I was busking on the street, singing an “ironic” cover of Wrecking Ball when I opened my eyes and saw him.

Trevor Cross, one of my best friends/bane of my existence sat with his legs dangling off the edge of a shop rooftop. He was my best friend because he was one of the most hilarious and fun people to be around. And he was the bane of my existence because he was a hyper-active livewire who, for some reason, enjoyed being in my company. Dealing with him sometimes felt like trying to circumnavigate a mine field. I changed the lyrics as I sang and wondered if he’d notice.

You came in like a wrecking ball.

That was Trev down to a T. Destructive. Addictive. Fascinating. Frustrating. Too full of energy to ever pin down. At times he wrecked me. Other times he built me up. Our relationship was…complicated. And yet, we’d never even kissed.

He often liked to turn up unannounced like this. He knew my routine off by heart, so if he wanted to he could always find me. I busked every afternoon, Tuesday to Saturday, and in the evenings I gave private piano lessons. I usually played a club gig on Saturday nights, then had Sunday and Monday off. I tended to make a pretty steady income week on week.

Trevor watched me with a serious look on his face, his head tilted to one side as though in contemplation. He’d heard me sing countless times before, so I didn’t really get what was different today.

Most of the time, I got one of two Trevors. The flamboyant, loud-mouthed, piss-taking one normally came out when we were around other people, while the more serious, introspective, thoughtful one made an appearance when it was just the two of us. If I wasn’t acquainted with his more low-key side, then we probably wouldn’t have stayed friends this long. There was only so much hyperactivity a person could handle.

We met almost two and a half years ago through my girlfriend, Karla, who at the time was having a clandestine relationship with Trevor’s brother, Lee. Trev latched onto me from the very first night we met, charming me, making me laugh, making me feel like the most important and interesting person in the world. I’d come to learn that’s what he did. His liveliness made you feel like a better version of yourself, someone far more exciting than who you really were.

When I finished the song Trev effortlessly jumped down from his spot on the roof, a skill honed through his years of dedication to parkour. As he crossed the street he pulled a lollipop from his pocket, ripped off the packaging and stuck it in his mouth.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked once he reached me.

His mischievous blue eyes caught the light in a way that almost made them appear otherworldly. He took his time sucking on the lolly, then pulled it out with a loud popping sound.

“Just came to check up on my favourite girl. I haven’t heard you sing that one before. Never took you for a Miley fan,” he grinned, goading me.

“Course I am. She’s got more grit than Taylor,” I answered, smiling as I moved to pack up my keyboard. Trev came forward and pushed my hands away when I went to fold up the stand.

“I’ve got it. You go grab your cash before someone tries to steal it.”

“Okay, um, thanks,” I said and went to pick up the hat I left out for passers-by to throw money in. Once everything was packed, Trev lifted my keyboard case and gestured for me to lead the way.

“Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“Somebody’s feeling very helpful today. What are you after?” I asked, suspicious.

He put his hand to his heart as though offended. “Can’t a fella help out his best friend simply because he feels like it?”

“Yes, a fella can. You, on the other hand, always seem to have something up your sleeve.”

He let out a slow breath, his gaze moving lazily over my features, down to my chest and then back up again. I was used to him looking at my boobs. It was par for the course with him. And since I’d been born with an ample pair, it seemed like a losing battle to get someone like Trev not to ogle them. I ran my hands down my long burgundy dress, feeling self-conscious. He wasn’t ogling me light-heartedly like he normally did. Today there was more heat behind it, and it put me on edge.

So, here’s a confession. When I first met Trev I was hopelessly infatuated with him. I mean, show me a twenty-two-year-old girl who wouldn’t be. Trev was tall, dark haired, light eyed, athletically muscular and had a great sense of humour. Plus, he was never short on charm or compliments. All this meant I developed a gigantic crush. Little did I know, all he was after was friendship.

It should’ve been more obvious to me, but at the time I had my head in the clouds. Trev didn’t go for women who looked like me. He liked them petite and blonde, while I was anything but. Anyway, it took me a few months to come to the heart-breaking realisation that he wasn’t interested in me romantically. After that, I made my peace with the situation and moved on. Now I was a twenty-four-year-old woman who knew better than to put her eggs in the Trevor Cross basket.

But today…today he was looking at me in a way he never had before and it was making me feel strange. Too hot, and itchy – real itchy.

