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“You’re not. My best friend is on her way over,” I tell him.
“Well, until then, you have me.”
A bashful smile pulls at the corners of my mouth. His dark eyes twinkle with mischief, and the look calls out to me. He raises his glass. I lift mine and we tap them together without saying anything. We shoot them at the same time, then we each reach for a lime wedge, all while not wavering from each other’s gaze.
“Is the guy who stood you up a boyfriend?” he asks.
He acts like he tossed back water; meanwhile, my throat is on fire and goose bumps are racing down my arms.
“I don’t even know your name and you’re asking me that? Are you always this nosy?”
He sucks the juice from the lime then tosses the peel on his napkin. “No. I usually like to watch others interact. But you walked in with a vengeance, and I had to get to know you.”
“Lucky me,” I say sarcastically.
He leans his elbow on the bar and meets my gaze. “My name is Leo,” he says.
I swallow thickly. “Trista.”
“So, is he, Trista?”
I study Leo, liking the way he’s provoking me with his tone while pretending his questions are innocent.
“We’d only started seeing each other about two months ago. I’m going to call it off completely with him. I don’t like being stood up. I wouldn’t call him a boyfriend.”
Leo squints. “A relationship that short wouldn’t call for drinking shots with your best friend.”
I sit up a little taller. I don’t like feeling completely seen, and he makes me feel that way. I take in his navy-blue dress pants and think about how they shape his thighs.
“Were you stood up too?” I ask, taking the focus off me.
Leo smirks like he knows I’m trying to change the topic. “I’m here on business. My partner was too but had to head home. He’s on the way to the airport now to catch a red-eye. I needed a drink and some food, and this place came up when I did a search on my phone.”
“You’re not from here?”
Leo shakes his head. “I live in Hawaii. I leave tomorrow afternoon. Do you live here?”
My brows rise as I nod. Now I’m intrigued. “What do you do?” I ask.
“I’m a restauranteur. People hire me to open their business. My client wants to bring a taste of the island to the downtown area. He’s opening a restaurant in time for New Year’s Eve. I’m here doing business on his behalf.”
I reach for the cigarette and place the filter in my mouth. Leo already has the lighter in his hand and the flame lit for me.
“New Year’s is this month.” I pull in a drag and hold it for a moment before exhaling. “Where are you staying?”
“The Four Seasons,” he says.
“Ritzy.”
Leo shrugs. “I’m not complaining. My client pays for it. There’s nothing wrong with living luxuriously.”
The bartender comes back around and points a finger between the two of us. “Would you like anything else?”
Leo orders two more shots. This time they’re on him.
“Where in the downtown area is the restaurant? What street?” I ask curiously.
“Lake Shore Drive,” he says, and I perk up. “You know it?” he asks when he sees my reaction.
