Chapter Four
Emma
I heaved open the door to the bar, glad it was still open despite it being nearly two o’clock in the morning, and stepped in. A quick glance around made me feel a little more at ease after all the warnings Aunt Beth had given me. The place was nearly empty. Aside from a waitress wiping down tables and a man sitting at the bar talking to the bartender, it was a ghost town.
Even though the man behind the bar was young and looked as tired as I felt, he was damn easy on the eyes. “Hi,” I offered as I approached the bar and slid onto a bar stool.
“Hi,” he responded back, wiping his hands on a bar rag. “What can I get you?”
“Anything,” I laughed tiredly, rubbing my forehead with my hand before looking up at him. I was momentarily lost in his beautiful eyes, the sights and sounds of the bar drifting away as our stares locked. Despite my tiredness, I could still feel the spark deep in my stomach, one that had me looking away immediately.
“Now that’s a loaded answer,” he chuckled. “Is there anything you want in particular?”
Now he was the one asking loaded questions. My mind immediately thought of something I’d like to say I wanted, but I was fairly certain he wasn’t on the menu. I sighed and adjusted myself on my stool, resting my feet on the steel bar that ran along the bottom of the bar itself. “Can I just have a beer? A really good one.”
“Coming right up,” he said, reaching behind the counter. He emerged with a bottle of a pale ale that I hadn’t tried before. He popped the bottle top and pushed it toward me. “Here, try this.”
I took it and drank greedily, licking my lips. It couldn’t have been a more perfect choice. “This is good.” I read over the label. “Excellent choice, barboy.”
He chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Barboy? Should I take that as a compliment or be offended?”
A slow smile turned up one corner of my mouth. “It’s a compliment. That’s how we refer to the bartender at the bar and grille back where I work. I won’t tell you what we call the ones we don’t like.” I grinned.
“A compliment it is, then,” he laughed and tossed the towel in his hands into a sink.
I studied the label on my beer bottle again so that I could remember the name of it later. “This is seriously good. Not too strong.”
“It’s a local beer. One of my favorites,” he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning back against the counter behind him. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No,” I said with a little laugh, some of the day’s events melting away. My dad and I had waited nearly two hours to get on the plane and the change in the time zones had left us both feeling wrung out once we arrived on this end of the country. “Is it that obvious?”
“Maybe just a little bit.” He grinned. “Where are you from?”
“Cali,” I replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Apparently the time change hasn’t been able to catch up with me yet. I still feel like it’s super early.” I was tired, but not sleepy. My brain was still convinced it was hours earlier than the clock insisted it was.
“I’ve always been on the East Coast, so I’ll have to take your word for it,” he said with a chuckle. “Business or pleasure?”
“Pleasure,” I said, picking at the label on my beer bottle. “Or, so I thought. My dad’s half-sister lives here and he needed a pick me up so I thought it would be a good idea to bring him for a visit. They haven’t seen each other in ten years.”
“I’m guessing there is a reason?” he asked gently, his voice barely heard over the music.
I nodded, my cheeks flushed. “Yes, well, apparently they don’t see eye to eye on some things. When I left, they were arguing about the weather. Can you believe that?”
“The weather, huh?” he said with a grin.
I looked up at him and returned the expression, shaking my head. “I know, right? It’s ridiculous. I don’t think my dad will find an ounce of relaxation while we are here like I had hoped he would.” To escape the bickering, I had started walking, finding this place right around the corner from my aunt’s house. Though it was probably dangerous for me to be out this time of night, I was willing to take the chance to get out for a while.
“Well,” he said, leaning against the bar. “Hopefully you’ll have a few good memories from your visit here.”
I blushed, feeling a familiar warmth spread through my chest. He was too good looking for my own good. Too bad we were on opposite ends of the country. “Yeah, well, I’m having a pretty good one right now.”
He shot me a killer smile, and I tried not to read too much into it. He was helping me forget the mess I had created by bringing my dad here, even if for just a little while.
“How long are you in town?”
“Just two days,” I sighed, my smile fading as I remembered what time it was and why I was in Atlanta. I needed to head back. “Well, I guess I better get back before they kill each other. How much do I owe you?”
He shook his head, picking up my empty bottle. “It’s on me.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. I reached into the pocket of my jeans to grab the five-dollar bill I’d shoved in there at the airport after buying an overpriced bottle of water. I pushed the five into the tip jar, wishing I were brave enough to have written my name and number on it before I did. But then again, it wouldn’t have done me any good. The guy lived on the opposite side of the country from me. Besides, I was just coming out of a relationship. The last thing I needed was the complication of a one-night stand to cloud my judgment moving forward . . . which is exactly what barboy would have been. I moved myself off of the stool, finding I was a bit reluctant to leave, and started for the exit. “Have a nice night,” I offered as I reached the door.
He beamed an irresistible smile my way. “I hope you enjoy your visit.”
I hesitated for a moment, glancing back at him before I forced myself to walk out into the cool night. It was time to go back to reality, although camping out with barboy seemed like a much better option.