He was uncharacteristically silent as he went back to sucking on his lolly.

I eyed him. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. You’re being weird. Well, weirder than usual.”

He shoved one hand in his jeans pocket. “I guess I’m just a little bit restless. I feel like doing something crazy, something exciting. It’s Friday and I don’t have a shift at Lee’s until the day after tomorrow. How about we go out and have some fun? Throw caution to the wind.”

I smiled fondly at his enthusiastic hand gesture. “Like how?”

“Like…” he paused, pondering it a moment before he continued, “Okay, how about this. We both make a pact to stay out for the entire night, and we can’t go home until we’ve done at least three things we’ve never done before.”

I gave him a suspicious look. “I don’t know. I think your idea of exciting is a lot more extreme than mine.”

He came around to stand in front of me and I stopped in place. “What if I promise not to make you do anything you don’t want to? Come on, Reyrey, have an adventure with me. You know you won’t regret it.”

I wasn’t too sure about that. Still, after only a few moments of hesitation I gave in, unable to resist that boyish grin of his, especially when he called me Reyrey. I hated it, but also secretly kind of loved it. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Yes! Okay, now all you have to do is suck on the lollipop to make it official,” he held it out to me in challenge, then winked. “It’s strawberry. Your favourite.”

I knew he thought I wouldn’t do it, which kind of made me want to prove him wrong. Instead of pushing the proffered lolly out of the way, I plucked it from his fingers, stuck it in my mouth and took a long suck.

When I popped it from my lips I shot him a cheeky grin. “Mmm, delicious.”

Trev’s mouth fell open and I delighted in the fact that I’d surprised him. I arched a brow in challenge, waiting for him to comment, but all he did was stare at my mouth like he never noticed how fascinating it was before. Shivers ran up my arms and I started to regret my gutsy move.

He took a step closer, his eyelids hooded, and asked quietly, “I know I’m probably gonna get a slap for this, but would you consider sucking my cock like you just sucked that lolly as one of the things you’ve never done before?”

Now it was my turn to be surprised. And turn bright red. And get goosebumps over every inch of my body. I mean, he’d said stuff like this to me in the past, but it had always been in jest. Today I wasn’t so sure. It felt like if I said yes, he’d actually go ahead with it. And it was difficult to breathe normally when the image of giving my best friend a blowjob was etched in my mind. Swallowing hard, I shook my head and plastered on a breezy expression, “Nice try, but I think I’ll pass.”

Trev threw his arm around my shoulders then bent to whisper in my ear, “Spoilsport.”

I tried to ignore how his breath hit my skin, and how his voice gave me tingles.

When we arrived at my building, I stepped ahead of him to swipe my fob over the door entry system. Living in a three-hundred square foot studio apartment could be stifling and demoralising at times, but it was the only thing that was within my budget. When I was in college I lived in a house share, and believe it or not, this was actually a step up.

I wanted to sing for a living, and I knew I’d be miserable doing anything else, so for that reason I had to make sacrifices.

At first I’d been too embarrassed to bring Trev here, because the building was old and a little musty, and when you lived in such a small place all of your possessions were sort of on show. It was like bringing people right inside your bedroom. Awkward. Too close.

Keeping Trev away was a losing battle though, and eventually he wore me down. He actually liked the place, thought it was cosy. But that was probably because he’d grown up in a tiny council house with his three brothers all sleeping in one room. Hell, he probably considered my place spacious in comparison.

Anyway, I tried to keep the place nice and take pride in it, even though it wasn’t much. At least I could hold my head high and be proud of my little home.

As soon as we got in Trev flopped down onto my bed. He pulled his phone from his pocket, probably to check Facebook or something, while I went to put my things away and freshen up in the bathroom. When I returned he was still on his phone. I took a moment to soak him in, because the visual of him lying so casually on my bed was always…interesting.

Sure, I’d made my peace with the fact that he didn’t fancy me, but I couldn’t help finding him attractive. He just was. He was pretty, too, for a bloke. His lips were full and red, his lashes long and dark, and his skin pale and flawless. Being of Spanish descent, I was his opposite: dark eyed and tan. Perhaps that was why I’d always been so taken with his looks.

I dropped down beside him and asked, “What are you looking at?”

He turned the screen so I could see and I scrunched up my face. “An underground rave? Not sure that’s my thing.”

“But it’s held in an old abandoned tube station. Neither one of us has been to a rave in a tube station before. We should do it.”

