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It’s an old Irish-style place that smells like beer and has taps of the stuff set all along the pockmarked wooden countertop. When we walk in, the guys grin, and James comes to the bar with me while Adrian and Mason find us somewhere to sit.
Olivia, however, pauses in the doorway for a moment, her nose wrinkling as she takes it all in. My eyes want to roll until I realize that her stopping has drawn the attention of a table of men sitting nearby. Instinct takes over, and before I even know what I’m doing, I’ve turned around to drag her naive ass in with us.
If this is the way the night is starting, then I really don’t have any hope of us actually being able to have a good time while she’s with us. The girl is clueless.
“What are you doing?” she asks when I wrap my hand around her arm—gently—and pull her to the bar. As we walk, I can practically feel those guys staring at her butt.
“Saving you from being hit on by every guy in here.” I frown when it occurs to me. “Unless that’s what you were after…”
When her big eyes come up to meet mine, I know it wasn’t intentional, but she explains anyway. “No way. I just stopped because it’s so dark in here, and it smells… dank.”
“Dank?” I’m unsure whether to be annoyed or amused. “It’s just old beer. You’ll get used to it.”
“Will I?” she asks, voice filled with doubt as she looks around, more curious than disgusted now. “It’s very dark in here. I wonder if they know how much they would benefit from some good lighting.”
I snort. “Trust me, princess. No one would benefit from good lighting around here. If you saw what is probably growing on the floors or in the corners, you’d run away screaming.”
She frowns up at me. “Princess?”
“You’re as stuck up as one,” I say. “Watch yourself tonight, okay? If anyone makes you uncomfortable or gives you the creeps, come find one of us, but other than that, stay out of our way.”
“You make me uncomfortable and give me the creeps, so what do I do now?”
“Fend for yourself,” I grunt, releasing her in favor of helping James carry the drinks he’s ordered over to our table.
Olivia drifts after us with uncertainty painted all over her features, but I’ve said what I needed to say. She’s on her own unless she really needs me for something. Mason moves over to give her some space at the table while I turn my attention on the rest of the room.
The pickings in here are slim, but the night is just getting started. There are only a few tables taken up so far, but when the door opens again and admits an entire group of girls, I smile.That’s more like it.
Surely one of them will be happy to help me get my mind off Olivia for tonight, and by tomorrow morning, she’ll have turned back into a boring nun lookalike. Maybe then, finally, things will go back to normal.
4
OLIVIA
After what Vincent said, I don’t really want any part of my skin to touch the furniture in here, but I can’t stand all night in these heels. Since I also can’t duck out early if my feet succumb to the medieval torture devices I’m in, the only option is sitting down next to my brother and promising myself a good, long bath to scrub off the yucky bar grime before I eventually get into bed.
Adrian suddenly lets out a burst of laughter from his seat across from mine, nudging James beside him before he jerks his head toward Vincent. “Check it out. He’s going in.”
“Already?” James asks, clearly impressed by something.
Shifting in my seat, I glance in the same direction they’re looking and realize Vincent is on the move. Or maybeon the prowlis a better description. Either way, he approaches a group of girls at the bar, and as I watch, they notice him, he says something, and they all laugh. Then he’s speaking to the bartender, and a round of shots is handed out.
“Jesus, he works fast,” Mason comments.
I hate to have to agree with anything that might be construed as a compliment about him by some, but it’s true. We’ve barely even arrived, and he’s making his move.
James straightens, shakes out his arms, and smiles at me. “You’ll be okay here, won’t you?”
“I’ll be fine.” I wave him off. “Go. He might need some backup.”
He laughs, giving an elaborate wink. “Vince? No. He doesn’t need backup, but it’s better to swoop in early. Otherwise, he’ll end up going home with all of them, and there won’t be anyone left for me.”
Finishing the sentence with a pout, he slides off his chair and strides over to Vincent’s group.
Me? I’m still stuck on what he said. “All of them?”
Mason gives me a sideways look and shrugs. “What he means is that he’ll take them all back to the hotel to party with them in his room. He won’t hook up with all of them. Seven girls might be a bit much even for Vince.”
