Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) (10 page)

“Non-food dessert? Is that what you’re
calling sex nowadays?” I enjoyed talking about sex with Colin. The
idea had my heart beating a little faster.

“It sounded wittier in my head.”

“I bet.” We reached the little park, and I
set aside my bike. Colin joined me on a bench, leaving the socially
acceptable amount of space between us.

“So what have you been up to? How were those
big plans on Friday?” He opened the little sip spot on my coffee
and handed it to me

I half coughed and half laughed. “Not going
there.”

He grinned. “Oh, come on. Now you have to
tell me.”

I shook my head. “No way.”

He leaned in and gave me that puppy-dog look
of his. “Please. I want to know.”

I thought over all the reasons not to tell
him, and then realized it wasn’t something that reflected bad on
me.

“I went out with a guy who tried to get me to
have sex with him—” I purposely waited a beat. Colin looked
confused. “And his wife.”

“What?” He’d been ready to sip his coffee but
stopped. “You can’t be serious.”

“Uh-huh. Evidently, being a bartender means
I’m that kind of girl.” I left out the part about egging on the
college guys.

“Well, I can promise you I won’t ask you to
do that.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean, I don’t have a wife. It would have
to be a different girl.”

I playfully pushed his shoulder. “Needless to
say, I didn’t stick around long after that.”

“I bet. See? My non-food dessert thing isn’t
that bad, is it?”

I laughed. “No. Not at all.”

***

“I need to get a car.” Finally satisfied with
the way I looked, I waited for Brody by the front door. I felt like
a fifteen-year-old waiting for her dad to drive her somewhere.
Colin said he’d pick me up, but he was cooking so it seemed
annoying to have him come over and get me, and I didn’t want to
have to leave my bike at Colin’s when he drove me home.

“Yes, you do. Just find something cheap and
used.” Brody was always the practical one.

“Or get your damn car back from your parents’
house,” Macon called from the kitchen.

“No. That car comes with strings
attached.”

“You make it sound like it’s a freaking
Porsche. It’s a ten-year-old Civic.”

“I’m not going to get it.”

“Because you’re too cheap to pay the
insurance on it?”

“No, I don’t want to admit I need it.”

“Ohhh, the truth comes out.” Macon hopped up
to take a seat on the counter. “Quit being such a baby.”

“I don’t want to face them.”

“You’ll have to eventually. They’re your
parents. Seeing them kind of goes with the territory of being their
child.”

“Says the guy living in his parents’
condo.”

“Hey, I don’t look a gift horse in the
mouth.”

I sighed. “I know. I can’t change it tonight
anyway.”

“If you want to get there on time, we should
go.” Brody gestured to the microwave clock. I’d have asked Macon
for the ride first, but he was taking out a night dive.

“See you later, Macon.”

“You mean tomorrow?”

“You have a date I don’t know about?” He was
never out too late with a dive.

“I’m talking about you not being home until
tomorrow.”

I thought about Colin’s ‘no non-food dessert’
comment. “I doubt that, but you never know.”

Macon smiled. “Yeah, you never know.”

***

Brody stopped outside of a two-story beach
house. I wasn’t sure how much Colin raked in, but that place
couldn’t have been cheap. I double-checked the address he’d texted
me. It matched.

Brody stared out his window. “Damn. Nice
place. Have fun, Maddy.”

“Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem. Call me if you need a lift
home.”

“Thanks. I owe you.”

“Do my laundry again?”

I laughed. “Sure. Do you hate it that much?”
I didn’t like having to drag my clothes to the laundry room in
college, but I didn’t mind now that I had a washer and dryer in the
condo.

“I can’t stand it.”

“It’s a deal then.” I held out my hand to
shake his. “See you later.” Laundry was one of those chores I
enjoyed. I’d never admit it to Macon though, because he’d be having
me do his clothes every week. Fun or not, washing the underwear of
a guy you weren’t dating was weird. It was bad enough doing it for
Brody a few times; I didn’t need to do Macon’s too.

