“There you are!” Mindy yelled across the small bar. I offered a wave, hating that everyone turned to look at my entrance. Big windows let the light shine through the lightly painted walls with modern dangling lights. It wasn’t your typical dark bar. I liked how clean and fresh it was. It made me not feel like I was in college again the few times Mindy and I stumbled out after one too many vodka tonics.
Mindy was sitting with a few coordinators, and to my horror, Timothy was plopped across from her an empty beer mug in front of him. He never came out with us. I’m sure Mindy was thrilled, but I was mortified. He wasn’t a moron and knew what was happening in Craft’s office.
His face reddened when he saw me, then he called over the waiter to order another drink.
Yeah, I might need a few of those, too.
“I’ve got your favorite waiting for you!” Mindy said with enthusiasm, patting the empty seat next to her.
Trying to hold in my apprehension toward sitting so close to Timothy, I joined her, taking a huge swig from the full tumbler.
“Thirsty? I guess I can’t blame you,” she giggled, taking a drink from her own glass.
I glared at her. We weren’t going to talk about this in front of our co-workers.
Eventually people from our office began to thin out, and by the time I had two drinks, it was only Mindy, Timothy, and a few interns left.
“I can’t believe he came out,” Mindy whispered into my ear. “He never comes out with us!” She was giddy from the alcohol. Tonight might be the night she hits on him. I’m not sure I could hang if she invited him to another bar with us. It was hard enough sitting across from him.
“Maybe he had a rough week, too,” I mumbled, finishing the rest of my glass. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
She giggled and scrunched her face. “I have no regrets. It’s not like I’m going to sleep with him.” She winked at me then stood from her chair. “Tim, what made you decide to come out tonight?”
He shrugged his shoulders, watching Mindy move around the table and approach him.
I smiled. By the way Mindy was batting her eyelashes, he had no idea what he was in for.
I shook my head, trying to contain my laughter. I needed another drink, and the waiter wasn’t moving fast enough. Finding my way to the bar, I slide on the end where a man was sitting by himself, waving one of the bartenders down. “Can I get another vodka tonic with a cucumber slice please?”
He nodded, then began making the drink.
“How many of those are you going to have?” A deep timbre came from the man sitting next to me.
A shiver went down my spine. I knew that voice. It had given me two orgasms today.
My head whipped in his direction. There he was, wearing an Indian’s baseball t-shirt and baseball cap with faded jeans. I almost didn’t recognize Mr. Craft so dressed down. He was always in a button up with fancy dress slacks and shiny shoes. I’d never seen him sporting a pair of Nikes.
“Ms. Neely,” he greeted, resituating his baseball cap.
“Mr. Craft,” I mimicked, still a bit dumbfounded why he was here, standing next to me in a bar. He never came out with us, and by how he was sitting at the end of the bar, I assumed he didn’t want anything to do with the rest of his employees.
The bartender set a drink in front of me, and Craft gave him a nod. He left before I could get a wad of cash from my pocket. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, taking a sip from his glass.
“I don’t have a tab opened,” I said, setting a ten on the table. Craft grabbed the ten and held it out for me to take. “It’s on me.”
I scowled at him. “You don’t get to buy me a drink.”
He ignored me, then slipped the money in my front pocket. I slapped his hand, then pointed my finger at him. “Don’t fucking touch me,” I hissed.
His forehead lifted under his cap. “Then take the money when I give it to you.”
“Why are you even here?” I muttered, checking over my shoulder. Mindy and Timothy were focused on each other while the few interns laughed obnoxiously and flirted with the waiter. Explains why he didn’t come to refill my glass fast enough.
“I don’t think they’re missing you,” he said flatly, taking another drink. “Sit down.”
“So you’re a demanding asshole outside of work, too?”
He glared at me. “Don’t you get enough of those people during your lunch break?”
I crossed my arms. “Normally I would, but someone else took up my time today during lunch.”
He smirked into his glass. “I think your lunch break was well spent.”
“Going over a Power Point presentation? Please.”
His eyes gleamed. “Is that what we’re going to call it?”
“It was.”
“So is that what happened later in the day, too? We were going over a Power Point presentation?”
I shook my head in frustration. “Why are you here?”
He nodded toward the bartender. “I’m having a drink at my buddy’s bar.”
I scowled at him. “Are you in cognito?”
He met my scowl. “Why would you say that?”
“Because you’re hiding like a creep from your employees at the end of the bar, drinking by yourself.”
He stood from the barstool, turning to face me. He had more of that woodsy cologne on, and I had to fight myself to not lean in closer. “I’m not by myself.”
I looked around, wondering who he’d come with. Was he here with one of those stupid interns? Probably the girl he met with before me this morning. My mood soured at the thought. “Well, I won’t keep you,” I muttered, swapping the ten he’d put in my pocket for my drink.
Craft grabbed my arm to stop me from leaving. “Are you always this stubborn?” His jaw was tense. He didn’t like that I was being so cold to him.
“I don’t like it when people pay for my drinks.”
“I was referring to you being with me. Now let me buy you a drink.”
I laughed. “I didn’t come with you.”
His stare met mine. “Okay, then leave with me.”
“Why on earth would I do that?” I said in bewilderment.
The cocky grin he sported when he thought he was God’s gift to women spread across his face. “Because we have some unfinished business.”
I pulled my arm from his grasp. “You would think that. We have nothing more to do.”
He bit his lip. “This side of you would be killer in a sales meeting.”
“Odd of you to say that, considering you keep me around to be your paper pusher. Clearly you’ve got other intentions for me now.”
He scowled in confusion. “Paper pusher?”
My eyes rolled to the ceiling. “Yeah, Craft. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go back to my friends.”
He didn’t grab my arm this time, and I was thankful. I’d left him standing at the bar in confusion, one upping him again. But this time I didn’t feel as good about it. It was supposed to be thrilling and give me confidence, instead I just felt like a complete bitch.
“Where did you go?” Mindy asked. She was practically sitting on Timothy’s lap, her body being held upright by his thigh. He didn’t look like he was complaining, or that he had a worry in the world.
“Another drink, since our server is enthralled with the interns,” I said, holding up my glass then taking a big gulp.
Mindy and Timothy laughed.
“Hey, come here,” Mindy yelled to the server. He popped his head from the small group of blondes, then made his way toward us.
“Sorry, can I get you another round?” He offered.
Mindy nodded. “Please. Don’t bother flirting with them, they don’t get paid shit and I hear they all have crabs.”
I covered my mouth and laughed. Did she really just say that?
The server squinted and glanced down at the interns. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
The second he left, the three of us had burst into laughter.