“Hello beautiful,” the stranger says in a low voice.
I turn to him with a coy smile on my lips. “Hello.”
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks, grinning like he’s going to get lucky tonight.
As if I’m that easy.
Or interested.
He’s attractive enough, he’s just not what I’m looking for.
Or who.
“Thanks but I think I’m set,” I reply, lifting my bottle in the air.
“May I ask where you’re from?” he says, and he moves closer to me.
I always get asked this, and I always answer the same.
“Australia,” I reply, raising an eyebrow.
“Well yes,” he says. “But where are you from originally?”
“Australia,” I say once more. “Born and bred.”
“Oh,” he replies.
I smile and put him out of his misery. “My mother is Sri Lankan.”
He nods his head like he knows exactly where that is.
“Want to dance?” he asks, staring at my chest. You’d think he would at least try to be subtle about it—but no.
“No thanks. My boyfriend over there,” I say, tilting my head towards Tag, “is insanely jealous. So I don’t think that would be a good idea. But I’m flattered.”
He stares at Tag, probably taking in his muscular body—shown off in a tight white t-shirt and jeans, his bald head, and narrowed gaze.
“Lucky man,” he says after a while. Awww. That’s sweet.
“I sure think so,” I reply, sliding off my stool and stumbling slightly.
Tag quickly walks around the bar, telling some chick working there to man the fort as he takes me by my elbow. He looks down at me with an amused look on his face. “You’re a heartbreaker, you know that right?”
“I am not,” I reply, as his arm goes around my waist. “I’m not that drunk you know.”
“I’ll quickly drive you home and get your car dropped off later tonight,” he says, ignoring my comment.
Luckily I live close by.
“Okay but don’t tell anyone you drove the beast. Ryder would kick my ass,” I say, slurring my words a little.
Tag laughs. “Looks like the tequila is finally hitting you.”
I shake my head. “No it isn’t.”
“So, are you dating someone?” he asks.
“No, why?” I ask as he opens his car door and helps me in.
“Because that’s not what I heard,” he replies, smirking at me before closing the door.
I have to wait for him to slide into the driver’s seat before I can question him.
“Explain,” I demand.
“Just heard that you and Saxon have something going on,” he says, shrugging his broad shoulders.
He’s a sexy man. That bald head really works for him. And that goatee—yum.
“That’s not what’s happening at all,” I mutter, folding my arms across my chest. My boobs are big so really I’m just resting my arms on top of them.
“That’s not what I heard,” he cajoles, clearly liking that he’s annoying me.
“Heard from who?” I ask, turning my body towards him. “Perth is too small of a city.”
I swear, everyone knows everyone’s business.
“Just around. Saxon is a good guy—trust me you could do a lot worse.”
“I could do a lot worse? What a ringing endorsement,” I grumble.
He laughs, which annoys me, and says, “I’m sure you’ve already done worse.”
Yes I have—him.
I pretend like I’m going to throw up in his car and the laughter immediately stops.
Then I start laughing.
“You’re such a pain in the ass,” he grumbles, pulling into the car park at my apartment.
“You love me,” I reply, looking in my handbag for my apartment key. After a while he gets frustrated and takes my bag from me, grabbing the key out himself.
“Impatient!” I growl.
He grins back at me. “I have to get back to work woman. Come on I’ll make sure you get in safe.”
“You’re so good to me Tag,” I say dramatically, batting my eyelashes at him.
“I was good to you that one night,” he says as he helps me to my front door.
“You had to bring that up, didn’t you?” I say to him on a sigh. Tag and I may have slept together. Once. It was years ago when I was in my first year of law school. We had a one-night stand and somehow became friends after that. He likes to irritate me and bring up ‘the time we f**ked’ every now and again. Once, when we were arguing at the bar, he used it as a comeback.
“Tag why is your shirt on backwards?” I’d said, laughing and pointing. “Did you make a trip to the back office?”
“Remember the time I took you to the back office?” he replied.
Everyone around us gasped at the information, and I punched him in the stomach.
Good times.
He gets me in safely and then heads back to work. In a moment of weakness, I pull out my phone and text Saxon:
Tee- Hi.
I hit send.
He replies instantly.
Saxon- Hi? What are you doing up so late?
Tee- Went to the bar. How’s the tour going?
I check four times to make sure I spelt everything properly, then I put my phone down and have a quick shower then fall asleep in my bed.
Naked.
Chapter Eight