Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“You’re early,” I said when I approached.
“I’m on time.”
“No, I’m on time.”
“If you’re not five minutes early, you’re late.” He gave me a cute, smug look before turning for the door. I chuckled and followed him in.
The place was fairly busy, but the bar counter was open, so Parker and I went for the end. Once we removed our layers and sat down, Parker said, “I want a shot. We should do a shot.”
“Okay…”
He frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.” I just hadn’t expected that.
When the bartender arrived, Parker asked me, “Jägerbomb okay?”
“Works for me.” It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but I was fine with it.
“Two Jägerbombs, coming up.” The bartender poured them for us. “Want to start a tab?”
“Yes, please,” Parker replied, pulling out his card.
“No, no. My treat.”
“Not a date, Elliott.”
“Didn’t say it was,” I countered.
“Wow, the sexual tension between you two is thick,” our bartender chimed in.
“Right? He hates me, though, but I think we’d be explosive together.”
“I don’t hate you.”
We both handed over our cards.
“I’ll split them,” the bartender said, sliding our drinks to us, then walking away.
“Wasn’t that a surprise. You don’t hate me.” I held up my shot glass. “To friendship.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far.” His answer was accompanied by a grin before we clinked our glasses together. The alcohol burned my throat—not a huge Jäger fan—but I took it like a champ. Parker said, “Whew. That was good. Let’s eat. I need to eat.”
Something was different about Parker tonight, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. He’d been fun and playful the first night I’d met him, and I saw it often when he interacted with customers at Beach Buns or his friends. He hadn’t been like that in a while with me, so I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
We ordered burgers and fries, along with another shot. The conversation flowed easily. We were about halfway through our meal when he asked, “So…what made you all of a sudden apologize for asking me out?”
I shrugged, going for honesty. “I didn’t know about The Vers. I found out at the club that night…about all the romantic stuff, and how you’re looking for something serious. It made me feel like a dick because I want the exact opposite. I’ve never been serious about anyone, never been in love. Not even sure if I have it in me. I enjoy my life just as it is, and why shouldn’t I? So I pulled back.”
“Oh my God!” He swatted my arm.
“Ouch. You don’t have to hit me. I was trying to be nice.”
“That didn’t hurt, and what? You thought I’d fall madly in love with you and you’d have to break my heart?” He took a drink of the vodka tonic he’d ordered. “I can handle your flirting without falling in love with you.”
“I’m pretty irresistible.”
“I can resist you.”
“Not if I gave it my all, you couldn’t, but I won’t because I’m a nice guy and we want different things.”
“Yes, we do. But you also need to keep flirting with me.”
This was getting good. I couldn’t deny the somersault feeling in my gut while talking to him. Parker was fun. “I do? Hmmm. You want me to ask you out. You like it.” It felt good when someone was interested in you. I understood that.
“Ugh. Gross. No, I don’t. I just don’t want you to stop doing it because you think my delicate heart can’t handle it. Totally wouldn’t fall for you…or have sex with you, FYI, even if I wasn’t on a sex sabbatical.”
A laugh jumped out of my mouth. When the bartender looked my way, I pointed toward Parker’s drink so he knew I wanted one too. “A sex sabbatical. Why on earth would you do that? Sex is fucking awesome.”
“I knooooow.” He dropped his head back. He had a long, pretty throat I wanted to kiss and suck. “I love sex. And I’m very, very good at it, if I do say so myself. I’ve had zero complaints. But men are trouble, and I’ve decided I’m not dating or hooking up for the foreseeable future. If you listened to any of The Vers, you’d know I have the worst luck with men.”
“I heard that. You do seem to attract assholes.” Some of the stories had been pretty bad. “Not me, of course. I’m not an asshole, and I’m honest with the people I fuck.”
“Honest in that you’re just looking for a good time?”
I shrugged because it was true.
The bartender brought us both new drinks.
“You sound like Corbin. For him it comes from somewhere different, though. But he has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know.” He spoke with a softness and so much love in his voice, it was clear how much Corbin meant to him.