth.
“No!” Lifting her drink, Claire took a gulp and then plastered a smile on her face. No way was she going to let on how she felt. The last thing she needed was to be attracted to a man like Brady. He was too good-looking, too confident, and too…alpha for her to consider him a candidate. And that’s all she was going to pay attention to: men who were good candidates. No matter how unexciting they were.
Kane called out a greeting as the men approached, and the women offered small waves in return. “Be nice,” Claire instructed.
“I’m always nice,” Andi replied as the men slid into the booth.
“Hey,” Brady said as he rested his arm above Claire’s shoulder. “We decided to grab a bite to eat before we went home, and when I heard you talking about this place, I thought it sounded terrific.”
“Eavesdropping is not considered good manners,” Claire responded.
“How else do you expect us to gather intel?” Kane asked as he lifted Andi’s hand and kissed her fingers. “A man has to do what a man has to do.” Turning toward Andi, he grinned, displaying the dimples that had gotten every single one of his sins forgiven.
“Kane, we’ve discussed this and you promised me that you would back off until I’m done with my residency.”
“Darlin’, this is as far as I’m ever going to back up.” He scooted an inch closer to Andi and kissed her cheek.
The waitress came by and took the men’s orders, as Claire watched her best friend melt under Kane’s attention. No matter what she said, she was attracted to the retired SEAL, and her capitulation was just a matter of time. At least, that’s what it seemed like.
Speaking of capitulation…a certain large hand was tracing circles on Claire’s shoulder, wreaking havoc on her nervous system. Flashes of electrical pulses moved through her body as the heat from Brady’s body drifted into hers. Damn chemistry.
“What happened to date number four?” Brady asked.
“I can barely keep track. How is it that you can keep them straight?”
Smirking, he rested his hand on her shoulder. “Because after your seventh date on Sunday, you’re going to go out with me. The bozo parade will be finished and we’re going to get started on getting to know one another.”
Lean
ing away from his hand, she folded hers in her lap. “I don’t remember acquiescing, so right now, the bozo parade continues.”
Throwing his head back, he let out a laugh. “Whatever you need to tell yourself is fine with me. I saw the look of relief you had after you realized you had the night off from the torture you’re putting yourself through. So…come Monday, we’re going to grab something to eat and see about this chemistry we’ve got going on.”
“Says you.”
Turning his head, he gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Yeah, Claire…says me.”
“Fiddlesticks.”
The men’s drinks were delivered and the group decided to order dinner. As Claire sat back and listened to the conversation going around the table, she realized this was the most fun she’d had all week. Which meant that she might need to reconsider her approach to this whole dating business.
Logic and reason were giving her a lot of boring dates, but chemistry had only ever given her heartbreak. Maybe there was something in between. Her date with Roy the mechanic tomorrow could be the turning point, and there was no reason to give up until she made it through all seven of her dates. No matter how fluttery she was feeling with Brady’s hand on her shoulder.
CHAPTER FIVE
Friday, July 21st
“I’m not going to die,” Claire murmured to herself as her heart beat a staccato against her rib cage.
Panic—that’s all this was.
Leaning against the wall, she dragged in deep breaths and wondered if the couple going at it in the bathroom were going to be done anytime soon.
How she had ended up in The Loose Caboose on a Friday evening with a woman who wanted her dead was not something she was going to understand right away. Looking down the long hallway, she saw her date, Roy the mechanic, and the woman who had just threatened her, smooching like their lives depended on it. Seemed when he described himself as single on his online profile, he hadn’t been totally honest. A more accurate description would’ve been “tied up with a psycho.”
Seeing the bar lights bounce off the woman’s impressive tatted biceps made her believe that the threats she had spit out earlier were a real possibility. So, how to get out of here in one piece?
If it was just the one crazy lady, she wouldn’t have worried, but like most colorful people, she had a lot of friends who were a skosh crazier. And, apparently, they were all in the bar tonight.
When she and Roy had dinner earlier, she never would’ve guessed that her evening would end at a bar without a ride home. The moment she could get a signal, she was going to call an Uber and get the hell out of there. All she had to do was make it through the bar without catching the attention of Roy’s psycho and her friends.
Maybe she could get one of the guys to come down and get her out of here. Nobody would mess with any one of the operatives of TRG. Mentally going through the list of possibilities, she tried to come up with the person who would give her the least amount of grief. No way was she asking Quinn. He’d put her on lockdown if he saw where she’d ended up. Hunter and Miles were on duty with the actress. Kane was out of town visiting his family, and she didn’t want to pull Brock away from his girlfriend. Which left Brady. Who was the last person she wanted to call for a rescue.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she just strode down the hall and right out the front door. She knew a thing or two about self-defense and she could probably hold her own. Glancing at her phone, she realized she had a signal. She clicked the Uber app and prayed she could get a ride. When no flashing cars showed up on the map, she wondered if drivers avoided this area. Cabs—they still existed…right?
A crashing sound came out of the bathroom, and she figured the sex had gotten a little out of control. Which meant at least someone’s Friday night wasn’t in the shitter.
