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“She had to be to put up with me, right? An absolute saint, she was. But full of piss and vinegar too.” He laughed. “You couldn’t tell Carol to do nothing she didn’t want to do. She was a rebel before her time.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to know her,” I said, and I meant it. She sounded like a strong woman.
“She would have liked you.”
We stayed silent for the rest of the quick drive, fifties music drifting softly from the speakers. Grant pulled Miranda into an almost vacant lot behind Sam’s that I hadn’t even known existed. Only two cars and a motorcycle were there, so I assumed it must be employee parking.
“Will we get in trouble for parking back here?”
Grant guffawed. “That little shit even thinks about towing my baby, I’ll hang him up by the balls.”
Shaking my head, I stopped myself from rolling my eyes as he reached for my hand and placed it on his arm. We walked around to the front entrance
and Grant pulled the door open for me, not even stopping to give the bouncer a glance. I gave the tall, beefy guy an apologetic look, but didn’t stop either as I followed Grant inside.
Sam’s was hopping, which I’d expected. I zeroed in on the bar and wasn’t surprised to see Ryan behind it, a huge grin on his face as he leaned toward three girls wearing party hats. They had their hands all over him, pawing at his chest and shoulders, and my stomach flipped. I wanted to turn around and walk right back out the front door, but Grant must have sensed it.
Tugging me toward him, he shouted in my ear, “It’s not his fault they grab at him like that,” then pulled me away from the bar and toward the tables in the back. A couple got up to leave right as we reached them, and Grant pulled out one of the chairs for me before taking a seat across from me.
A deal was a deal, so I was determined to stick it out for at least one drink, but I had no idea how much longer than that I could last. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what I was doing here in the first place. Yes, I’d agreed to the date for Grant’s sake, but now that we were here, all I wanted was to leave. The girls pawing Ryan, the look on his face revealing how much he loved the attention—these were the exact reasons why I hadn’t wanted to get involved with him.
The truth was that I wasn’t equipped to handle that level of competition on a daily basis. How could one woman ever date Ryan and feel secure?
“Angel.”
Ryan’s voice met my ears, and I thought I must be hearing things. Glancing to my right, I saw him standing there, his arms crossed.
“You came,” he said, then looked at Grant. “With the old guy.”
Grant’s eyes narrowed. “I can hear you, you know.”
“Are you sure?” Ryan teased.
“Why don’t you take your pretty-boy mug back behind the bar and make us something drinkable,” Grant said before giving Ryan a little shove.
I pressed my lips together to suppress a laugh. The two of them always behaved like children when they got together. Why would tonight be any different?
“Do you have an alcohol preference, Sofia?”
The sound of my name coming from Ryan’s lips prompted all my girlie parts spring to life, making me aware of just how long it had been since I’d had a man inside me. Once I’d opened that door, I found myself desperately curious what it would feel like to be with Ryan. I imagined he’d be gifted in size, and I almost moaned at the thought of him entering me.
No, no, no, no, no, I chided myself.
But out loud, I said, “I don’t care. Rum. Vodka. Tequila.”
“You like tequila?”
“Are there people who don’t?”
“What about you, old man?”
“Whiskey,” Grant said gruffly. “Now, go away.” Once Ryan was out of earshot, Grant laughed. “Isn’t it fun picking on him?”
“I don’t pick on him.”
“You should,” he said, and I turned my head to watch Ryan.
Nick, the brother I’d met the other day, was behind the bar too. Together, he and Ryan worked quickly, making drinks and serving them before heading to the next person. I realized how stressful a job like this had to be as I watched them move nonstop, each with a constant smile on their face.
