And it’s not.
I wipe down the bar one last time, satisfied that the rooftop is clean and ready for business tonight, then walk back downstairs to help Adam man the bar. Our third bartender will arrive in about an hour, and I’ll send her upstairs.
I may not want to date him, but I’m not going to pass up the chance to watch Declan play. Masochistic? Probably, but I can’t help it.
“Did you tell him to fuck off?” Adam asks as he pours a beer and I join him.
“I’m not talking about this here.”
“He looked like you told him to fuck off,” he continues, completely ignoring my statement. “But, in my defense, I warned you, Cal.”
“Shut up,” I reply and walk to the other end of the bar, smile at a customer, and focus on what I do best, work. “What can I get you?”
“Gin and tonic,” the girl replies and flashes me her ID. I turn to fill her order, my eyes skimming the room, looking for Declan. He should be on stage in a few minutes. I find him standing at a table, laughing. I don’t recognize the two women he’s talking to, but his hand is resting on the small of the slender brunette’s back, and the other brunette, more petite than the first, is laughing and gazing at Declan like he’s the best thing since the invention of the cosmopolitan she’s sipping.
Tramps.
I shake my head and continue to serve drinks. The thing is, those girls don’t look like tramps. They look like people I would like.
And maybe that’s what pisses me off the most.
“What’ll you have?” I ask a tall, light brown-haired guy standing with his head turned the other way. When he looks at me, my eyes widen and I feel myself smile. “Pete?”
“Callie? Holy shit, I didn’t realize you were home!”
I run around the bar and hug Pete tight, then walk back around and grin. “What’ll it be? On the house.”
“A hurricane,” he replies, his familiar brown eyes shining. “How are you, Cal? I was sure sorry to hear about your daddy.”
“Thanks.” I settle in, building Pete’s drink, thankful to have a friendly person to talk to. “I’m doing okay. Renovating this place has helped a lot.”
“It’s fantastic,” Pete says and sits on a stool, as if he’s going to stay and chat. “And so is this drink.”
“Just one of my many talents.”
“I remember,” he says, his eyes wandering up and down my body. I’ve changed a lot since we were sixteen and I lost my virginity to him in his childhood bedroom. Of course, so has he. Pete and I dated until we graduated from high school, and then it just felt right to break it off and go our separate ways.
Long gone is the tall and lanky boy that charmed me back then. He’s filled out, not super muscular, but not big. He’s a man now. Unfortunately, there isn’t the chemistry here that I feel every time Declan enters a room, but it’s great to see Pete.
“What are you up to these days?” I ask.
“Real estate,” he says and pulls a business card out of his back pocket, passing it to me.
“Really? Hold on.” I hold my finger up, signaling for him to wait, just as Declan takes the stage and the crowd cheers. I fill several more orders, and when I’m satisfied that all the customers are taken care of, I turn back to Pete. “I may be in the market for a real estate agent.”
Pete’s eyes narrow just a bit and he leans forward. “Is that so?”
“It is. I like to flip houses, I’m pretty good at it, and I’ve been thinking about finding something down here to sink my teeth into.”
“I’m pretty sure I can help you out with that. You have my number. Just call any time.”
“I will.” I smile and tuck his card in my bra. I don’t have any pockets in this dress. “Thanks.”
Pete takes a sip of his drink. “I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
I laugh and shake my head. “No. You don’t.”
“Good to know.” He winks and then takes his drink and stands. “I’ll talk to you soon.”