The girls meant well, but Logan knew Nigel had hurt her a lot. She’d only just moved in with the guy, when she found out he’d been cheating on her. The poor girl had been in a terrible state when she came to him. Harriet had given up her apartment and had nowhere to live. Logan had been able to help with a room and provided a shoulder to cry on, and he continued to help as he tried to boost her bruised confidence.
“You won’t be single for long, Harriet. Any man would be lucky enough to date you. Enjoy your freedom, have some fun. Mr. Right will show up when you least expect it.” Logan turned his attention back to the others. “Okay, Lori, you want the same again?”
The curly-haired woman lifted her glass and nodded. “Thanks, Logan.”
“I’ll have the same again, too.” RoryLynn pushed her glass towards him as that blush reappeared on her cheeks.
When Logan had all their orders jotted down, he collected the empty glasses and went back to the bar.
“Hi, Logan.”
“Hey, Cassandra, give me a minute to do this order.” Logan didn’t look up at his girlfriend as he gathered what he needed. Truth be told, he was a little irritated she was there. He didn’t have time to give her the attention he knew she’d want.
Logan lined up five distinctive shaped cocktail glasses for his regulars and began mixing the drinks. As busy as the bar was, he found his eyes wandering back to the table of women. Maybe he should have been a better friend to Harriet when she first met that no-good cheating boyfriend of hers.
Nigel was a tall, cocky, rich stockbroker type. The guy strolled into Jackson’s with his brash and loud buddies just over a year ago. Logan kind of felt guilty that Harriet met Nigel at his bar, and he hadn’t put a stop to what he was certain would be a train wreck. That damn guy saw Harriet across the bar with her friends, and Mr. Flashy Suit and I-have-my-own-portfolio moved in on her before Logan served their first drinks. From the moment Logan saw him, he had that guy’s type pegged. But then he’d always had a dislike for Harriet’s boyfriends, so he kept his mouth shut.
For some reason, Logan had always been protective of Harriet. Still, he knew right away that guy wouldn’t be right for her, and as one of Harriet’s oldest and best friends, he’d also known it was prudent to keep his mouth shut. To make matters worse, the way Harriet’s eyes twinkled when Nigel moved in on her told Logan it was most definitely the time to stay quiet.
It turned out Logan’s gut had been right, and he really did wish he had said something and saved her the heartache. But there was nothing he could do about that anymore; all he could do now was help her pick up the pieces.
Logan had been the first-person Harriet told when she decided to move in with Nigel, and the first person she ran to, sobbing, when she found out Nigel had been screwing his secretary in their bed.
“Was that girl flirting with you, Lo?”
Logan looked up from the drinks he was preparing and into the dark brown eyes of Cassandra. “Which girl?”
“The Chubby one.”
“Don’t be a bitch, Cassandra. It’s Tashia, and she flirts with everyone.” He sighed, not wanting another argument.
That’s all he and Cassandra seemed to do these days. For the last few weeks, his six-month-long girlfriend had been picking away at their rocky relationship. Of course, he knew why. When his previous tenant had left three months ago, she’d had her eye on moving in with him and setting up home. But they were only three months into things, then, and as much as he liked Cassandra and was having fun with her, he was not sure she was the one. He’d been even less sure the last three weeks, because as soon as Harriet moved in, Cassandra’s green-eyed monster revealed itself.
“You don’t have to flirt back.” She glared at him.
“I didn’t.”
He hadn’t. Tashia needed no encouragement, and Logan always played it cool around her. She was a huge flirt, and from what he’d seen, she’d swallow him whole and spit out the bones.
He placed all five cocktails on the tray. “Why are you here? You know I’m working tonight.”
“I wanted to hang out with my boyfriend. I hardly ever see you, Lo.” The whine in her voice made his hackles rise.
So, there they were, back to that old chestnut. “He worked too late,” “too many hours in the week,” “was never able to take her out Saturday nights…” Jeez, what did she want him to do? He owned a freaking bar for God’s sake! He couldn’t very well close up at five o’clock because she wanted a nine-to-five guy.
“Why don’t you go home. I’m short-staffed, and Andy isn’t much help as it is. I’m going to be done-in by the time I finish.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but Logan ignored the animosity and carried the drinks over to the women’s table.
“Here we go, ladies. Now, who ordered the Kinky Orgasm?” He held up the highball glass filled to the brim with Bailey’s, Amaretto, and Kahlua.
“That’ll be mine,” Tashia’s voice dropped to an even huskier tone, and she reached around him and pinched his ass.
“Jesus, would you stop, already.” He laughed, removing the hand which was now fondling his butt cheek.
“Bitch!” The tray of drinks flew out of his hands and landed on top of Tashia, who blinked through the fruity-colored concoctions as they dripped down her face.
Cassandra glared at Tashia. “Keep your filthy hands off my boyfriend!”
“Oh, my God!” Katie swiped up napkins off the table and jumped out of her seat to help her friend.
As the glasses toppled over the table and to the floor, Logan grabbed Cassandra by the arm and shoved her away, as he pushed his body in front of her so