I shrugged and gave it some thought. I wasn’t a big fan of rave music, but I did like to dance. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. “Okay, then. We’ll go, but you have to stick with me. I hate being left alone at those things.”

Trev shot me a serious look. “Of course I’ll stick with you. I wouldn’t leave you on your own. It’s not safe.”

His sincerity made me feel a little less wary and I gave him a grateful smile. This close I could smell him, and involuntarily I leaned in to sniff his neck.

“Did you just smell me?” he asked with amusement.

I blinked, realising how odd that was. “Um, yeah, sorry. Is that new cologne?”

“Acqua di Gio. You like it?”

“I really do.”

He grinned. “Good.” Leaning in, he brought his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply. The action caused my stomach to clench and my chest to flutter. I thought I even felt his lips touch my skin for a second.

“You don’t smell so bad yourself.”

“Thanks.”

He winked. “I’m all about returning the favour. Do you need to do anything else before we leave?”

I shook my head and he pulled me up from the bed. Before I knew it we were on the tube, heading for destinations unknown.

“It’s too early for the rave, so I thought we’d go get something to eat first.”

“Good idea. I’m starving.”

Trev grinned devilishly and I knew it meant all was not as it seemed, but I decided not to question him. For some reason I felt like truly embracing his idea of throwing caution to the wind. I did need material for some new songs, after all. Maybe this night of new experiences would be the perfect inspiration.

Yes, God help me, for the next couple of hours I was going to let Trevor Cross be my guide. I almost regretted the decision when twenty minutes later he led me inside a restaurant where apparently people paid to eat in the dark.

“Why would anyone want to do this? I like to be able to see my food, not have it fall all over my lap because I’ve been rendered blind.”

“It’s more sensual in the dark,” said Trev, making his voice intentionally husky. “When you can’t see you have to focus on everything else; sound, smell, taste.”

I stiffened in awareness at the way he spoke. Why was he acting so weird today? “Didn’t peg you for a sensualist.”

“Hey, now that’s just insulting. Of course I am. How else do you think I got so good in bed?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that. You could be terrible,” I said, unable to resist goading him as we waited in reception for a table to free up. Looking around, I noticed it was mostly couples here, which made me feel a little self-conscious.

Trev pulled his phone from his pocket and began flicking through his contacts. “Oh, no way am I letting you away with that one. Let’s call up one of my exes and have her substantiate my claims to greatness, shall we? How about Lila?”

I swiped his phone from him. “No way. You know I was never fond of Lila. She freaked me out.”

Trev waggled his brows and grabbed the phone back. “Why? Were you jealous?”

“No, I wasn’t jealous. It had nothing to do with her being your girlfriend. She was just…weird. She always used to look at me like, I don’t know, like she fancied me or something. Plus, she never wore a bra. I don’t trust women who don’t wear bras. It’s not natural.”

“Au contraire,” Trev disagreed. “I think you’ll find it’s perfectly natural. In fact, you should try it sometime.”

I shot him a cynical look and he chuckled, relenting, “Okay, maybe not in public. With a rack like yours that might be a little obscene.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Wow, thanks.”

“It’s a compliment, Reya.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

“Anyway, Lila looked at you like she fancied you because did fancy you. Didn’t I ever mention she swung both ways?”

I tensed as my mouth fell open. “Um, no, you didn’t.” The idea of Trev’s ex-girlfriend fancying me made me blush. I’d had no idea.

“She was forever trying to convince me to lure you into a threesome. I told her that although that would make for quite the memorable evening, it went against the code.”

“The code?”

“The buddies code. Buddies don’t show each other their special places. Unless of course you’re one of those freaks who likes walking around communal changing rooms bollock naked.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Right. No special place exposure around friends. Makes sense.”

Trev’s eyes twinkled as he stared at me, clearly enjoying the topic of conversation. He loved talking about stuff that made most people squirm. Like anal sex, or getting caught watching porn by a family member, or whether or not you considered it healthy to masturbate on a regular basis.

A smartly dressed woman approached us, the maître d’, and ushered us into the darkened restaurant. I latched onto Trev’s arm, momentarily blinded. He took me by surprise when instead he took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. Warmth suffused my cheeks at the action.

By the time we sat down at the table my eyes had adjusted somewhat to the dark. A waitress came and recited the menu, and I opted for the lemon chicken and sweet potato wedges, because it sounded like the least messy option.

