“Larissa!” he called out, and the redhead turned to look at him with a frown that reached her forehead.
“What, Eli?” She didn’t move from her position at the bar.
He looked at me. “What’s your name?”
That I could answer easily enough. “Lila,” I replied deciding that the new Lila Kate was going to drop that Kate. That name was silly and it made me sound ten years old. Lila was . . . sexier.
He gave me a crooked grin. “Lila. I like that. Fits you.” Then he turned back to Larissa. “Lila here wants the potato skins loaded with crab.”
Larissa walked over to us. “I see you’re making friends,” she said to Eli and then smiled at me. “He’s had a little too much tonight. I’d cut him off but trust me this is a rarity for him. Anyway, did he order for you because he’s planning on eating your food, or do you want the loaded potatoes?”
Everyone knew each other here. How nice. It was like a television show. “Yes, he has sold me on them. They sound delicious.”
Larissa chuckled. “Don’t set your hopes too high. They’re good but delicious may be pushing it. What about a drink?”
Normally, I’d order bottled water. Instead, I said, “Dirty martini please.”
“Got ID?”
I reached for my purse and took out my license then handed it to her. She glanced at it and nodded then looked at the guy beside me. “Behave,” she said before walking off behind the bar.
He sat down on the stool beside me and leaned back against the bar looking out over the crowd. “I’ve never seen you here before. Where are you from Lila?”
I started to say Rosemary Beach but stopped myself. I didn’t know this guy. He was a stranger. I wanted to live free and wild, but I needed to be careful to a certain degree.
“Florida,” I replied instead. It was a big state. I could be vague.
He nodded. “Florida, huh? I was assuming you were on vacation, but if you’re from Florida, I doubt that. Why vacation at this beach when you have beautiful ones there? What brings you to Alabama?”
I liked his voice. It was soothing. It paired nicely with the way he smelled—very appealing. “I’m traveling west. Going on an adventure of sorts.”
He turned to look at me then. “An adventure? Alone?”
Okay, that was a bad idea. I shouldn’t tell a strange guy I was alone. “No, I’m traveling with friends,” I lied quickly.
He didn’t look convinced. “Really?”