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“Um, yeah, sure,” she said before turning her attention to the girls, and as soon as Da
“Sure,” Holly said nonchalantly. “Da
“No problem,” he said. “Follow me.”
Da
“What’s up, Dan,” he said, gesturing for them to pass. As the girls followed him up the stairs, he added, “Have a good night, ladies.”
Da
“I saw a friend. Tommy, this is Leah, and that’s Holly and Robyn.”
“Welcome, ladies,” Tommy said, sliding over to make room, and Holly slid in first, followed by Robyn and then Leah.
When Da
“A big shot?” He laughed. “Hardly. I’m just a lowly mechanic who happens to know the head bartender.”
“A humble big shot? Those are the most dangerous kind.”
Da
“Yeah,” Da
“What do we have here?” he asked, eyeing the girls as he slid in the booth next to Tommy.
“DeLuca,” Tommy answered, nodding over at him.
“All three of them?” he asked, raising his beer in salute. “Impressive.”
Da
She laughed, leaning in conspiratorially as she nodded toward Holly. “Wait until this one gets going. They’ll cancel each other out, and then we’ll be even.”
Da
“Alabama Slammers all around,” she said with a wink before she walked away, and Da
“Who ordered these?” he asked flatly.
Everyone reached for a shot as if he hadn’t spoken, and Da
“I’m good, if anyone wants that.”
Tommy lowered his shot, looking at Da
The words took the air right out of his body. Da
He had no idea what expression he was wearing, but it must have been something truly special because the color instantly drained from Tommy’s face before his eyes flitted away.
He could see that Leah was watching him, and he reached across the table, pulling the shot back as his jaw tensed. His knee began bouncing under the table, and all he really wanted to do in that moment was pick up the glass and throw it against the wall.
From across the table, Jake lifted his shot up high, glancing up at the ceiling before he took it, and that gesture pushed Da
He tossed the shot back before placing the empty glass on the table. “Excuse me,” he mumbled before he slid out of the booth and walked toward the stairwell.
Da
As soon as he was outside, he bent at the waist, bringing his hands to his knees as he dropped his head.
“Tommy, what the fuck,” he muttered as he straightened, ru
Why the hell would he have done that?
Because he’s Bryan’s friend too.
Da
Because he’s dealing with it his way.
He closed his eyes, shaking his head. He was such a fucking hypocrite. How could he begrudge someone his method of dealing with everything, when both Tommy and Jake had been nothing but accommodating to him?
And his methods weren’t always as diplomatic as ordering a round of drinks.
Just let it go.
He rubbed his hands over his face again before he exhaled.
He really needed to push all this shit aside right now, because he had dragged Leah into his night, and the only thing he should be focusing on was having a good time with her.
Let it go. For one night, just let it go.
With a tiny breath to steel his resolve, he turned and opened the door, reentering the bar. By the time he made his way back upstairs, he could see the empty shot glasses had already been cleared. Tommy looked up, catching his eyes as he approached, and Da
“Hey,” she said gently, fiddling with one of her earrings as she looked up at him. “Where’d you go?”
Da
She kept her eyes on him for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah, it’s definitely hot in here,” she said, scooping her hair off her neck with both hands.
He could tell she didn’t buy that story for one second.
And yet she smiled up at him as she released her hair, scooting over a few inches to make room for him in the booth again.
He had no idea how she managed to do that—to erase his discomfort with a simple look. And when he sat down beside her, the remaining tension drained from his body as if her presence alone had siphoned it out of him.
“You need a drink, Leah?” Holly asked.
“Um, yeah. I’ll take a margarita.”
“Da
“I’m good, thanks,” he said.
He watched Holly and Tommy make their way downstairs before he turned to see Leah watching him.
“You’re not go
“I don’t drink.”
She lifted her brow. “But you just took a shot.”
“Well then, I’m already past my quota.”
She laughed then, shaking her head. “I’m glad you came out tonight.”
If there was any lingering doubt over his decision to approach her, it dissipated with those six words.
“Me too,” he said. “So, did Jake behave himself while I was gone?”
“He asked us what we thought of the girl in the orange halter.”
Da
“I didn’t tell him anything,” she said with a laugh. “Holly said, and I quote, ‘It’s go
Da
“Yeah, well, she’s certainly one of a kind,” Leah said with a smile as Holly approached the table with her drink.
“Here you go, chick,” she said, handing her the margarita. “Da
Before he could answer, Leah said, “Yeah, you’re really not go
Da
Leah laughed as she placed her drink on the table, and he turned back to Holly and Tommy. “Alright, I’ll take a beer,” he said, and Tommy turned to gesture over the railing.
“There,” he said, turning back to Leah. “One drink.”
“You make me feel like some sort of depraved villain,” she said, bringing her margarita to her lips and licking the salt off the rim where she was about to take a sip.
His eye was immediately drawn to her mouth, and he felt a jolt go through his stomach and straight between his legs.
“So, Leah,” Tommy said as he slid back into the booth, and Da