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She glanced over at the bartender. He was watching them and smiled at her. Had he told Motel Guy about their arrangement?
“I’m not stalking you,?
? she hissed, “but I do need to talk to you.”
“Didn’t think you wanted to talk at all. One night, that’s all you wanted. No names, no strings.” He swept a hand across the table and almost upset his glass. He covered by lifting it for a drink.
“I’ve changed my mind.” She was prepared to say anything if it got her alibi. As she took in his features, her heart and stomach lurched like she had crested a hill on a roller coaster. A rogue strand of his blond hair fell in front of his left eye. She had to fight the urge not to tuck it out of the way. “What’s going on with you tonight?”
“None. Of. Your. Business.” Every word slurred. Business sounding like it was spelled with Zs. “’Sides,” he went on, “women like you don’t want anything more. You told me so yourself.” He slurped his drink.
She stiffened. The man who had been so confident last night was crumbling before her eyes, but she didn’t have time for his wounded ego to take center stage. “Fine, maybe I haven’t changed my mind.” She wasn’t sure where maybe came from but continued. “But something’s come up and I need your help.”
“Mighty convenient. You know I came here even though I thought I might run into you. I told myself that would be okay. I mean, so what if we slept together.”
His voice rose and projected, and she sank in the booth.
“What? You’re embarrassed of me now?”
He got this little indent in his brow that she wanted to dip a fingertip in. Whatever was weighing on his mind, it likely had nothing to do with her or their night together. He was facing his own demons.
“Not embarrassed at all,” she said calmly. “But if you would just let me talk to—”
“No. We had an arrangement. You set up the terms and I only live by them. Just like every other woman on the planet has their rules.”
So he was drinking because of some woman…
He pulled out his phone and tapped away at the screen. A few seconds later, he pocketed it and exchanged it for his glass, which he raised in a toast gesture then shot back. “Night.” He got up and stumbled toward the door.
“Where are you going? You’ve been drinking.” She hurried behind him. For a drunk guy he could move.
“Just ordered a cab. Bye-bye.” He swung the bar’s door open and stepped outside.
She couldn’t force him to stay and talk to her or even be civil for that matter. But if she didn’t get her alibi ironed out then she was screwed.
The door started to close, and she slapped it with so much force it flew back at her. “Ugh. Can’t we just talk like adults?” she called out to him.
He turned. “Not feeling much like talkin’, but if you’re interested in something else.”
“I’ll pass.”
“Not what you said last night.”
She’d only been with him for one night, and she didn’t really know him, but she liked to think she was a better judge of character than this. “Listen, I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but I need you to shut up and hear what I have to say.”
He stepped toward her; she stepped back. Still, his towering height of six-foot-something was overwhelming to her five-nine frame.
“Fine. Go ahead,” he told her.
“I need you to testify that we were together last night.”
“No need to deny it. It was good.” He winked at her. “But it was a one-night special.”
“Let this sink in,” she said slowly. “I need you as my alibi.”
“Alibi?” The corner of his lips curved. “Someone’s been a naughty girl.”
“Oh, please stop. You’re not as charming as you think you are,” she snapped. “You’re actually a real ass when you’re drunk.”
