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“No, thankme. I made the schedule, in anticipation of your arrival today.”
I laugh. “Thankyou.”
“You’re welcome.”
Tessa knows all about my regrettable, short-lived fling with Brody, one of the bouncers at Captain’s. I met Brody when I flew in for Tessa’s thirty-third birthday bash several months ago, and then came back to see him three consecutive weekends thereafter. Why’d I do that? Because I was bored and Brody was available, and I’m a sucker for highly mediocre sex, I guess. Because that’s all it ever was with Brody, unfortunately. Talk about a snoozefest.
When I got laid off and couldn’t fly for free anymore, Brody immediately went dark on me, confirming he’d only ever been in it for the easy, mediocre sex, too.
Tessa holds up a laminated menu card. “Do you need to look at this or do you want your usual?”
“My usual would be great. Thank you.” Tessa always generously supplies me with unlimited food and drinks for free when I come into her bar, and I’m always grateful for it. Especially now, though, when I’m unemployed, dead-ass broke, and questioning all my life choices.
As Tessa flags down a server, I let my gaze drift around the bar until it lands on a pair of stunning blue eyes trained directly on me. The owner of the blue eyeballs is a handsome, fit dude sitting at the bar. Light brown hair. Athletic frame. When our gazes meet, he maintains eye contact, so I do the same. Mostly, because I’m fascinated by the intensity of his stare. It’s like the man is memorizing my face for a portrait he’s planning to paint later on. His intensity would be kind of creepy, actually, if only he didn’t look so damned harmless and wholesome. The man looks like a former Disney channel star. A model in a toothpaste commercial.Or, no, a former boy bander. The one who went solo after the boy band took off. How long ago was he in this boy band? Frankly, it could be anywhere from five to fifteen years. He could be anywhere from twenty to thirty with a facethat boyishly handsome. Which means he’s the antithesis of my type. Yes, he’s fit and handsome and cute. Also, his eyes are objectively gorgeous. But I like my men to be more rugged than that. Preferably, much uglier, too.
Aw, fuck.
I’ve maintained eye contact for a beat too long. I know this because Mr. Blue Eyes Boy Bander is now flashing me a wide, brilliant smile that, not surprisingly, reveals white, straight teeth.
I look away from his dazzling smile and return to Tessa, but she’s busy chatting with a server.
When our server walks away, Tessa smiles at me and says, “So, when can you get into the condo?”
“Tomorrow. I can pick up the keys any time after two.”
She squeals. “Can I come with you? I’m dying to see it.”
“Absolutely. I’d love your expert opinion on what needs to be done to flip it as quickly and cheaply as possible.” Tessa and her husband, Ryan, have been investing in real estate for a few years now, including fixing up rental properties, so she’s the perfect person to tag along. I don’t know why I didn’t invite her to come with me in the first place. Chalk it up to my frazzled state as of late. I’m truly not myself right now.
“So, tell me the latest about your job search,” Tessa says. “Maybe I can help.”
Tessa has already offered me a serving job at Captain’s, but I told her I’m taking a much-needed break from serving drinks to the general public for a while. And that’s partly true. But even more than that, I think I should lay low and work from home while fixing up the condo. Better safe than sorry.
We chat and catch up, and soon, our food arrives, courtesy of a server who sticks around to ask her boss a question about the schedule. While Tessa chats with her employee, my eyes drift tothe guy at the bar again, out of sheer curiosity. Is he still staring at me?
Nope.
Since I locked eyes with him earlier, Mr. Blue Eyes has been joined at the bar by a well-dressed older man—a stylish man with well-groomed silver hair and a perfectly tailored suit. Is that handsome silver fox the boy bander’s boss? Friend? Father? I snicker to myself. Hisdaddy? Ha. If those two swing that way, they’d make an insanely hot couple, honestly.
Fuck.
While I’m still contemplating the dynamics possibly at play over there, the boy bander abruptly shifts his gaze from his silver-haired companion tome. And thanks to those mesmerizing blue eyes of his, I can’t immediately look away.
Like before, he’s encouraged by our eye contact. His face breaks into a flirtatious, beaming smile—one that’s even more enthusiastic than the last one. This smile is so unrestrained, in fact, I feel the need to shake my head, subtly, to let him know he’s misread me. I love looking into the dazzling blue eyes of Tessa’s beloved husky, Rudy, as well, but that doesn’t mean I want tofuckmy bestie’s dog, now does it?
The guy at the bar stops smiling and matches my scowl. Actually, no, he ups the ante: right before looking away, he shoots me a glare that quite effectively says, “I get it. You’re not interested. No need to be fuckingrudeabout it.”
I chuckle to myself as he looks away. That non-verbal “fuck you” he flashed me was unexpected, given his generally wholesome vibe. Color me impressed. If I hadn’t sworn-off men for my short stay in Seattle, that little kiss-offmighthave inspired me to reel him back in, despite him not being my usual type. Why’d he get so bent out of shape, for fuck’s sake? He’s an extremely attractive dude. I’m sure he’ll have zero problemslanding the next woman he flirts with at a bar. You can’t win ‘em all, dude. Not even when you’re as boy-band-handsome as you.
“Who are you looking at?” Tessa asks, causing me to jerk my attention back to her. She’s smirking at me. Flashing me a knowing look.
“Nobody.”
She doesn’t buy it.
As I whisper-shout, “Don’t look!” Tessa twists around, all the way, and looks toward the bar. As she does so, to my absolute mortification, my new enemy at the bar smirks wickedly at me. This time, his smile isn’t flirtatious. Nope. His smug face this time says, “You told your friend about me, huh? That’s a weird thing for you to do, if you’re truly not interested, don’t you think?”
I roll my eyes, feeling thoroughly annoyed with this arrogant man. Given his conventional handsomeness, I’m sure he’s used to women falling at his feet. Hence, the reason I’m sworn off his type. Ten times out of ten, give me a guy who thinks I’m out of his league, a guy who thinks he’sluckyto get with me, over a guy like him who surely thinks he’s got his pick in every room he enters.
