Page 28 of Bastard Bartender

I turn around to face my friends. Marie and Sammy are getting cocktails from the bar, but Nic is standing here, watching me.

“Looks like I get to play tonight!” My hips are swaying with my words.

“He was nice,” Nic says, yet the word nice sounds anything but. “His name is Tom.” His lips move, but there’s no sound coming out. He looks to be counting. “In a few weeks, he could be your guy.”

I tilt my head, wondering what he means. And then it dawns on me. “Oh. No. There is no way we would ever go on a date. He’s my partner.”

“Your work husband.”

“My colleague. I would never jeopardize that.”

“If you didn’t work together, would you date him?”

“Absolutely not. He’s not my type. Tom is clean-cut and eats Brussels sprouts as an entree. He enjoys wine by the fire and talking about finances.”

Nic laughs as he snakes his hands in his pockets. “Isn’t the point of your game—to get out of your comfort zone? Maybe you don’t want to go against your type, and you’re just playing this game to land right in the arms of the kind of man you despise. We know you like surfer dudes. Who else is your type?”

“You,” I state too easily and instantly regret it. It was a dumb thing to say. The worst. But I said it, and now, we’re standing here, and he’s staring at me, and I know I’ve made everything super awkward. “Which is why it’s awesome that we’re friends. There is no way I’d ever throw myself at someone like you.”

He leans back on his heels and smiles. “You’re lucky I like you or else I’d be offended by your comment.” I open my mouth to speak, but he hushes me. “Calm down. I’m just teasing. I’m having a blast, just having a woman as a friend without the chemistry. Now, can we please get wasted before the second act starts?”

I roll my eyes and take a step forward. Nicolás is more than incorrigible. He’s downright mind-boggling. Trouble is, I happen to enjoy his smirks and no-nonsense attitude.

He takes my hand and pulls me to the bar, ordering another round of shots for the four of us. We take two each, and I squint my eyes at the burn, thankful when Marie hands me a Jack and Seven as a chaser.

The lights go dim as a big bass drops, and the second act begins. It’s not a band we know, but Marie grabs my hand and races back to our seats to show our support.

The guys make their way back to us much slower, but as soon as they join us, Sammy heads past me to Marie, and Nic sits next to me, handing me a bottle of water.

“I got you this,” he says nonchalantly.

I grab it. “Thank you. I wasn’t even thinking about it, but good call.”

He nudges my arm. “I told you, I got you.”

As soon as Justin takes the stage, Marie and I are on our feet, dancing and singing. Sammy can pretend he’s not into the music, but I catch him singing along more than once.

The up-tempo music has me smiling, and then the smooth, synchronic rhythm has me moving like I’m in a trance. Pan flutes and a piano play the electropop melody. The stage is dark with the strobe lights casting colorful art all around.

Song after song, I sing and dance. Nic is having a blast too. His hips moving only the way a Latin man’s can.

Marie and I give him a holler of encouragement, and he plays into it, moving in a sexy sway that has Marie leaning into my ear and saying, “I don’t know which show is more enjoyable. The Biebs or Nic!”

I laugh and then face Nic, dancing along with him and mouthing the lyrics, which we’re probably getting wrong.

I down the last of my drink. Maybe it’s from the buzz I have going, but I raise my arms and throw them over Nic.

This is a mistake.

Nic’s body is electric.

His chest is hard and hot to the touch as it presses up against my body.

His hands move tentatively to the small of my back, and when they press ever so firmly, I feel a zing shoot straight up my spine and right to my head, making me dizzy.

There’s a simmering about him that makes my heart race and my hands shake.

Then, I make my second mistake.