the wall and watched Charlie, Ellie’s older brother, attempt to fend off a mousy brunette. From the helpless looks he sent my way, it didn’t look like it was going well. The poor chick had followed him all the way from the jazz café where he’d played his guitar set, and she looked pretty smitten.
Beside me, Charlie’s friend Joe laughed. “You should go help him out,” I said halfheartedly.
Joe laughed again, loud enough for people to look over at him. “No chance. This is way too funny.”
He had a point. The chick wasn’t taking no for an answer, and Charlie was too polite to be rude.
“Her friend’s pretty hot.”
I peered over Joe’s shoulder at the girl who stood next to the brunette. She didn’t look that hot to me, all cleavage and makeup. She was the kind of girl who gave you a nasty surprise in the morning, and I said so.
Joe shrugged. “So don’t stick around.”
I laughed, all too aware how many times I’d done just that. Not recently, though. My last dalliance with a woman had put me off chicks for a while, and my head was full of men. Shit, who was I kidding? My head was full of one man—Pete. I didn’t tell Joe that. I’d only met him a few times, and though he always greeted me like he’d known me forever, I still didn’t know him at all.
“Do you want to shoot some pool?”
I grabbed my beer from the bar. “Sure. You think he’ll find us when he escapes?”
Joe smirked. “That’s not going to happen anytime soon. I’ve seen that chick before; she’s pretty tenacious.”
I didn’t know what the word meant, but we abandoned Charlie, despite his pleading looks, and moved away from the bar to the pool table. I’d won and lost a game before Charlie finally made his escape and stumbled over to join us.
Charlie carelessly slung a glass of what smelled like gin down on the table and reached for my beer. I passed it to him before he could knock it over. Aside from Ellie, he was probably the closest thing I had to a friend, but he was a nightmare when he was tanked. “What did you say to get rid of her?”
“I said I was married,” he said around the bottle. “To a man.”
I glanced warily at Joe, but he just laughed. “Dude, that’s fucking desperate. She’s not that bad. Who did you say you were with, me or him?”
“Ash, I think.”
Joe’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? What’s wrong with me?”
Charlie frowned and fumbled with his phone. “He’s prettier, according to them, anyway. What’s the matter, J? Jealous?”
“Aw, damn.” Joe bent to take a shot before he turned to me and pouted. “You might be a pretty boy, but I bet I’ve got a bigger dick.”
“Mine’s bigger than both of yours.” Charlie dropped his phone on the table with a clatter and reached for his zipper. “Want to see?”
Joe sighed, like he’d had the same conversation a hundred times before. “Chas, shut the fuck up. Ash doesn’t want to see your dick.”
I rolled my eyes and took my shot. It seemed that neither of them remembered I’d seen Charlie’s dick before, twice, and it wasn’t that big. Thankfully, Charlie was easily distracted, and the night rolled on without him dropping his pants. We were just finishing up on the pool table when I suddenly felt a tingling on the back of my neck, like someone was watching me. I spun around, the game forgotten, but no one was looking my way.
Charlie waved his hand in front of my face. “You okay?”
“Hmm?”
Joe appeared beside me. “The cue, Ash. Let it go.”
Shit. I released my grip on the cue. Joe stared at me, a faint frown creasing his forehead. I wanted to say something, to clear the air and convince him I wasn’t a freak, but nothing came out.
Charlie dropped his hand on my shoulder, his familiar touch just enough to chase the strange feeling away. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go next door. They’ve got better whiskey.”
The next bar was just as crowded, but it was relaxed and mellow. We found a
Beside me, Charlie’s friend Joe laughed. “You should go help him out,” I said halfheartedly.
Joe laughed again, loud enough for people to look over at him. “No chance. This is way too funny.”
He had a point. The chick wasn’t taking no for an answer, and Charlie was too polite to be rude.
“Her friend’s pretty hot.”
I peered over Joe’s shoulder at the girl who stood next to the brunette. She didn’t look that hot to me, all cleavage and makeup. She was the kind of girl who gave you a nasty surprise in the morning, and I said so.
Joe shrugged. “So don’t stick around.”
I laughed, all too aware how many times I’d done just that. Not recently, though. My last dalliance with a woman had put me off chicks for a while, and my head was full of men. Shit, who was I kidding? My head was full of one man—Pete. I didn’t tell Joe that. I’d only met him a few times, and though he always greeted me like he’d known me forever, I still didn’t know him at all.
“Do you want to shoot some pool?”
I grabbed my beer from the bar. “Sure. You think he’ll find us when he escapes?”
Joe smirked. “That’s not going to happen anytime soon. I’ve seen that chick before; she’s pretty tenacious.”
I didn’t know what the word meant, but we abandoned Charlie, despite his pleading looks, and moved away from the bar to the pool table. I’d won and lost a game before Charlie finally made his escape and stumbled over to join us.
Charlie carelessly slung a glass of what smelled like gin down on the table and reached for my beer. I passed it to him before he could knock it over. Aside from Ellie, he was probably the closest thing I had to a friend, but he was a nightmare when he was tanked. “What did you say to get rid of her?”
“I said I was married,” he said around the bottle. “To a man.”
I glanced warily at Joe, but he just laughed. “Dude, that’s fucking desperate. She’s not that bad. Who did you say you were with, me or him?”
“Ash, I think.”
Joe’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? What’s wrong with me?”
Charlie frowned and fumbled with his phone. “He’s prettier, according to them, anyway. What’s the matter, J? Jealous?”
“Aw, damn.” Joe bent to take a shot before he turned to me and pouted. “You might be a pretty boy, but I bet I’ve got a bigger dick.”
“Mine’s bigger than both of yours.” Charlie dropped his phone on the table with a clatter and reached for his zipper. “Want to see?”
Joe sighed, like he’d had the same conversation a hundred times before. “Chas, shut the fuck up. Ash doesn’t want to see your dick.”
I rolled my eyes and took my shot. It seemed that neither of them remembered I’d seen Charlie’s dick before, twice, and it wasn’t that big. Thankfully, Charlie was easily distracted, and the night rolled on without him dropping his pants. We were just finishing up on the pool table when I suddenly felt a tingling on the back of my neck, like someone was watching me. I spun around, the game forgotten, but no one was looking my way.
Charlie waved his hand in front of my face. “You okay?”
“Hmm?”
Joe appeared beside me. “The cue, Ash. Let it go.”
Shit. I released my grip on the cue. Joe stared at me, a faint frown creasing his forehead. I wanted to say something, to clear the air and convince him I wasn’t a freak, but nothing came out.
Charlie dropped his hand on my shoulder, his familiar touch just enough to chase the strange feeling away. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go next door. They’ve got better whiskey.”
The next bar was just as crowded, but it was relaxed and mellow. We found a
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