CHAPTER SIX
AMBER
Happenstance was a bar a few blocks from home. A co-worker had recommended it, saying the atmosphere was relaxed, and the beer was reasonably priced. So, I suggested it to Channing for our night out.
A jukebox sat unused in the corner. Maybe I’d get up and play something later.
The bar was channeling an old Coyote Ugly vibe. Hundreds of bras hung over rods along the ceiling, an indication that there had certainly been some wild nights at this joint. Unfortunately, tonight wasn’t one of them.
“So, what do you have up your sleeve tonight, Lord?”
“Absolutely nothing. This is just a night out between friends. But if anyone happens to catch your eye, just let me know. I’m your man.”
“And what exactly are you going to do if I decide I want to talk to someone?”
“I’ll catch him at the bar, start a casual conversation with him. I need to vet the guy first to make sure he’s not a tool. If it seems like he’s worth talking to, I’ll give you a signal. We’ll have to come up with something. Like maybe I’ll look over at you and scratch my chin.”
My eyes were transfixed on Channing’s masculine fingers rubbing against his scruff as he demonstrated.
“That’ll signal that it’s safe to come over,” he said.
“Then, what?”
“I’ll introduce you as my friend. I can casually slip away if it turns out you’re getting along with him. If not, you can excuse yourself.”
“Is this what you do for your guy friends?”
“I’ve done it a few times in the past.”
“Does it work?”
“Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no.”
“Why?” I asked before the answer hit me. “Oh, let me guess…because the chick ends up disappointed that you weren’t the one interested in her. She wants you instead.”
He laughed guiltily. “That might have happened once or twice.”
“Oh, my God, Channing, I would never let you be my wingman if I were a guy. That would be counterproductive.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not a guy, then, isn’t it?”
Channing looked and smelled amazing. He wore a dark gray beanie that reminded me of the one in the photo on Facebook. His shiny hair was sticking out at the top. The wooly, fitted sweater he was wearing made me want to scratch it like a cat.
He looked around. “I don’t see any viable options.”
“I’d have to agree with you. It’s pretty empty here tonight.”
Channing took a bite of his fry and dipped it in my ketchup. “Some things to keep in mind if you’re ever out and about without me…”
I straightened in my seat. “Okay…what?”
“Be wary of men who are by themselves in bars. They’re lurkers.” He pointed to a man in the corner of the room. “Like that guy over there. A dude is much safer if he’s with a friend or a group. Much less likely to be a psychopath.”
“Makes sense. And, well, you do seem able to read people. I was impressed by your observation of that couple in the bookstore.”
“Look around, tell me what you want to know about someone here. I’ll tell you their story.”
Taking him up on his challenge, I pointed to a girl sitting at the bar. “What about her?”
The girl looked tense, like she was waiting for someone.
“See how she’s looking around frantically? She’s waiting for her Tinder date, and I think it might be the first time she’s ever done this. She’s already decided she’s going to have sex tonight. She’s not sure if she should, but she’s going to do it anyway.”
Interesting. That reminded me of something.
I pointed to the man in the corner. “What about him…the guy you said was a lurker. What’s his deal, really?”
“He’s probably here looking for you, but I’m with you, so thankfully that was intercepted. He’s creepy.”
“Totally.” I looked toward the opposite corner of the room where a man and woman were together but completely ignoring each other. “What about that couple over there?”
“God, look at them. They’re both on their phones, not even paying attention to each other. They’ve been together for a while probably and just don’t give a shit anymore. That’s kind of sad.”
“Yeah, but we all do that from time to time, right?” I said.
His eyes widened. “You and Rory went out and spent half the night looking down at your phones?”
“Well, yeah, actually we did sometimes. You’ve never done that?”
“I can’t even recall one time I pulled out my phone on a date. Well, not for the purpose of making a phone call or checking the Internet.”
“What other purposes are there?”
Channing smirked, and that made me very curious.
“Maybe I don’t want to know. But tell me anyway.”
“A woman once asked me to go to the bathroom and text her a picture of how hard I was for her. So, I made an exception and pulled out my phone in that instance.”
“That’s not all you pulled out, apparently.” I laughed.
“Touché.”
Normally, the idea of Channing sending a photo of his cock to some woman would make me cringe. Maybe it was the alcohol, but right now, the thought of him sneaking off into a bathroom and doing something like that was turning me on. Then again, everything was turning me on lately. I really needed to figure out where the off button was.
I cleared my throat. “Okay, so you make exceptions for dick pics...”
“Only dick pics.” He winked. “Otherwise, it’s disrespectful and shows the person that I’m more interested in other things. If I’m with someone, I’m going to be mentally present, otherwise what’s the point of being together?”
“Yeah, but after you’ve been with someone for a while, it’s a little different. You’ve never gotten to that point with anyone. In a long-term relationship, gone are the butterflies and the dick pics.”
