Page 13 of The Bartender Special

He began to push him toward the door.

“Let's get out of here.”

Benny’s self-preservation finally asked a question.

“Where are we going?”

Jack's voice went low again, so that only the two of them could hear his response.

“Anywhere without a Robertson.”

Benny couldn’t help the word that slipped out after that.

“Amen.”

* * *

Cassidy's Place was on the outskirts of Arbor Bay and mostly hidden in the woods. There was a small community of houses in the neighboring clump of trees but, for the most part, Cassidy's had always felt isolated. Which went hand-in-hand with what a good bar offered in the first place. An escape. A respite from the normal. A hidden oasis in the dry desert of life.

At least, that's how Jack had always felt.

To him, Cassidy's Place was like an island. It was only after you moved closer to shore and saw land in the distance that you realized there was more world out there. That life continued to go on even when you weren't looking.

Jack had grown up around the metaphorical island of Cassidy's Place. He knew it like the back of his hand. So, to him, it made sense when he angled Benny to the right as soon as they went through the bar's front door. It also made sense to him when he made sure they walked past the corner of the parking lot and right into a thicket of trees. He knew what was waiting on the other side.

In hindsight, it made sense that Benny, who did not know, freaked out.

Benny dug his heels into the dirt just inside the tree line and shook his head fervently.

“I'm all for getting Carol to shut up, but I'm not about to go traipsing off into the darkness with you only to be a headline story tomorrow. Clueless blogger doing clueless things gets what's coming to him.”

He threw his arms across his chest in defiance, as if to further prove his point.

It was a surprisingly distracting move. He was wearing a short-sleeved button-down that pulled across his chest and shoulders. He had one of those swimmer builds. Lean, but for broad shoulders that stood out. A hint of being toned in other places hidden beneath the clothes that fit well.

It wasn't like Jack hadn't objectively noticed the hotness of his patron before the impromptu rescue, but now that he’d kissed Benny, a few more things stood out a bit more.

Like how Jack’s body had reacted to the softness of Benny’s lips, the feel of his body, and the dark, albeit confused, eyes that searched his expression now.

He hadn’t disliked any of it.

In fact, the aftermath of the kiss had made Jack curious.

Benny had actually played along.

Now it was time to do something even more out of pocket than randomly kissing a man in his place of work.

Now it was time to see if Benny would keep playing.

“We aren't traipsing into the shadows,” Jack said, with a hint of annoyance. “We're walking to the clearing so we can talk in private. Unless you'd rather go back into the bar and discuss our lie?”

Benny glanced over at the trees.

“The clearing,” he repeated. “Not some kind of weird, scary shed or makeshift hunter’s trap you’re leading me into?”

Jack snorted.

“No. Just one of those normal, non-horror-filled clearings between trees with a normal gardening shed I will not be locking you inside of.”