Page 5 of The Monster’s Weakness

“What would you recommend?”

The barman gave a chuckle. “I don’t recognize you. I haven’t seen you before.”

Was he going to kick her out? She was of age, so that was not in question.

“It’s my first time coming here,” she said.

He winked at her. “Then it’s only fair that I make you a margarita.”

She didn’t know what he was doing, but he poured several clear liquids into a glass, then added a slice of lime.

“Enjoy, gorgeous,” he said.

She was not used to being called “gorgeous,” but she looked down at the cocktail. The barman was already moving on, and she figured it was just part of his pitch, calling women beautiful. It was a way of making women feel at ease, perhaps so they’d buy an extra drink.

Gemma didn’t take a sip, she just sat at the bar and looked around at the people, and the truth was, she felt even more alone. There was a lot of energy in the bar, but it didn’t suit her. Everyone here knew what they were doing. They belonged. She felt like an imposter. All of them were dressed in some form of suit, clearly doing a day’s work. Not her. She was still looking for a job.

She lifted the glass in her hand, tried to blend in, but she felt like such a fraud. Just as she was about to set the glass back down, someone sat in the chair next to her. He was tall, muscular, and he wore a suit. He had dark hair, and his gaze was turned toward her.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said. “Shit day at the office?”

Gemma didn’t know what to say. “You could say it’s been a rough few weeks.”

“I get that feeling.” He held two fingers up and the barman stopped serving his customer to rushed over to him.

She wondered how he did that, commanded the room. His presence had gained most of the people’s attention. Women were admiring him, men were sizing him up. He looked so sure of himself.

The barman served him, then went back to his previous customer.

“So, do you want to tell me about this rough few weeks?” he asked.

Chapter Three

Gemma wasn’t sure about this. She remembered the old-school teacher warnings about talking to strange men. And he had to be after something because she wasn’t exactly a catch.

“Trust me, it would bore you.”

“I guarantee it wouldn’t.” He licked his lips and she followed the movement. He was deliciously sexy. So why was he talking to her? He could get any woman he wanted in this bar.

She didn’t want to be rude regardless. “Job troubles. Medical issues. I’m kind of a walking disaster right now.”

“What’s going on at work?” He leaned closer on an elbow as if extremely interested.

Gemma shrugged, twirling the liquid around her glass. “I don’t exactly have a job right now. That’s mostly the problem.”

“I’m sure you’ll find something soon. I’ve seen a lot of job openings around here. I’m not sure what you’re looking for, but there’s an office position at Meyer’s Design.”

“Really? I walk by there all the time.”

“You should definitely check it out,” he said. “So, what are you drinking?”

She looked at her untouched drink. “I’m not even sure. Honestly, I don’t drink.”

“I approve. It’s not good for your health.” He winked and her heart did a little flip.

It was time to find out more about this guy. Maybe she’d be able to tell if he was real or fake.

“What about you?” she dared to ask. “Do you come here often?”