“Well, that’s just a shame. Maybe that’s part of the problem. If being online is more interesting than the person sitting in front of you, then what does that say?” He looked back over at the couple. “Those two haven’t looked at each other once. If that’s what a relationship is like, then I’m happy I’m not in one.”
It was hard to argue with that.
My attention turned to two men who were looking in our direction. “What about those guys?”
“They’re gay,” Channing said without hesitation.
“Ah, you have gaydar, too?”
“Well, if they’re looking at me and not you, then yes, that makes it pretty easy to figure out. You don’t even really need gaydar, in that case.”
“I guess you’re right.” I sighed and surveyed the room some more. “What do you think someone turning the tables on us right now would think? What impression would we give?”
“They would think we were either old friends or on a good date because we’re actually comfortable with each other and engaged in conversation. And they would think I was entertaining because you’re smiling and laughing.”
“They wouldn’t know what a miserable person I am normally.”
His expression turned serious. “I don’t see you that way at all, Amber.”
“How do you see me? What’s your honest impression of me since arriving in Boston?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You’re still sixteen to me.” He laughed.
“Shut up, really? You think so? Well, you definitely look a lot older to me, but not in a bad way.”
“You honestly look almost the same. But I’m not just talking about your appearance. When I look at you, I see my sister’s friend, the girl who hung out in my basement and who used to kick my ass in air hockey. That’s who I see, even though I know you’re really not her anymore. Maybe I just want you to be her. I’m choosing to see that version of you for selfish reasons.”
“You prefer her over the person I am now…”
He was quick to correct. “That’s not what I meant…at all. You have every reason to be in a funk right now. And, of course, you’ve grown up a lot. I was more referring to the nostalgia of thinking about the connection we had back then. We lost touch when I went away to UF. And after that, it was never really the same between you and me. That’s what happens when you’re young. We evolve. But the mark of true friendship is that you can still come full circle, even if life circumstances change.”
“I always knew you’d be there for me if I ever needed you, but I never would’ve imagined that I’d be sitting in a bar in Boston with you and certainly wouldn’t have dreamt that we’d be living together.”
“It’s fate. The timing was right. The job brought me here, but the universe knew you really needed someone to give you a good kick in the ass.”
“Have you started reading The Law of Attraction? You mentioned the universe…”
He winked. “I might have.”
“I hope you don’t think I’m a whack job after you get done with it.”
“I’m surprised at how much I’m liking it, actually. And I think that what the book teaches about manifesting your own destiny can help you get over the R word if you apply it correctly.”
“You can say his name. I won’t freak out. I’m done crying over it.”
Channing tapped my foot with his under the table. “Good.”
“I just need to hit a reset button on my life.”
He smacked the table. “There it is, the new R word. Reset.”
“Love that.” I sighed. “You know, my problem is…I’ve never dated. I never had to because I was always with Rory. I feel like I don’t really know how to handle myself in that situation. I’m like a fish out of water.”
“So, let’s practice.”
“How?”
“We’ll pretend to be two people who are just meeting here. I can stay in character if you can. It’ll be like improv.”
“Oh, boy.” I laughed. This sounded crazy but kind of fun at the same time. “I guess I should take advantage of the opportunity to practice with a true expert.” When he suddenly got up, I asked, “Where are you going?”
“I need to enter the bar, pretend like I’m just meeting you.” He winked. “Just wing it, alright?”
“Alright.” I took a long sip of my drink.
Channing exited the building then reentered.
He was apparently not fooling around. He actually went to the bar and ordered a beer before his head slowly turned toward me. When his gaze met mine, his mouth curled into a sly smile. I covered my mouth in laughter before he gave me a scolding look with his eyes. He was silently reprimanding me for not taking this seriously. It was in that moment that I vowed to get my shit together and actually play along.
The only problem was, I couldn’t stop laughing and worse: I got the hiccups. Whenever I laughed really hard, I would always get the worst case of them. Channing was cracking up now, too, because he remembered my hiccup issue. It used to happen to me all of the time when we were younger.
When the laughter died down, the sexy smirk returned to Channing’s face as he once again moved into character, playing the role of my mysterious suitor.
Flirtatiously twirling my hair with my index finger, I returned his smile.
When he began to walk toward me, I actually got goosebumps. My physical reaction was no different than if this was actually happening.
“Are you alone?” he asked.
My heartbeat sped up. “Yes.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.”
He pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m Channing.” He held out his hand, and when I took it, his touch felt electric. My nipples hardened. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.
“My name is Amber.” Hiccup.
“Well, excuse you. You okay there?”
“Yeah, I just get the hiccups when I laugh too hard. You made me laugh earlier.”
“Is that so?” His tone was so flirtatious.
“Yeah.”
“You know, I used to have a friend who hiccuped whenever she laughed too hard. You know what I would do to her?”
“What?”
“I would scare the living daylights out of her when she least expected it. That’s supposed to make them go away.”
“Please don’t do that to me,” I said seriously. It used to annoy me when he’d startle me.
“Well, what’s a beautiful, hiccuping girl like yourself doing alone in a bar anyway?”
