“All right.” He picked up a tablet and tapped my order into it. “Got it. So fire away. What happened with the guy?”
Suddenly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to spill my sorry story to another person. “Just a little identity mixup,” I said vaguely. “My brother is engaged, so you can imagine how that went over.”
“Oh, no.” The bartender laughed as he pulled my beer. “Sorry, man. Not laughing at you. Just, life can be ridiculous sometimes, you know? I haven’t had the best luck either. My last hookup ghosted me.”
“Sorry,” I said. “That’s rough.”
“Yeah, what’s worse is that he and his friends have drinks here every week.” He glanced across the bar. “Shit, here he comes now. That’s a first. Usually he avoids me.”
I turned in my seat just as Silas glided up to the bar. Oh, fuck no. The bartender was hung up on Silas too? Was I just one of a horde of men pining over this guy?
“Hey, Bryson,” Silas said. “I’m surprised to see you here. You meeting someone?”
The bartender scowled. “Nice to see you too, Silas.”
Silas flicked a gaze his way. “Hi, Paxton. Sorry. I came over to have a word with Bryson. Can you give us a minute?”
Paxton’s jaw tensed. “Whatever.”
He moved down the bar to serve someone else. Silas turned back to me. “So, uh, I hope you’re not flirting withPax?” He lowered his voice. “The sex isreallybad. Most selfish lover I’ve ever had.”
“And you’ve had a lot, by the sounds of it.”
His lips quirked. “Are you the virtue police?”
“No.” I exhaled. “Sorry. I’m just… I wasn’t expecting to run into one of your hookups. And I guess I’m just wondering if I’m a fool.”
“Why would you be a fool, Bryson?” Silas asked, eyes meeting mine.
“For thinking I could be any different to you.”
Silas’s face tensed, and he didn’t answer immediately. He picked up my beer and stole a sip. “Of course you’re different. Even if I kind of wish you weren’t.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
He smiled tightly. “It’s the best I’ve got. Look, I’m here with some friends.” He gestured across the bar. “You can join us?”
“Why would you want me to do that?”
He slanted a glance down the bar. “Well, I’d rather Paxton didn’t poison your opinion of me. Or flirt his way into your pants. Whichever.”
“Hmm.” I ran a finger around the rim of my beer. “Why would you care who gets into my pants?”
“Because, if nothing else, you’re the best man in a wedding I’m planning. It would be wrong of me as a wedding planner to let you be seduced by such a terrible sex partner. I’ve got a reputation at stake here.”
I laughed. “He’s that bad?”
“Theworst.”
“And what about me? Where do I rank on the Silas chart of sex partners?”
He rolled his eyes. “Where do you think?”
“First place?”
“By a country mile,” he said. “So, are you joining us or not?”
Silas might only be inviting me over to save face or out of a misplaced sense of jealousy, but I wasn’t going to miss a chance to get to know him better. With friends there, I might get a peek at the real Silas again.
