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“What the fuck are you talking about, Nolan?” I deadpan, eyeing him skeptically.
“She wants to talk to you. Not me or any other man in this bar. She’s probably been coming in here for weeks, trying to work up the nerve to talk to you.”
Nolan has been pushing me to talk to her, saying she’d be an easy hookup, but that’s not what I’m looking for. I’ve never really been into one-night stands. I’m no saint by any means, but Marissa is everything I’ve ever wanted for my future and so much more. I’m not about to throw all that way for some random woman who came into my bar.
“I talk to her,” I respond, running my free hand across the back of my neck.
Nolan crosses his arms over his chest. “Asking her if it’s going to be cash or charge doesn’t equal a conversation, Finn.”
“Right,” I grumble before heading toward the woman. It seems Marissa took more than my heart with her when she scurried out of the hotel room in Chattanooga like her ass was on fire.
With a shake of my head to clear my mind, I stride toward her, the glass of water gripped tightly in my hand. This woman is the exact opposite of Marissa. Her auburn hair hangs in loose waves; the tips brush against her shoulders as she turns towards me. Her eyes widen in surprise as I get closer before she jumps to her feet, knocking the bar stool backward with a thud.
“I’m s-so s-sorry,” she stutters, bending down quickly to grab it and returning it to the upright position before taking a seat.
“No problem at all. It happens to the best of us.” I smirk at her before placing her water down on the bar in front of her. “I already put in your lunch order. I’ll bring your cider when your sandwich is ready.”
I pause for a moment, waiting to see if she has any other requests before continuing. “If you need anything before your lunch is ready, give us a shout. One of us will come running.”
“Thank you,” she responds, her eye cast down toward the bar, allowing her hair to shield her face.
“You’re welcome,” I say with a smile before turning and heading toward the kitchen and letting Shelly know there’s another order.
“That’s it?” Nolan asks, stepping in my way as I try to head back toward the bar. “You didn’t stay and talk to her? Try to get her number? Nothing?”
“No.” I chuckle before slapping him on the shoulder. “If you want to talk to her so badly, be my guest.”
“Okay, what gives?” Nolan asks. “Or did something happen with Marissa last night?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I step around him, grabbing a rag to wipe the already-clean bar as he pulls it from my hands.
“Try that on someone who has no idea how much you love her.” He grabs my wrist and pulls me toward the small storeroom behind the bar, ensuring no one can overhear us. “Finn, talk to me. Your head is in the clouds, and you’re blowing off a perfectly willing female who clearly has the hots for you.”
“Not every woman I’m nice to wants to get into my pants.”
“True, but you’re different today.”
“I don’t have time for this,” I grumble, attempting to step around him. Still, he follows my movements, making it almost impossible to get around him. “I have a business to run, man. I can’t sit back here with you and talk about our feelings.
I need to get my head on straight. It was just one night. The best one of my life, but that’s beside the point. I can’t force Marissa to give me a chance to win her heart or even to go on a date with me.
“You need to pull your head out of your ass, Finn. If you want her, go after her. Make Marissa see what an awesome guy you are, and she’d be a fool to turn you down or move on.”
“It’s not that simple, Nolan,” I grumble, taking a seat on a pile of crates and dropping my head into my hands. “Something happened, but she said it can never happen again. No matter how much I want it to.”
I omitted the fact that we slept together, and Marissa doesn’t know how infatuated I am with her already. The chances of Nolan spilling his guts to her are slim, but I’m not willing to take any chances. The last thing I need her to think is that I went and blabbed about what happened between us. Not only will that ruin any chance I might have to be with her, but she’d also kick my ass.
“I never took you as a coward, Finn.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why are you sitting here with your tail between your legs and not fighting for your girl?”
“She isn’t my girl.”
“Not yet.” Nolan disappears for a few minutes before shoving a cold beer in my face. “You need a drink.”
“Did you pay for this?” I question, pulling it out of his hand and taking a long swig.
