Jenna felt like she was getting some bought-and-paid-for escort, but Liz insisted the guy was a friend of hers, and that he wasn’t in any way involved in sports.
She had to work, but Liz said she’d bring him by after she finished with a client meeting, so it might be around eight or so, which was fine with her since she was stuck at the bar anyway.
With Ty, who had a day off.
She really wished he and his friends would find another bar to hang out in. But since it would be epically bad for her business to tell him and his friends to take a hike, she’d have to suck it up. Sports figures were a huge deal at Riley’s. They made her customers happy, and anything that made her customers happy was good for Riley’s.
It appeared Victor had coupled up with Lisa, the platinum blonde bar bunny who was also a regular, and Eddie had finally come up with the courage to ask Renee out, so now the two of them were dating. And since Ty, Victor, and Eddie were pretty much best friends, it made sense for Ty to hang out with his buddies.
Still, she couldn’t help but think he frequented her bar because of her and his interest in her.
Though he hadn’t exactly acted interested the last few times he’d been in here, not since the day after the wedding when she’d effectively shut him down cold.
God, she’d been such a bitch about it, too. Rude and dismissive, as if what they’d shared the night before hadn’t meant anything at all, when it had been the best night she’d had in at least a year—possibly longer.
Which was why it could never happen again.
Seeing him again reminded her of just how good it had been, which made her want it to happen again, which just made everything worse, and made her bitchy and cranky.
Maybe if Ty saw her moving on with a new guy, he’d move on, too, and they could both get past what had happened the night of the wedding.
She hoped Liz was great at choosing men. This had to work.
Liz showed up a little after ten, later than she thought she’d be. But Dylan, the guy Liz brought with her, was worth the wait.
He was a suit, but hot as hell in a suit. Light brown hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and the kind of smile that lit up a room. Very tall and well built, and every woman stopped and stared when he walked in. He had an easygoing presence about him that commanded attention. He looked rugged and full of masculinity, but he was friendly. She liked that.
He hung out at the bar with her and Liz, but he was focused on her. She took a break, putting Renee behind the bar since traffic was light.
That meant Eddie gravitated toward the bar and kept Renee company, but as long as she did her job, Jenna didn’t mind.
Dylan drank whiskey and soda.
A man’s drink. She liked that about him.
He was a lawyer. Self-deprecating, funny, charming.
“I travel a lot, which doesn’t leave me a lot of time for dating,” he said.
“I’m always working, so the same.”
He leaned toward her. “I would think you’d get hit on all the time, considering your occupation.”
“Not really. I have regulars. They’re pretty protective. And I don’t date all that often. I’m picky.”
He looked her over. “So am I.”
She didn’t seem at all his type. He should be running with some model or someone in the corporate world, not a girl with tattoos, piercings, and purple streaks in her hair. She wondered what he saw in her.
“What do you like to do in your off time, Dylan?”
“I go boating in the summer. I like the outdoors. Hiking, camping, water skiing, riding my bike. I’m not much for sitting around doing nothing.”
“You must hate the winter, then.”
He laughed. “I spend a lot of time at the gym. There’s a rock wall at my gym and I climb it every chance I get. Fortunately, I have some clients in Colorado, so I do some snowboarding and skiing.”
Not exactly sports, but he was a definite jock. And when Ty came over to talk to Eddie, Dylan’s radar went off.
“Hey, isn’t that Tyler Anderson and Eddie Wolkowski from the Ice?”
“It is.”
“You know them?” He gave her a hopeful look.
“I do. I’m surprised Liz didn’t mention that they were both her clients.”
He turned his attention to Elizabeth. “You never told me you knew them.”
Liz shrugged. “The subject never came up.”
“Man, I’m a huge hockey fan. Can I get an intro?”
“Sure. Come with me.” Jenna took his hand while Liz fumed silently.
This would be comical if it wasn’t so ironic.
“Hey, Tyler, Eddie, this is Dylan Manchester. He’s a big fan of yours.”
Tyler’s gaze roamed over hers before turning to Dylan. He shook his hand.
“Always nice to meet a fan. Hi, Dylan.”
Eddie shook his hand, and before she knew it Dylan had abandoned her for the sports stars.
Fine with her. She had to get back behind the bar anyway. Renee took off to see to her customers at the tables, and Liz pinned her with a suspicious look.
“It’s like you planned this.”