polished
tile floor as she hurried to the street and quickly turned left to
the door she was seeking.
Before she turned on the sidewalk to look at it, she closed
her eyes, shifted to face the building, made a silent wish and
opened her eyes.
Damn!
A solid black door with Danny's Pub emblazoned in ugly
white letters over it.
Sighing, she opened the door and entered, captured at
once by the din of voices and the blaring of two large
television sets hung at either end of the bar. Just like the
other time she'd been here, the place was jammed. There
10
Intermission
by Desiree Holt
was a mixture of couples and singles, and she was sure the
singles were looking to be a couple. With someone. Anyone.
Lisa turned to go, chalking this up as a bad idea, when she
saw a woman at the far end of the bar leave her seat and
lean against the man who'd been whispering in her ear. Lisa
managed to wedge her way through the masses of people
and snag the empty stool before someone else could grab it.
Hoisting herself up, she took off her suit jacket, ran her
fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. Surely there
was someone here who could tell her she wasn't imagining
things. Someone who would give her answers about this very
strange place.
"Okay if I lean over you to catch the bartender's eye?"
The male voice was deep, smoky, and vaguely familiar.
She turned her head and nearly fell off the stool.
"Mark?" It came out as a squeak.
It was Mark. Only...not Mark at all. This man, instead of
being impeccably turned out in an expensive custom-tailored
suit, was wearing jeans and a v-neck sweater. His hair was
just as dark, but instead of being carefully cut, it lay in thick,
rumpled waves on his head, almost touching the tip of the
sweater. A definite stubble shadowed his square jaw.
Lisa stared, unable to tear her eyes away from him. Was
someone playing a trick on her? Or had she truly lost her
mind?
The man stared back at her, humour dancing in his eyes
and a wicked grin on his face.
"Were you expecting someone?"
11
Intermission
by Desiree Holt
She shook her head as if to clear it. "No. You just
reminded me so much of someone I...sort of know."
"Well, I'm Jake, and now, you sort of know me." He
winked. "Can I buy you a drink to cement the introduction?"
Lisa was tempted to refuse, but maybe, this was a sign.
Fate had sent a man closely resembling Mark to this bar with
a different name. Maybe he'd be the one to clear up the
mystery. Besides—and go figure this—she got the same
throbbing beat in her cunt, the same release of cream
soaking her crotch that she did when Mark spoke to her. Just
his words, his voice, could make her hot and ready in
seconds.
"Um, yes. Thanks." She wriggled in her seat, trying to still
the quivering muscles in her pussy. "That would be nice."
He tilted his head, studying her. "Let's see. I'm pretty good
at this. You look like a vodka stinger kind of woman."
Lisa's heart almost stopped. How would he know that?
Usually when she was out on a date, or a possible hook up,
she stuck to wine. It didn't fog her brain as much. But vodka
stingers were what she'd been drinking both times with Mark.
Something was definitely weird here.
She waited until the bartender came over and took their
orders before asking her question. "So, do you come here a
lot? To this place?"
"Now and then. I don't think I've ever seen you here. Have
I?"
She shook her head. "I'm sure I'd remember. It's just
that..." She let her voice trail off, wondering how to phrase
her next sentence.
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Intermission
by Desiree Holt
"Just that what?" he prompted.
"I know this will sound like I need a straitjacket, but
sometimes do you ever find this place, well, different?"
"Different?" He raised one thick eyebrow. "In what way?"
"I mean..." She wet her lips. "Like different inside."
Holy shit. He'll really think I'm a head case. I would if I
were him.
But Jake just laughed. "Not
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