“This is weird,” I said to Trev once she left. “Isn’t it weird? I feel like there’s probably stains all over the table, and the cutlery could be dirty for all we know.”

“Stop being so anal,” he chided before he reached over and gave my knee a squeeze. I couldn’t exactly tell the layout of the place, but Trev had decided to sit right next to me.

I sighed and apologised. “Sorry. You know I’m a clean freak.”

He let go of my knee and I almost missed his touch. “This night is about pushing our boundaries. Think about it this way. The most uncomfortable experiences make for the most memorable memories. We’re making memories tonight, Reya Cabrera. Isn’t it exciting?”

I laughed at his enthusiasm. “I guess.”

Now he slapped me on the thigh. “That’s the spirit.”

The waitress returned with our drinks, and I’ll be honest, I spilled a little of my white wine down the front of my dress. I just hoped it dried before we left the restaurant. Trev and I laughed and giggled our way through the entire experience, which made it totally worth it. At one point he talked me into letting him feed me, and I had to guess what I was eating. When he ordered dessert, he’d insisted on whispering it to the waitress so I couldn’t hear.

“Is that meringue?”

“Yes.”

“And cream.”

“Uh huh.”

“And coulis. I’ve got it! Eton Mess.”

“Well done. Now you win the prize of me feeding you the rest of it,” he announced, and even though I could barely make him out, I just knew he was smirking. Before I could protest he had another spoonful nudging at my lips, but I wasn’t quick enough and half of it spilled down over my chin. I felt like a three-year-old eating custard.

I startled a yelp when Trev dove in and licked the fallen dessert from my chin like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I repeat. He. Licked. The. Dessert. From. My. Chin.

I sat frozen for a moment then blurted, “What was that?”

There was silence for a beat. “A dog just broke into the restaurant. Can’t you see? Get out, you filthy mutt!”

“Trev, that wasn’t a dog.”

“No?” I could sense his grin.

“No, it was your mouth.”

I saw movement in the dark as he raised his hands in the air. “Fine, you have me. I licked you.”

A shudder went through me at the simple statement. “Why?”

“Didn’t want it to go to waste.”

He said this like it was no big deal. Why did he always have to be so unaffected by everything? For once I wished for him to show fluster or even a hint of nervousness. But no, he was the cool one. I was the nervous one. Which was probably why I was so lost for words right then.

He took his phone out and the screen illuminated his face. I was glad he’d decided to check his messages, because I needed a few moments to calm down. Trev was my friend, nothing more. I’d crushed any flowery notions I had about him years ago. So why wouldn’t my stomach stop flipping over on itself? All I could think about was how his mouth felt on my chin. It reminded me of how men kissed women in movies, unable to get enough as they mouthed their chin, the edges of their lips, like they wanted to consume their entire face.

My wandering thoughts caused a flush to break out across my chest and my thighs quivered. I really needed to get laid. The last time I had sex was almost five months ago, and it hadn’t even been with a boyfriend. It had been a tawdry one night stand with a guy I met after one of my gigs, and he’d looked disturbingly like Trevor. The realisation embarrassed me right down to my toes, because I knew he’d have a field day if he ever found out.

Trev slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Lee and Karla are such a pair of smarmy bastards,” he tutted.

I turned my head to him. “Huh?”

He sighed. “They’ve been posting endless pics of their holiday over in Portugal. All loved up. Makes me sick.”

“Somebody sounds bitter. Has there been some sort of blip in the love life of Trevor Cross, mayhap?”

“No, there hasn’t. Just don’t need it rubbed in my face twenty-four-seven.”

“Oh my God, you are bitter. Does it bother you that your brothers are all settling down? Lee’s got Karla, Stu’s got Andie, hell, even Liam’s started seeing some girl he seems pretty serious about. Maybe you should think about finding someone you actually want to spend time with outside of having sex,” I hinted.

“Why would I do that when I’ve got you?” he asked, like it was a perfectly reasonable question. It was in this moment that I really wished I could see his facial expression, because I couldn’t tell if he was being serious.

I scoffed. “I hope that’s a joke.”

“And what if it isn’t?” he challenged. God, he was serious.

“Well, for one I’m not going to be around forever. Someday I’m going to meet a man and fall in love, get married, have kids. I won’t be available for you to just come see whenever the mood takes you.”

