“What are you doing here on a Monday afternoon?” Isaac orders a nip of whiskey from Tina before filling the vacant stool next to me.
I take a swig out of my beer before answering, “Rehearsal got canceled.”
With a crystal glass in her hand, Tina sashays our way. Her hips have an extra swing to them, and she’s fluttering her eyelashes at a completely oblivious Isaac. A chuckle rumbles in my chest when she slams down the glass of whiskey on the bar top with force, annoyed by Isaac’s lack of attention.
Isaac stops undoing his cufflinks to glare at her. I can tell he’s not impressed Tina stained his expensive suit with smelly, brown liquid, but Tina hasn’t reached the same conclusion as me. Grateful she’s finally caught his eye, she smiles broadly before she bats her lashes again.
The obvious smacks into her hard and fast when Isaac says, “Leave the bottle.” His tone is firm, ensuring she knows there’s no possibility of her title changing from employee to bed companion anytime soon. Sighing, Tina makes her way to patrons requesting her service.
Once she is out of earshot, I whisper to Isaac, “Put her out of her misery.” When his confused eyes stray to mine, I nudge my head to Tina.
A smug grin crosses Isaac’s face. “I already have; that’s why she wants more.”
I chuckle before I can stop myself. I’m not surprised he uses his “player” skills on his staff; I learned most of my best tricks from him.
When Tina hears me laughing, I swear I can see steam billowing out of her ears. I stop watching her anger stretch from her stomach to her face when Isaac asks, “Why was rehearsal canceled?”
I wait for him to swallow his nip of whiskey before replying, “Noah’s friend Jacob got arrested for battery.”
Nodding, Isaac pours another generous serving of whiskey.
With alcohol heating my veins, I’m more chatty than usual. “Slater said Jacob nearly beat a guy to death with his bare hands.” My voice relays my surprise. I’m still stunned.
Isaac freezes with his glass halfway to his lips. He’s staring into space, his mind ticking a million miles an hour. I can see how fast it’s working in his eyes.
He crashes back to earth by downing his second nip just as eagerly as the first. After placing his empty glass on the counter, his dilated eyes drift to me. “Do you know this guy Jacob?”
My nose screws up. “Not really. He’s more a friend of Noah’s. He’s a huge bastard, though, nearly the size of Travis.”
Isaac racks his knuckles on the bar top. “Tina, I'm heading out. If I’m not back by close, make sure Hugo places the day’s takings into the safe.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t forget to pay your tab before you leave.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, sure, no worries.” My voice is lined with sarcasm.
Isaac laughs while strolling out of the nightclub. I’ve never seen him so eager to leave before. Usually, he’s the last man standing.
Chapter Nine
Jenni
When I enter the parking lot at Bronte’s Peak, I spot Emily standing next to a red truck. I pull into the empty space at the very end of the lot before jumping out of my car. My steps are eager, beyond excited to meet the guy she's been gushing about nonstop the past two months. Emily and Noah planned a BBQ so their friends could meet one another. At the start, I was hesitant. Nick is Noah’s bandmate, so the possibility of him attending the BBQ is high.
I nearly backed out, but one glance into Emily’s puppy dog eyes made me cave within seconds. That and the fact I can’t get Nick out of my head. I know he’s a player, but no one can accuse the chase of being boring.
When I reach Emily, she clasps my hand in hers. “Jenni, this is my boyfriend, Noah.” Her voice is extra sugary since it’s fueled with excitement. “Noah, this is my best friend, Jenni.”
“Hi, Noah. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
When I accept his offer of a handshake, he smiles a full-toothed grin. “It’s nice putting a name to a face. Emily talks about you all the time.”
My knees go a little weak when a set of perfectly placed dimples pop into his cheeks. Emily’s description of him was spot on. He’s dark and mysterious, but smoking hot.Upon spotting my flaming cheeks, Emily giggles. Jealousy will never be a concern of ours. We respect each other too much to step over any line that would affect our friendship.
When Noah suggests we head down to the beach, I sling my arms around Emily’s neck. “Photos don’t do him justice.My god.”
She nods. “I know. It’s like his sexiness burns up the film or something.”
When we reach the stairwell that will take us down to the blue water beach below, we interlock our elbows. Our climb down the hundreds of wooden stairs of Bronte’s Peak is filled with conversation. Emily tells me everything she and Noah have done the past two months, while I update her on my less than stellar social life.