I slowly walked up the porch steps. Going to
Colin’s place was nerve-racking. I turned around and noticed Brody
waiting. He was too nice of a guy.

I knocked on the light yellow door, trying to
make out the faint music coming from inside.

Colin threw open the door. “Hey. Come in.” He
smiled, looking beyond appealing in his light green shirt.

I stepped in and turned around to wave to
Brody.

“Who drove you?” Colin asked with
interest.

“Brody.” I said it casually, but I knew how
it probably seemed from the outside. Macon helping me out made
sense, but Brody didn’t have the childhood friend excuse. I think
he legitimately cared.

“You guys are close, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “Close probably isn’t the word,
but we have fun. He’s a good friend.”

“He seems nice.” Colin took my hand and led
me into the kitchen. “What about Macon? He’s the one you know
better?”

I tried not to let his questions annoy me.
They were normal questions for a guy to ask a girl he was dating.
“Macon and I have been friends forever.”

“That’s cool. I have a few friends like
that.”

“That’s nice.”

He gestured to two French doors. “I’m
grilling steak.”

“Oh cool.” He hadn’t checked with me to see
my food preferences. Lucky for him, I loved red meat. “Who is
this?” I gestured up to the speakers.

“It’s Lost in the Trees.”

“Cool. Never heard of them.”

“My little sister is really into finding
less-known and indie music. She makes it her job to introduce me to
new bands all the time.”

“How old is she?”

“Carly is twenty-one.”

“Is she your only sibling?”

“No. I have an older sister named Kim.” He
pushed a pile of mail over to the corner of the island. “Do you
have any siblings?”

“Yeah. I have an older brother.”

“So you’re the baby of your family?”

“Yup. Are you the typical middle child?”

“Yes and no.”

“Any explanation for that?” I leaned a hand
on the back of one of the stools at the island.

“I’ll let you tell me what you think.”

“I don’t actually know what ‘typical middle
child’ means. I keep picturing Jan from
The Brady
Bunch
.”

“That’s the second ‘old person’ thing you’ve
said lately.”

“What? You don’t know what I’m talking
about?” I put my hands into the back pockets of my short dark-wash
jean skirt.

“I do, but I’m picturing you watching
Brady Bunch
reruns.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing. What
else is there to do on a Friday night?”

“Go out with me.” He put his hand right next
to mine, and I wondered if he was going to move it to hold
mine.

“Usually you wait until the end of the date
before asking for another one.”

“Yeah, well, I’m very determined to get you
to agree.” He smiled. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Oh, only if you’re having something.”

“I was going to have a beer, but I have wine
too.”

“Beer is fine.”

“I have some Coronas. Otherwise, it’s
IPAs.”

“That’s right. You’re that kind of beer
drinker.”

“That kind of beer drinker?” He covered my
hand with his. His large hand was warm and instantly comforting.
Any lingering awkwardness slipped away.

“You can tell a lot about a person by what
they drink.”

“And what does my taste say about me?”

I hadn’t spent any time figuring out his
liquor preferences, but his preference for IPAs said enough.
“You’re sturdy and reliable.”

“Oh?” He looked at me with interest. “I’m
reliable even after going weeks without calling?”

“Maybe. Time will tell.”

“So what’s your drink?” He took a step toward
me.

“I like things strong.”

“And what does that say about you?”

“I don’t know. What does it say?” I moved
toward the French doors, pushing off his hand in the process. “Wow,
what a view.”

“It’s great, isn’t it?”

“Your place is amazing.” My eyes remained
fixed on the crashing waves of the ocean, but I was thinking about
the inside too.

“Thanks, but it isn’t mine.”

“What?” I turned around. He’d come to stand
right behind me.

“You don’t think I own this place, do
you?”

“What else would I think?” A couple different
thoughts ran through my head. None were things I wanted to share.
My last date had left me skeptical.

He laughed. “Not a chance. This is a
corporate place. I get to use it while I’m here.”

“Really?” His answer was far better than what
I expected. “You get to live in a place like this for work?”

“Yeah, it’s one of the perks.”

Maybe the car was a perk too. “Can I go
outside?”

