Live Wire (Ramsey Security #2)

Minka talks during the entire drive to the bar called Limerick. I barely listen to her, but I suspect she knows I'm not listening. Minka mainly talks about her favorite drinks over the years. I can't imagine this list is meant to interest me.

Her voice fades in my mind, and I instead hear Brad warning me not to flirt with other men. Is he playing with me? Does he think my lust is funny? No, I doubt he does. I think he really imagines us together. This idea upsets me more than if he was toying with my feelings.

Arriving at Limerick, we find stools at the bar and order drinks. Minka also orders cheesy fries, so she can show me how sexy she looks eating cheesy fries.

"You look stupid," I say after watching her down a few bites.

"Jealous much?"

Fighting the urge to smile at her confidence, I feel someone behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I find a skinny man wearing a hopeful grin.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asks me.

Still glancing at him over my shoulder, I unleash my dark stare on him. He backs away without saying another word and disappears into the crowd of bodies.

"I love when you do that," Minka says with a mouthful of cheesy fries.

"Thanks, but I'm not sure what we're doing here. I don't drink. If I get drunk enough, I might vomit on you."

"That's cool. I'll clean you up and take lots of pictures to share with the team. We'll have a good laugh and move on with our lives. No biggie."

Nodding, I admire Minka's easy way at seeing life. "Well then bottom's up."

I down a shot of whiskey and shudder at the awful taste.

"Tell me five things you like about Brad," Minka asks, sipping her shot.

"He has beautiful eyes. His smile is sexy. I like his chest and shoulders. His hair is really soft. How many was that?" I ask, downing another shot.

"I wasn't counting. So does Brad possess any qualities unrelated to being a sexy male specimen?"

Downing a third shot, I give the alcohol a chance to kick in. The whiskey burns from my throat down to my gut. I think about Brad and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"He doesn't fear me," I say and then add, "Because he doesn't know the real me."

"Uh, fairly sure that guy who offered to buy you a drink didn't know the real you, yet he's changing his underwear now. Even at a glance, you're a scary broad."

"Brad doesn't know what I'm capable of."

"No one truly knows another person, but why do they need to? Why can't he want the Saskia you are right now rather than dealing with all the baggage from before?"

When I give her a grumpy frown, Minka orders me another shot. "Do you really think I'll tell my future perfect man all my dirty secrets? Fuck no. I don't need to know all his bullshit either. The only shit I care about is what kind of man is he when we meet. Or what kind of man he'll be in the future. I don't care about the past. We all fucked up in the past, so no reason to think too hard about it."

"Can life really be as simple as deciding to make it simple?"

"Sure, why the fuck not?"

Smiling easier now, I take one of the fries. "Were you sad when Troy chose Darla?"

"No. He's my friend, and I want him to be happy. More importantly, I like her, and I want her to be happy. It worked out for everyone."

"Do you think it's easier for women to forgive evil from their men than the other way around?"

Minka sighs. "Most definitely. Women are ruled by their vaginas, and vaginas have no morals."

"Men are ruled by their dicks, and dicks have no morals either."

"Yeah, men will fuck anyone, but love is different. Dicks don't come with all the feelings and hormonal shit our vaginas do. Human dating rituals are very complicated, and I skipped a lot of those classes in high school. I just know men get freaked out by scary women like women don't get freaked by scary men."

"I suspect our figurative balls are bigger than theirs, and they find that intimidating."

"Probably. My figurative balls can't fit into most rooms."

The whiskey hitting me, I laugh loudly at her comment. Minka orders a round of nachos and moves us to a booth.

"I worry my figurative balls will scare off Brad," I say once we're sitting away from the kitchen and dance floor.

"And you're thinking about keeping him?"

"I shouldn't think that, but he's under my skin," I mumble, scratching at my arm as if to dig out Brad. "I thought a night of hot fucking would help get me past this feeling. I was wrong."

"Blame your vagina. They're horrible decision makers."

My mind swims from the liquor, and her vagina talk makes me laugh too much. By the time the nachos arrive, I'm starving.

"Brad's mother hates me," I tell Minka who's studying the menu. "She wishes he liked you."

"Can you blame her? I'm very likable."

"I wish I could be more likable."

Minka frowns at me. "Do you really, or are you just saying that because you're drunk?"

"I don't know."

"Do you really want to change? I thought you were pretty solid with being cold and scary."

"I am, but I don't think Brad is. I know his mom isn't. Nell barely acknowledges me."

"Nell is shy. She thinks people are judging her, so she hides in plain sight."