Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Farren and I seem out of place, sitting at a high-top table near the sole TV, which has the hockey game on only because Farren requested it.
“Got to say… this place isn’t exactly giving off Titans fan vibes,” I muse as I take a sip of my beer, a local IPA.
Farren’s gaze, previously focused on two men at the end of the bar, comes to me. “I like trying new places and since I’m scouting potential jobs, thought I’d see how they run this establishment before I apply.”
“Oh,” I say with a quick blink. “That makes sense.”
Farren looks back to the men who are now openly staring at both of us, only sparing them the barest of glances before she gives me a smirk. “This crowd is full of big tippers. This place has potential.”
I have to laugh because I didn’t think tonight would be a reconnaissance mission for a potential bartending job, but I’m happy all the same that she reached out to me to go for drinks.
Admittedly, I’ve been confused since Rafferty pulled me into the bathroom last night at Stone and Harlow’s wedding. I walked in thinking we were one thing and came out thinking it was something different.
Actually, that’s not quite true. I probably knew things had shifted—at least for me—when I saw Tansy walking our way and pulled Rafferty in for a kiss. My motive wasn’t in trying to convince her we were a couple—it was because I wanted to kiss him and I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity handed to me on a platter. Not when I have given in to the fact that I’m not only physically attracted to Rafferty but I really like him as a person.
But then things got confusing because we didn’t talk about what happened. Not that a conversation about him performing oral sex on me in a bathroom would be considered ordinary but the fact he did something so intimate, and clearly took immense pleasure from it himself, left me thinking we’re both on a path different to what we originally intended.
So confusing that we didn’t talk about it.
In fact, Rafferty went right back to acting like we were a fake couple pretending to be a real couple. I got a hug and a kiss on the cheek when he dropped me off, and absolutely no plans to see each other again. It made for a very restless night with little sleep.
Of course, things changed a bit this morning. Rafferty texted after he landed in Florida and asked me over for dinner tomorrow night, and within that invitation was the clear anticipation that we were going to end up in bed. It gives me hope that Rafferty is in this for something more than a fling, yet who can blame me for such a worry. It’s why he’s in this predicament to begin with. He had a one-night stand with Tansy and then wanted to move on.
That still could be the case with us as far as I know, which leads me to why I’m sitting here with Farren right now. When she texted me around midday to get together, I saw it as an opportunity to learn more about Rafferty so I could figure out where his head might be. It’s also the perfect distraction from the swirl of emotions her brother left me with.
Our table offers a clear view of the game on the large screen above the bar. In looking around, I don’t see anyone else watching other than me and Farren, and I’m guessing that TV is normally tuned into something like the news. A channel that would have a stock market ticker across the bottom, which aligns with us being in the heart of the city’s bank district.
“Go, brother, go,” Farren murmurs with a hum of excitement and I focus on the action.
Rafferty zips across the ice, and I point him out with a mix of pride and nerves. “There he goes—look at that defense!”
Farren’s eyes are alight with the same pride I’m feeling. “That’s my brother—so good at what he does.”
We watch as Rafferty’s line foils a scoring attempt, both of us letting out a rousing cheer that turns heads, and the action moves back down to the other end after a line change.
It’s Farren who speaks first and I’m shocked by the question.
“Do you have feelings for my brother?”
I turn on my stool to look at her. It’s a good question, one I’m not exactly able to answer with clarity, but I do have an inkling. “Yes, I do. It wasn’t planned and honestly, I had not considered this would happen. But… I’m not sure how your brother feels.”
“I can’t help you there. I mean, if I knew, I’d share it with you because I like you a lot and I want Rafferty to be with someone who makes him happy. I think that could be you. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any time to talk to him since I got here. But now that I know you have feelings, I’m totally going to interfere.”