“Oh yeah, sure.” He held open a door. “I need
to check on the steak anyway.”

I walked out onto the huge wraparound deck. I
walked right over to the railing to look out at the ocean more
closely. “Gorgeous.”

“I wish I had more time to enjoy the
view.”

“You work a lot, huh? You weren’t making that
up?”

“Making that up? Is that what you think?” He
sounded slightly offended.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s not always like this, but I’m coming up
for a huge promotion.”

Being with someone so part of the real world
was new for me. I was used to college partiers, and more recently,
beach bums. “That’s great.”

“It will be if it happens.” He didn’t sound
as confident as I expected. Had I found the weak spot in Colin’s
seemingly unwavering confidence?

“Well, good luck.”

“Thanks.” He smiled. “Oh wait, I never got
our beers.” He walked back inside, and I leaned over the railing
slightly. I loved the ocean. I loved its power and its endlessness.
I’d grown up near the mountains, but if I had a choice, I’d stay on
the coast.

“Sorry about that.” He handed me a Highland
Kashmir. “I guessed you’d want what I was drinking.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t a huge fan of IPAs, but
for beer, they were good.

“Thank you for giving me another shot.” He
clinked his bottle against mine.

I took a sip. “Refreshing.”

He laughed. “The offer of wine is still on
the table if you want.”

“No thanks. I’m not a big drinker
anyway.”

“A bartender who doesn’t like to drink?”

“Stranger things have happened.” I looked
back out at the water.

“Do you like action movies too?”

“That’s a random conversation change.”

“You just don’t seem like most girls I’ve
dated. I was wondering if that’s different too.”

“I like romantic comedies.”

“Oh. Not different in every way.”

“I guess not. Although, not all girls love
romantic comedies.”

“A lot do.”

“True enough. What about you?”

“What kind of movies do I like?” He leaned
his back against the railing. It gave me a nice view of his lean
body that fit perfectly in his khakis and Lacoste shirt.

“Yeah.”

“Anything historical. I love war movies.
Stuff like that.”

“Oh.”

He laughed. “But I’m more than willing to
watch your movies with you.”

“I might be willing to watch yours.”

“Might be?”

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

“Oh, if I’m good?” he teased. Teasing fit him
in a weird way. He seemed so serious, but I knew there was more
underneath.

I could play along with the teasing. “Good?
Were you planning to be bad?”

He laughed. “This is starting to sound a lot
dirtier than it actually is.”

“As long as you don’t start asking if I’m a
good girl, I think we’re okay.”

He grinned. “Any chance you want to help me
make a salad?”

“Nice conversation save.”

“Wasn’t it?” He smiled again, this time it
was bigger and brighter. He had nice teeth. I didn’t usually notice
that sort of thing, but his were bright white and perfectly
straight. Braces must have worked for him. My two rounds left a few
of my bottom teeth out of line.

“Bring on the salad.” I followed him back
inside and waited as he pulled out a bunch of veggies from his
stainless steel fridge.

“Is your schedule pretty set now?” He rinsed
off a head of lettuce before doing the same with a tomato.

“I have two weeknights off a week right now.
The weekends are the only remotely busy times, so those shifts
should last.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s not bad for a job. I don’t plan to do
it forever, but there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing right
now.” I got to work cutting a cucumber. “Do you like your job?”

“Yes and no.” He didn’t hesitate with his
answer.

“Meaning?”

“I enjoy it to a certain extent, but it’s
constant. It’s like if I take a break for a day I’m going to pay
for it for weeks.”

“That sucks.” I tried to sound supportive. He
wasn’t kidding. He was into his job.

“Kind of. If I get this next promotion I’m up
for, it should be better.”

“I hope it works out.”

“Thanks. I have a good feeling about it, but
you never know.”

“Yeah. I get that.” I knew what it felt like
when things didn’t turn out the way you expected.

We finished the salad, and Colin brought in
the steaks. We made plates that also included baked potatoes and
took a seat at his long rustic wood table. It seemed slightly out
of place with the otherwise modern furnishings.