“Seems more likely that she has a thing for you and her friend knows that and wants her to be happy,” Kathleen shrugged. “Do you want her to be happy, Nash?”
I glared at her.
But then I turned around…made the damn screwdriver.
Looked back at Kathleen.
“This is ridiculous,” I said. “You know that, right?”
She nodded. “Mmhm.”
Then I walked out from behind the room to go to the corner booth and bring Maggie her drink.
TWELVE
maggie
This time,I thought I mightactuallykill Delia.
The thought had crossed my mind more than once since we started hanging out. Yes, I was really starting to like her, we were actually becoming friends, she was honestly a delight.
But she was also a schemer. And right now, her attention seemed solely fixed on humiliating me.
She hadpromised methat she knew the other bartender at Rick’s, that said bartender had told her for a fact that Nash would not be here tonight. Delia had lied. I didn’t know if it was because she was trying to help me in some messed up way or if she just loved the chaos.
I plastered a smile on my face as she came back to the table, meeting my eyes with a wink—then I mouthedI hate youunder my breath as she slid into the booth opposite me. Jake and Connor didn’t notice, too busy portioning out their beers.
“Where’s mine?” I asked. “I said I would just have whatever?—”
“Oh, I asked him to make your usual,” Delia said with a completely shameless smile. “He’ll bring it over.”
My cheeks went hot. Thank goodness no one could see the blush in the dark…I hoped.
Connor looked over at me. “You a regular here? I didn’t really take you for much of a dive bar girl.”
I laughed. “Yeah…I’m really not. I actually prefer to stay at home and drink tea with a good book.”
“But you have a usual…?”
I bit my lip. “It’s really just orange juice on a bad night,” I said, trying to brush it off.
I didn’t know if that was working.
Because of course…even the idea of drinking orange juice now brought up a whole host of memories. Of Nash boxing me in at the bar and telling me every dirty thing he was going to do to me, sunshine on my lips. Of him thrusting his hips and burying himself inside me while he told me I deserved so much better.
Can’t imagine someone letting you go.
“Not judging you at all,” Connor was saying. “This place is great. Wish we had a spot like this back in Boston, but it’s either all hipsters or music that’s too loud.”
“Yeah, Nash would hate that,” I laughed under my breath.
“That the bartender?”
Delia chimed in for me, catching me in the slip-up. “Mmhm. They know each other pretty well; she’s his kid’s teacher. Small town and all. And…there he is, the man himself!”
I raised my eyes to see that he was almost at our table, a screwdriver in his hand. I watched him like he was a force of nature and not just a man, drinking in the sight of him—once again in a dark henley, sleeves pushed up to show his forearms, and I was undressing him with my eyes even though?—
“Got a screwdriver here?” he asked, looking pointedly at me.