“And why not? Let’s just say you do get married, which by the way, isn’t likely, I’ll still be your friend. We should still be able to hang out.”

I gaped at him, even though he couldn’t see me, hung up on the “isn’t likely” bit of what he just said. “Why isn’t it likely?”

Trev sighed. “In the past two years I’ve only ever seen you with one boyfriend, Charles or whatever his name was.”

“Charlie,” I corrected, voice tight.

“Yeah, Charlie. And he didn’t last very long. Anyway, you seem happier single. That’s why we get along so well. We’re alike.”

“We’re not alike at all. And I’m not happier single, very few people are. Nobody wants to be alone for the rest of their lives,” I bit out, upset with him.

“Reya…”

“No, fuck you, Trev. You can be such a fucking arsehole sometimes,” I said and stood from the table, bumping my knee in the process. Stupid bloody dining in the dark. What a ridiculous idea. I fumbled through the restaurant, but it took me forever to find my way out. When I finally got outside I inhaled a deep breath, still riled by Trev’s insinuation that I was going to be single forever. What a dickhead.

I wasn’t sure why my emotions were so close to the surface today, because I never usually lost my temper with him, and there were times when he really tried my patience. I guess it was because of how affectionate he was being, touching me, licking the dessert from my chin. It gave me momentary ideas I had no business entertaining.

The door swung open and Trev emerged. He glanced from left to right before he spotted me. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets, looking sheepish.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I was an arsehole. Please don’t hate me.”

I blew out a breath. “I don’t hate you. What you said just rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, you probably don’t understand because you always have your family around, but life can be very lonely for me sometimes. I’m not close to my family like you are, and when I go home at the end of the day I don’t have a bunch of brothers to keep me company. The idea that that’s all I’ll ever have is depressing, so it pissed me off when you basically condemned me to a life of spinsterhood.”

Trev’s brows drew together, casting an intense look over his features. Then he ran a hand over his face and swore. “Fuck.”

I grew self-conscious and wanted to change the subject. “Look, don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. Just…try and think before you speak in future.”

Trev took a step toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “No, you have every right to be upset. That was a shitty thing to say, but I didn’t realise you were lonely. You always seem so…together. Happy.”

“I am happy, and I like my life, but I’d like it even better if I had someone to share it with.” I stared at the ground now, unable to look him in the eye.

“You will one day, I promise. But in the meantime, I don’t like thinking of you all sad and lonely in your little flat. If you ever feel that way, just come stay with me for a couple days. There’s more space at ours now that Stu’s moved out, and everybody loves having you around.”

“Okay,” I whispered as he continued massaging my shoulders.

“Reya, look at me.”

I glanced up. “What?”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Shut up.”

“No, I’m being serious. You are. Any man in his right mind would give his left nut to be with you.”

Not you, though, my brain piped in. Shut up, brain!

“And you’re talented. And funny. And just plain lovely to be around. And the first time I heard you sing I swear I got a stiffy.”

I hit him on the chest. “You did not.”

“I did. Ask Karla. She was there. I think I might’ve scarred her for life.”

I laughed and he pulled me into a hug. I sank into his embrace, savouring it, because so few people hugged me these days. When I was little, my mum used to hug me all the time, but not anymore.

“Seriously though, you’re amazing, so don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even dumb fucks like me who are supposed to be your best friend,” he said, his mouth on my hair. I took the opportunity to breathe in his smell. I’d never admit it to anyone, but it was my favourite.

“Okay, I believe you,” I said and we pulled apart.

Trev grinned. “About being amazing or my unfortunate public erection?”

I laughed loudly. “Both.”

We stared at each other, smiling. It lasted a long moment before Trev glanced back at the restaurant and muttered, “Oh, shit.”

I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

He looked back at me. “We both just left without paying.”

“Crap! Okay, let’s go back in and explain.”

Trev grabbed my hand, halting my progress. When I glanced up at him I recognised the shine of mischief in his eyes. “Oh no, don’t even think about it.”

“Come on. You’ve never dined and dashed, and believe it or not, neither have I. It’s a new thing for both of us. Let’s do it.”

I stared him down firmly. “Trevor, no.”

He peered over my shoulder. “Reya.”

“What?”

“Hey, you two!” came a voice.

“Run!”

