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“I assume you’re all here for the contest. Alright, here are the rules. It’s a fifty-dollar cover charge. Each of you can submit a drink of your creation, just one. You can sample each drink submitted in the contest, so, plenty of top-shelf liquor for your money. The crowd favorite wins the contest and gets their drink added to the list of house favorites. That means it will be available for Happy Hour at a discounted price and recommended often. In addition, you will receive a gift certificate for the lounge for a hundred dollars. Are we ready to begin?”
I almost missed Ryan’s arrival over the bar patrons’ whistling and yelling. He looked fantastic in a cranberry sweater and charcoal pants. I almost dropped my jaw when I noticed he wore the cherry-tinted lip gloss I urged him to purchase. His lips looked lush and lickable, and I couldn’t wait to taste him.
I’d noticed a lot of little changes in him recently, the lipgloss one of many small things that showed Ryan’s confidence was building. His decision to step out on his own, away from his cushy office job, to open a bakery cart was a huge risk. A lot of the flashes of fire I had admired in him as he rebelled against the restrictions he had placed on himself were giving way to a mellow but steady boldness that I found equally sexy.
I was able to wave before my view was blocked by customers shoving money in my face, waving their hands to flag my attention. Shannon and I collected the cover charges and stamped their hands to indicate they were participating in the contest.
“Okay, first up!” I started in the corner with a cute brunette who was all smiles. “What drink have you concocted?”
“A sour Russian, after my ex, who was very sour.” She laughed and made a face similar to sucking on a lemon as she explained the ingredients to me. I knew before I even mixed one drop of liquor that the drink would not be a winner. Anytime you mixed lemon and bourbon, you were destined to fail.
After a round of boos, I moved on to the next patron, an older man with horrible teeth but a killer beard to hide them. “Name your drink.”
“A Cabbage Patch Kid. Pickled cabbage juice, mixed with tequila and lime.”
I couldn’t hide the yuck face I made. “I’m not sure we have pickled cabbage juice. It’s sort of…specific,” I said, trying to find a nice way to say ‘fuck no’.
“Uh, how about pickled onions?”
“Sure thing. Coming right up.” It came as no surprise to me that most of the contestants passed on that drink, not even bothering to try it.
“Next up! What’ll you have, sir?”
“A minty madman.”
His drink included peppermint schnapps and a sprig of mint, and wasn’t all that bad, but none of these were worthy of being a house favorite.
Round and round we went until I got to Ryan. “Hey there, cutie. What are you thirsty for?” He smiled, knowing I was hoping he’d sayme.
“I’ll have a Mary Berry.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Of course you will.” I leaned over the bar and popped a kiss on his glossy lips. The customers clapped and whistled, making Ryan blush deeper than the cherry tint on his lush mouth. “What’s in it?”
“Chambord, Prosecco, a dash of vanilla extract, and a blackberry to garnish. It’s sweet and fruity, like me.”
He winked, all sassy and flirty, and I was blown away. The Ryan I’d met months ago would never have called himself out like that in front of a crowd of people.
“Coming right up, sir.” It sounded delicious, if not a bit too sweet, but the blackberry liquor was a hit with the participants and it was quickly moved up to the top of the list.
In the end, the Mary Berry tied with a drink named Tall Tale, a mixed berry Mojito created by a writer. When I suggested they split the gift card in half, Ryan declined, forfeiting his share to the other winner.
“I enjoyed myself. That’s all that matters, and the fact that I contributed to your drink menu. I feel like I own a share of the place now.”
His overly bright, dopey smile and generous assumption of ownership of the bar told me exactly how much alcohol he’d consumed.Too much.He was so much fun when he was tipsy.
Ryan stuck around until the bar closed. I volunteered to close up, seeing as I was the last one to arrive, and my brother and cousin had done all the work to prepare for the shift. With the lights dimmed and the lounge completely emptied, it felt like an entirely different place than the chaotic atmosphere from earlier in the evening.
Ryan waited patiently for me, sipping his drink as I wiped down the counters and restocked the clean glassware. When I finished, I shuffled over to the panel that held all the buttons to work the sound system that we used when there wasn’t live entertainment and chose a classic love song, soft and slow. I rejoined Ryan, sneaking up behind him and laying my chin on his shoulder.
“Hey, beautiful. Dance with me?”
He chuckled and let me lead him to the dance floor. Ryan swayed in my arms, and after a few steps, I pulled him closer, flush against my chest. He laid his head on my shoulder, his arms winding around my neck and waist as mine slid down to his ass and cupped it, squeezing gently.
“Did you have fun tonight?” My lips brushed over the shell of his ear, and he shivered in my embrace.
“I really did, but I think I drank too much.”
I was certain he had, but I wanted to play with him. “How can you tell?”