“Just relaxing, having a drink.”
Over the course of the next thirty minutes, Channing stayed in character, asking me question after question about my job and personal interests—as if we were meeting each other for the very first time. Honestly, it was freaky how real it felt. I found myself getting lost in the experience, almost forgetting who we were and the purpose of the skit. He was so engaging and easy to talk to. Something told me that this wasn’t exactly how it would be with most guys I’d pick up in a bar. I wasn’t going to admit this to him, but if this were real, I’d be totally sold on him right now.
My hiccups still hadn’t waned, though. At one point mid-conversation, Channing grabbed my glass of water and drank a sip before suddenly splashing it in my face. The surprise impact of the water hitting my skin caused a rush of adrenaline.
Drenched, I yelled, “What was that for?”
“For your hiccups!”
Wiping my face with a napkin, I said, “I told you not to scare me.”
“I bet they go away now, though.”
“Sure…now that I look like a drowned rat.”
“No, you don’t. You look beautiful.”
After that comment, it was necessary to remind myself that he was still in character.
Sure enough, the hiccups never returned as we continued our little roleplay game. Channing gradually pushed his chair nearer to me. His face was close to mine whenever he spoke. I could smell the beer on his tongue mixed with his cologne. There was likely no sexier scent on Earth than the combination of those two things. I was trying to ignore the fact that my panties were wet just from the closeness of his body and from the feel of his breath on my face. That made me realize how hard-up I was.
God.
After several minutes of talking, he leaned in and spoke directly in my ear, “I’m not far from the bar at all. How about we get out of here. Go back to my place.” His lips actually touched my skin, and his breath felt like it travelled through my ear canal and down to my vagina. It nearly did me in. This game was starting to play serious tricks on me. The urge to lean in, grab him by his hat, and bring him to my lips was enormous.
My heart started to pound. What would have happened if I said yes? Would I really go to his apartment—well, actually, my place?
Would the game continue beyond the bar?
Would we roleplay our way all the way into his bedroom?
Wishful thinking, maybe.
Finally, I answered him, “I would love to.”
Channing just kept staring at me. He was stuck. I’d totally stumped him.
He suddenly fell out of character and flashed me a look of warning. “You wouldn’t actually respond that way, would you?”
If we weren’t us, and you were you? I probably would.
Feeling stupid, I shook my head. “No. I was just playing along.”
“Good. Because you should never go home with someone you just met. Ever. I don’t care how good his game is,” he scolded. He was even hotter when he was angry.
Channing was staring off and looked seriously worried. Guilt washed over me, thinking about Gentleman Nine.
If he only knew about that. He’d kill me.
Channing never resumed character, and much to my chagrin, it seemed the game was over.
“Thank you for the practice run,” I said.
He simply nodded.
Surveying the room, I sighed. “It doesn’t look like you’re actually going to get to test your wingman skills out on me tonight, Lord.”
He chuckled. “We apparently picked the lamest bar in Boston.”
“It’s okay. I had no expectations. In my experience, nothing ever happens when you’re looking for it. You either have to make something happen for yourself, or it just falls into your lap when you stop searching. But when you’re sitting around passively waiting for something, typically it doesn’t happen. Sometimes, if you really need something, you have to take it into your own hands.”
His eyes looked like daggers. “What do you mean by that?”
I knew what I was referring to, but I wasn’t about to tell him.
When I hesitated, he said, “You know, I’m as wild as they come. But over time, I’ve learned to think before I act. When people are feeling vulnerable, they’re more likely to do something stupid. You might believe that you want certain things that you may not really want. You might be more likely to act on impulse without thinking something through. Spontaneity in life can be both good and bad, but many of the mistakes we regret for the rest of our lives were born from a moment of impulsivity. Sometimes, when you know you’re in a vulnerable state, it can be good to take a step back and check yourself.”
His words were random and oddly cryptic given what I’d been up to lately. It felt like God was speaking through him. I took those words in, but unfortunately, the longer we stayed in this bar and the more drinks I consumed, the more uninhibited and impulsive I felt.
“I think I need another drink,” I said. “How about you?”
“You want another Cosmo?”
“I would love one.”
When I took out my wallet, he placed his hand on mine. “I got it.” The feeling of his hand made my body react again.
As Channing walked over to the bar, I admired the curvature of his ass in the dark jeans he was wearing. He was charming the pants off the older, female bartender. I felt really fortunate to have this handsome man buying me a drink and to have his full attention tonight, even if we weren’t together romantically.
I got the sudden urge to shock him a little. Reaching behind my back, I undid my bra and slipped it out of the bottom of my shirt.
“Hey, Channing! Catch!” I said before slinging the bra toward him.
What I didn’t anticipate was my bra landing on his head. A wide smile spread over his face. Clearly, he was used to women throwing lingerie at him since he seemed amused but unfazed that my bra was currently hanging off his face.
He climbed up on a chair and hooked it over the bar where it joined the bras of over a thousand other women who’d lost their minds here before me.