My heart pounded when he tugged on my hand. I didn’t know if it was fear, adrenaline, or the simple desire not to be arrested for walking out of a restaurant without paying, but I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, until the man’s shouts faded and we’d made it back to the tube station. It wasn’t until we were sitting on a carriage that I finally calmed down. I felt awful though, and determined to find out the name of the girl who’d been waiting our table and anonymously send her money for the meal.

“Where are we going now?”

Trev made a tutting sound. “Wait and see, nosy knickers. It’s a surprise.”

A half hour later we stood in front of steps that led down to a public toilet. Yes, you didn’t mishear me. A public toilet. Above the steps was a sign that read “Ladies & Gents”.

“Good God, do I even want to know what we’re doing here?” I asked. “If you say we’re meeting a stranger to A.) buy drugs or B.) engage in an act of public indecency, I’m going to have to unfriend you forever and ever, Amen.”

“Oh, don’t be such a drama queen. You’re going to love this,” Trev chided and stood behind me. He gripped each of my shoulders and ushered me down the steps. I moved forward at a wary pace, experiencing a few moments of misgiving before I stepped down into what appeared to be a tiny pub. In spite of the old bathroom tiles on the wall, it was sort of adorable. I twisted around to eye my friend. He winked. “Bet you never had a drink in a public bathroom before.”

“This is nuts. How have I never known this was here?”

Trev tipped the side of his nose. “It’s London’s best kept secret.”

I scoffed. “I should hope London has some better kept secrets than this, otherwise she’s definitely letting the side down.”

“Oh, she has many more, don’t you worry. She’s a secretive old hussy is our London,” said Trev.

Laughing, we each took a seat by the bar and I scanned the cocktail menu. “I think we should both try a new drink.”

“Good idea,” said Trev before slamming his hand down on the counter. “Barkeep! Bring us two of the most potent cocktails on your menu.”

The guy behind the bar smirked at Trev’s antics as he used a dishcloth to dry a glass. “If you’re after a Cosmo, you only have to ask. I’m sure your lovely lady friend here won’t think you less of you.”

I gasped a tiny breath at his cheekiness and looked him up and down. He was hot, if you were into bearded hipsters. Trev didn’t bat an eyelash.

“Believe me, sir, if I wanted a Cosmo, I’d order a Cosmo. My lady friend is well aware of all my manly attributes.”

I glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”

“Last summer, Camber Sands, my towel very inconveniently slipped when I was changing out of my swimming trunks, allowing you to cop quite a delightful eyeful.”

I did my best to hide my blush, because it was true. I’d seen Trev’s manhood in all its glory, and though it had only been a flash, it was enough to let me know he was well-endowed.

“The delightfulness is yet to be confirmed.”

Trev’s eyes glittered as he leaned closer. “Is that a challenge?” His breath hit my skin and I needed a subject change, pronto. I turned to the barman.

“So, any drinks suggestions?”

He pursed his lips, thinking about it. “Either of you ever tried The Zombie?”

“That sounds suitably morbid and extreme. We’ll have two,” Trev announced.

“Hold up. I want to know what’s in it first.”

“Three different types of rum, lime juice, falernum, angostura bitters, pernod, grenadine, cinnamon syrup and grapefruit juice.” The barman lifted a finger for each listed ingredient.

I grimaced. “I honestly can’t decide if that sounds revolting or delicious.”

Trev nudged me with his elbow. “You’ll just have to try it and find out.”

He eyed me meaningfully, and I knew it was a silent reminder of what tonight was all about. New experiences. Right. “Okay, but if I get an ulcer you’ll be nursing me back to health.”

Trev smiled widely. “Well, duh! I look fab in a nurse’s uniform. Starched out white’s my colour.”

A few minutes later the barman set our drinks down and I lifted mine, first taking a sniff. It was definitely potent. When I took a tentative sip it burned but in a good way. Trev let out a hoot after he downed a long gulp.

The barman shot me a little grin. “Well, what do you think?”

“I imagine it’s an acquired taste,” I answered and he chuckled, his expression warming in a way that made me wonder if he fancied me. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t the sort of woman who went around thinking every bloke fancied her just because they were friendly. But I did have my audience, as most of us do. There was a certain sort of man who found me attractive, and I was beginning to think Mr Barman was one of them.

“I’m Ash, by the way,” he said and held his hand out across the bar to me. I shook with him, aware of Trev’s attention all the while.

“Reya.”