Feeling the air-conditioning across her shoulders, she shivered. She looked down at her cute top and jeans and felt like an idiot. All that effort and she was huddled in a dive bar with a woman who wanted to do God knew what to her.
Better see if she could find a cab and make a break for it. Searching her phone, she came up with a number and called. When she gave the operator her location, she was greeted with a snarky laugh. Then the call was ended.
Crap.
Taking a deep breath, she fortified herself and dialed Brady. This was going to suck, but not having a ride home clearly sucked more. She lived on the opposite side of the city, so it’s not like she could’ve hoofed it home. Also, there was the small detail that she probably wouldn’t make it out of the neighborhood to consider.
“Darlin’,” Brady said as he answered the call.
Hearing his deep voice sent a wave of happiness over her fractured nerves. “Sorry to call you so late, but I was wondering if you could come and get me.”
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Did the guy touch you? I’ll fucking kill him. I knew that you shouldn’t be goin’ on dates with strangers. This shit is ending tonight, Claire.”
Hearing keys jangle and a door slam told her that he was walking to his truck. Which meant that whatever lecture Brady wanted to give her was going to be worth it.
She looked down the hall and saw Roy shoving his tongue down psycho’s throat, which meant that first thing in the morning, she was going to do some interesting things to his public records. Not only was the guy an asshole, he was dangerous. Who in his right mind would drag an innocent person into this mess?
“Claire, where the hell are you?”
“The Loose Caboose on McKinley.”
“Nice place for a date,” he said. “I’m not going to ask how you ended up there. Are you okay for a bit?”
“Yeah, sure. I’m hanging out in the hallway and listening to a couple of people having sex in the bathroom. It’s been going on for about fifteen minutes, which is kind of impressive, considering the conditions. I mean…do people expect a lot of foreplay when they’re banging in a public bathroom? It seems more of a quick thing, but these two are groaning and moaning, and if I wasn’t slightly concerned about a woman who seems to want to rearrange some of my features, I might find it entertaining.”
“What about the douche you were on a date with?”
“Yeah, turns out he wasn’t honest about his relationship status. Single, he is not. In fact, he’s playing tonsil hockey with his psycho girlfriend right now. Which I think is rude, considering the woman threatened me. Talk about a lousy date. This one takes the cake.”
“Which is why you’re not going on anymore,” Brady said succinctly. “There are crazy assholes all over the place and they don’t need to be anywhere around you.”
“I have to go out on my last two dates. I promised myself that I would see it through.”
“No!” Brady shouted into the phone.
“We’ll talk about it later.” The banging in the bathroom stopped, so she figured that the fornication was a success. In a small way, she was slightly jealous because having hot sex in a bathroom seemed like a lot more fun that hiding out from Brokedown Betty out there. “I thought about crawling through the air-conditioning vents to escape because I saw someone do it last week on Criminal Minds, but then I decided this place probably hasn’t kept up with their rat problem and there was no way I wanted one crawling down my pants as I made a daring escape. I have new jeans on and I couldn’t find a pair of underwear that didn’t show, so I’m commando and I don’t want one of those varmints crawling into my business. Did you know that a rat can get into a place as small as a quarter?”
Hearing Brady choke into the phone made her wonder if he’d drunk something and it had gone down the wrong pipe. “You okay?”
Clearing his throat, his voice came out low and gravely. “No, Claire. I’m not all right. I’m pissed as hell.”
“’Cause I made you come out on a Friday night to rescue me?”
“No!” he shouted. “First off, I can’t stand the freaking idea of you going out with anyone other than me. But I’ve dealt with it because I f
igured they’d be just a bunch of bozos, which had been pretty much the case up until tonight. But to hear that you’re in danger and wearing low-cut jeans is more than I can handle. No more dates.”
“You listen to me, Brady. I’m a grown woman and I can do what I want when I want and with whom. So, don’t be bossing me and expect me to take it.”
“I’m caught between hell and a fence post right now,” he responded quietly.
Well, what could she say to that? Not much because he was a good man and he seemed to be interested. Maybe calling him to rescue her when he’d told her earlier that he wanted to go on a date was insensitive. But she was stuck. Or was she? Maybe she wanted Brady to come and get her so that she could spend a little time with him. Which wasn’t very nice. “I’m sorry I asked you to come out tonight. If I’d thought about it more, I’m sure I could’ve come up with someone else to come and get me.”
Brady let out a loud sigh. “I want you to call me for anything, and I’m happy to come and get you.”
“Thank you. Can we stop at Borden’s on the way to my car? I need some serious ice cream therapy to get over this disaster.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I really do appreciate you comin’ out. Roy’s girlfriend may not have followed through on her threats, but I don’t like testing the limits of someone’s sanity. It’s never worked in my favor, so I have a tendency to take what people say at face value.”
“Always a good idea. You can’t fix stupid and you can’t fix crazy. It’s best to steer clear unless you have the training and armaments to deal with it.”
“Thanks again, Brady.”
“Sweet girl, I’d do anything for you. No thank you necessary.”
Maybe this night wasn’t a complete loss. Having someone as handsome and good as Brady come and get her gave her a bit of hope. “I’ll make you dinner as a thank you.”