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One thing I’ve learned about Bryce is that she doesn’t take her dating life very seriously. She goes through guys like a ’90s stockbroker goes through lines of cocaine. I’m envious of her because she never gets weighed down emotionally when one of her short-lived relationships ends.
And here I am, still thinking about a guy from college.
I need to get a life.
We pull up in front of the restaurant that’s been built onto the side of a whiskey distillery. A patio outside has hanging lights that zigzag overhead, and music is pumping out of speakers. It’s the top end of casual, so I’m wearing dark jeans with heels and a silk cami and leather jacket.
We thank the Uber driver, then head inside and approach the hostess.
“Welcome to Rock Hard Whiskey. Do you have a reservation?”
Bryce smiles. “I believe it should be under William. For four?”
The hostess checks her computer then smiles and picks up some menus. “The reservation was made for the patio. Does that still work?”
Bryce looks at me, and I nod. It’s a little cool, but I have my jacket and I saw that they have several infrared heaters spread throughout the patio, so it should be fine.
“That works,” Bryce says.
The hostess leads us through the restaurant and out a set of roll-up doors onto the patio, where she sets the menus on an empty table and tells us our server will be with us shortly to take our drink orders.
“Our first double date.” Bryce’s dark eyes flare with anticipation.
I chuckle. “You’re very excited for a casual dinner date. Do you really like this guy?”
She waves me off. “No, I’m excited to be out with you. The dick is just a bonus.”
I bark out a sharp laugh and glance around to see if anyone heard her, but they’re all involved in their own conversations. Plus the music probably drowned her out.
We chat for a few minutes until the hostess leads a pair of men to our table. They’re both in jeans and casual button-downs. The dark-haired one I know is William because Bryce showed me his picture on Instagram. And the one with the dark-blond hair and blue eyes must be his friend, Bennett.
“Hey there, gorgeous.” William kisses Bryce’s cheek and she smiles up at him.
“Hello to you too. This is my friend Shayna.” She motions to me across the table.
William extends his hand, and I accept it. “Pleasure to meet you, Shayna. This is my best friend, Bennett.”
Bennett shakes my hand and sits beside me, looking me directly in the eyes. “Pleasure.”
He has beautiful blue eyes. The light ones that are almost transparent. The ones women go crazy over. Unfortunately, every woman but me, because I want hazel eyes with green specks. Those are the color eyes that I go crazy over.
The waiter approaches before we have a chance to start a conversation, and we each place our drink order.
“Sorry we’re a few minutes late. My street is getting road work done, so they have it blocked off and we had to walk a few blocks to meet up with the Uber,” Bennett says.
“That sounds like way too much effort,” Bryce says. “I probably would’ve just canceled.”
I smother a laugh because I’m almost positive she’s not joking.
“Where do you live?” I ask him.
“Cow Hollow,” he says as though I should know where that is.
“Sorry, I just moved to the area, so I’m not that familiar with all the different neighborhoods.”
He smiles. “Oh okay, it’s pretty much south of the marina and to the west of Russian Hill… if you know where that is.”
I picture Lee in his condo in Russian Hill. Lying in bed and wearing those blue pajama pants without a shirt. I push that thought out of my mind. “All right, I have some kind of idea where that is now.”