“And I’m Trevor,” my friend finished. “Now we’re all on first name terms. How splendid.” If I wasn’t mistaken, I thought there was a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Ash nodded to him then quickly brought his attention back to me.

“So Reya, do you live around here?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could get a word in Trev interrupted. “Tell me, Ashington…”

“It’s Ashley.”

“Well, that makes it so much better. Tell me, do you always come onto other men’s girlfriends while you work, or is this just a one-time thing?”

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“No, but…”

“Well then, that answers your question.”

“No, it doesn’t. For all you know we could be married with three adorable children.”

Ash smirked. “I took a wild guess.”

“Oh yeah?”

I eyed Trev, not getting where all this hostility was coming from. He’d just told me one day I’d meet a man and fall in love, yet here he was hardly an hour later, vagina-blocking the shit out of me. I nudged him in the elbow as he stared Ash down.

“Quit being weird.”

“I’m not being weird. I’m simply questioning this young man’s ignoble intentions.”

I scoffed at that, because Ash was clearly a couple years older than Trev. Instead of engaging him, Ash reached under the counter and grabbed a pen, then proceeded to scribble something on a napkin. He set it in front of me and I peered down to see his phone number.

“In case you ever want to go out,” he said, giving Trev a look before returning his gaze to me. When he went to serve the people at the other end of the bar, I turned my attention to my friend, who at least had the decency to look sheepish. He lifted his drink and took a sip. I folded my arms and cocked my head. He pretended to peruse the liquor bottles stacked in a row along the shelf. I cleared my throat.

“Care to explain what that was all about?”

“I was saving your bacon. You don’t want to date a barman, Reyrey. Bunch of sluts, the lot of ‘em.”

“And how to do you know? Have you met every barman in the whole entire world?”

“I’ve met my fair share. Though the Greeks are by far the sluttiest. When me and the lads went to Santorini last year, there was this bartender who got off with a new bird every night. Lots of tourists there, so it was a target rich environment, but still.”

“Well, Ash doesn’t look Greek to me.”

“No, he looks like a tosser.”

“Trev!”

“What? You know it’s true. And anyway, I’m sick of this bearded trend that’s been going around. Contrary to popular belief, not all blokes look good with facial hair. They think it gives them automatic hunk status. Well, I’m sorry, but you just look like a nerd with a beard. Or a fat bloke with a beard. Or a big nosed sod with a beard.”

“Wow, you’ve really got a bee in your bonnet about this. Is it because you can’t grow one yourself?” I asking, goading him. It was rare that Trev got riled, so I was taking advantage of the opportunity to tease him.

“I’ll have you know I can grow a beard just fine. I simply choose not to. Besides, who’d want to cover up this glorious face?”

“Hmmm, sounds like the gentleman doth protest too much,” I grinned around a sip of my cocktail.

He levelled me with a serious look. “Is that another challenge?”

“Would you like it to be?”

He let out a long sigh. “No. Look, all I’m saying is, I care about you. And I don’t want you going out with some arsehole who doesn’t appreciate how wonderful you are.”

I had to admit, I was touched by the compliment and the ferocity in his voice. “Yes well, you don’t need to worry. I don’t fancy him anyway.”

Now Trev smiled. “I knew you had good taste.”

“Oh, whatever, just admit that you were jealous. And I’m not saying you were jealous in the romantic sense. I’m saying you were jealous in the possessive sense. You don’t like the idea of me dating someone, because it’d mean I wouldn’t be available at your beck and call like I am now. You might not admit it, but you need me, Trev. You’ve become accustomed to having me around.”

I finished speaking and he stared at me for a long moment, a slow, lazy smile gracing his lips. It did something weird to the pit of my stomach. “Fine, you’re right. I like having you around, and I don’t like anyone taking you away. You’re my BFF. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Ha! I knew it.”

He ran a hand down his face. “You’ve turned me into one of those psycho girls who get jealous when their bestie starts spending all their time with a new boyfriend.”

“That just about sums up your personality to a T. And I don’t even have a boyfriend yet.”

“Exactly. I’m gonna go full-on bunny boiler when you start seeing someone. I’ll probably even hire a private investigator to make sure he’s on the level, like Jennifer Anniston did when she first started seeing Brad.”

I let out a surprised chuckle. “How do you even know that?”

“I read TMZ,” he replied humorously.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.”

“I’m not lying. Now come on, drink up. We need to get a move on if we want to make it to our next destination.”