AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you,” she said, seating herself on the stool. “You’re very chivalrous,” she teased.
What the hell. Chivalrous is the last word I’d use to describe Nick North. But hey, everything was new today, even my gentlemanly manners.
“No prob,” I grunted, surveying the crowd. It was pretty packed already, people here for happy hour, talking loud and gesturing as three different football games played from three different flatscreens. Typical sports bar, fake wood paneling, harried servers scurrying about with heaping trays of fries and giant steins of beer.
And at that moment, the bartender appeared.
“Get you folks something?” he asked, face sweaty. I felt for the dude. Bartending during happy hour must be fucking stressful. Glad I didn’t have the job, since it probably only made minimum wage plus a couple tips.
“IPA,” was my grunt. “Sam Adams.”
The bartender nodded silently. “You?”
Joanie bit her lip for a moment.
“Just an iced tea please.”
And the man nodded, gone in an instant.
I turned to look at the brunette, brow raised.
“Sweetheart, what’s with the iced tea?” I drawled. “You dry for some reason? What’s going on?”
Joanie blushed, biting her lip again.
“No, I’m not dry. Well, I am, but not by choice. Because I’m not twenty-one yet,” she confessed. “So I can’t drink legally.”
Aw shit. I’d forgotten. We’re playing with an innocent teen, one who hasn’t even lived two decades yet. Fuck fuck fuck. By contrast, I was a forty-five year old hardened male, who’s been drinking since age fifteen. My cock twitched, entranced by her naiveté.
“Sweetheart, I’m sure they wouldn’t card you here. Trust me, they’re too busy,” I said, looking around.
“Maybe not,” the brunette acknowledged. “But I’d be so embarrassed if they did. Because when was the last time you were carded?” she asked. “Probably not in forever right?”
Fuck, probably not in three decades. Because I’ve always looked older than my real age, huge and hulking by sixteen. So yeah, carding was a thing of the distant past.
“They’ll serve me, I’m sure,” she said, smiling again. “But I just don’t want to risk it because getting carded would be too humiliating.”
But I didn’t give a fuck if we broke the law. Hell, she could take sips of my beer if she wanted. And at that moment, the bartender reappeared, two long frosty glasses of amber liquid. The iced tea and IPA didn’t look so different, come to think of it.
“Cheers sweetheart,” I growled, clinking glasses with her. “Bottoms up.”
Joanie smiled back at me.
“Cheers Mr. North. Thank you for making sure I had an amazing day,” she mewled sweetly.
A lump formed in my throat even as I sipped at the beer. Because it’d been an amazing day for both of us. It’d been so long since I forgot my cares and just let go, enjoying what the city had to offer.
But a bar is a bar, and lo and behold, the fucker on the stool next to Joanie turned then, eyeing that beautiful body.
“Hey girl,” he rasped. “How goes?”
Unbelievable. Did this douche not see me? Did he not see the massive male behind her, ready to beat his brain into a pulp?
But the slimy jerk just wouldn’t stop, ignoring me though I was mere inches away. The city’s got so many guys like this one. Sleazy weasels, hair overly gelled with big biceps but chicken legs underneath. What a loser.
But my girl is kind and she smiled back.
“Hi, I’m Joanie. This is Nick,” she said, gesturing to me. My glower only got more ominous, but the weasel still wouldn’t make eye contact.
