“To be fair, if that was the logic you lived by, I’m pretty sure even the Chinese food delivery guy would be in there.”
Throwing her head back, she laughs even harder, and the sound is contagious. “Good point. How dare he bring you Orange Chicken instead of good ol’ Pon Pon?”
“Exactly. I’m fine. He’s fine. I’m just…awkward. And I want to hide under a blanket for the foreseeable future. That’s all.”
“In a swimsuit like that, it would be a shame, my friend. You look adorable, by the way.”
“Why, thank you.” I curtsy. “You look pretty hot yourself.”
While adjusting her top, she replies, “I know, right? So, where’s that drink we were going to get anyway? I’m dying!”
“My Piña Colada!” Peeking around the corner, I find my cousin and his little posse have vanished.
Phew!
There are a few open seats at the bar, and Henri appears to still be whipping out beverages like a champ, so I grab Gem’s wrist and tug her with me.
“I see you’ve brought another friend,” he mentions. “What can I get you?”
She opens her mouth to reply before he raises his finger and interrupts. “Wait. Let me guess. Something with tequila, perhaps?”
Gem quirks her brow into a fine arch.
“Yeah. Definitely tequila.”
“I don’t like tequila,” she challenges.
“Then you haven’t been drinking it right,” he returns just as confidently. “Trust me. If you don’t like it, then the drink’s on me. Deal?”
With pursed lips, she nods. “Deal.”
Henri goes about making her drink as I whisper, “You won’t regret it. The guy made me the best Piña Colada that’s ever graced the earth, even though he insisted that I’d prefer something else, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.”
“I can think of something I’d like him to put his finger on.”
“Gem!” I whisper-shout.
“Come on…it was funny!”
“If you’re not careful, it’ll be you that ends up in the brig for harassing the staff.”
Scanning Henri up and down another time, she concedes, “Good point. I guess your cousin will have to do.”
I roll my eyes. “That sounds promising.”
Getting comfortable on our stools, we chat for a few minutes before a bright yellow and orange drink is placed in front of her.
“Tequila Sunrise,” Henri announces. “Enjoy.”
Her eyes are nothing but tiny slits as Gem raises the glass to her lips and takes a sip before they widen in surprise. “You sneaky little bastard. This is delicious.”
He grins. “Another one bites the dust. As for you”––he turns to me––“I finally made my decision.”
“Oh, really? And what’s that?”
“I think you’re more of a Mojito girl. Do you trust me?”
“Uh…yes. After my Piña Colada earlier, I’m pretty sure I could marry you for your bartending skills.”
With a wink, he replies, “Just wait ‘til you try my Mojito. I’ll be back in a few.”
Then he leaves us to search for the right ingredients.
“Another proposal? Is that your third? Should I be jealous?” a familiar deep voice asks behind me.
Swiveling in my seat, I cringe. “Umm…Gage, right?”
Kill me. Kill me now.
5
Gage
“Hello, Fiancée. Fancy seeing you here,” I state, not-so-subtly checking her out.
Damn, Pretty Girl, you’re even more gorgeous than I remember.
“Uh…yup.” She chances a quick glance up at me before staring at my bare chest while chewing on the inside of her cheek. When she realizes what she’s doing, she clears her throat and adds, “Small world. Umm…what are you doing here?”
“I came to grab another drink from your other fiancé. What are you doing here?” I try to keep my tone light and sarcastic, but I can’t hide the bite that accompanies it. Fiancée. Which reminds me…. “So, did you bring your kid too?”
“Kid?” Her puzzled expression makes me pause. “I heard that you’re married and have a kid, Mommy Two.” That’s what Justin texted me as soon as I found my phone during the football game.
Finally understanding, her pale complexion turns pink before she clears her throat, again, and gulps down a solid three swigs of the Mojito the bartender just placed in front of her.
“Oh. That.”
“Yeah. Oh. That,” I mimic, my frustration bubbling just below the surface. “No worries, though. Hey, man,” I call out to the bartender, who was clearly hitting on my fake fiancée before raising three fingers into the air. “Can I get a few beers?”
“Sure thing.”
“I’m not a mom,” she clarifies as I tap my hand against the polished countertop in rhythm with the island music blasting through the speakers. Her comment makes me miss the count.
But I thought––
“He’s my nephew,” she explains. “My brother has always made fun of me for being such a mother hen that when my nephew was born, he taught him to call me Mama Two instead of Aunt Nora like a normal person. Although to be fair, it is entirely his fault. Even during elementary school and stuff, I was always the one to make sure everyone was taken care of. That my best friend turned in her assignment, that the teacher’s chalkboard was clean by the end of the day, that my older brother had a snack to eat after school…you get the picture.”
“She actually still does that,” her friend pipes in. “Won’t show her face for a meeting unless she’s brought coffee and a treat to share with the group. I’m Gem, by the way.” The dark-haired beauty sitting next to Nora offers her hand for me to shake, and I take it. She’s hot as hell but doesn’t hold a candle to the girl beside her.
“I’m Gage. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I think,” she clarifies. “I haven’t quite decided yet. You came over here with a bit of a chip on your shoulder, but I think I’ve finally pieced together the reason behind it, so I’m going to give you a free pass. However, if you hurt my friend here, I won’t be so forgiving. Capisce?”
The bartender hands over three beers with a lime wedge shoved into the bottles, but the interruption still doesn’t give me enough time to think of a clever comeback, so I say the first
