to get his attention. One woman even left her panties here at the bar with her phone number scrawled across the ass part with a sharpie.
“Seriously?” Aubree couldn’t imagine leaving her underwear like that in public…for a man.
Jenny laughed. “Seriously, you have nothing to worry about. You’re the first girl he’s let back here too. He really seems to like you.”
Aubree relaxed and when she saw Matthew watching them, he flashed her one of those panty melting smiles before turning back to his customer. When he was done, he came toward her and Jenny.
“Jenny, hold down the bar for a few minutes. I need to unpack some of the beer delivered yesterday.”
“No problem.” Jenny moved to the center of the bar and Aubree kept near Jenny in case she needed help.
A tall, golden-haired man in an expensive three-piece gray suit strode right up to them. He had those bad boy looks like Matthew, but unlike Matthew who turned out to be a total teddy bear inside, she sensed this man was a dangerous heartbreaker.
“Hey Jenny,” the man greeted with a rakish grin.
“Hey boss.”
Boss? Aubree flinched. This had to be Matthew’s employer. She had to get out from behind the bar before she got him in trouble.
“Who’s this?” he asked, his brown eyes settling on Aubree with clear interest. He had the word “player” written all over him.
“This is Aubree, Matthew’s girl.”
“Oh, I’m not.” She hastily left the space behind the bar. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be here. Please don’t fire him.”
“Fire him?” The man tilted his head as he looked at her. And he seemed to register what Jenny had just said. “You’re Matt’s girl? No kidding! He was telling me all about how he saved you from some real dating disasters. Lucky for you that he was around, eh?” The man chuckled, still smiling. “You’re definitely not the first woman he’s bailed out of a bad date. He’s got a real knack for picking up women stranded on dates.”
Aubree felt like an invisible fist just punched her in the chest. Matthew had told his boss about her? He’d said he rescued her like some pity date?
Oh God… Was she a game to Matthew?
“I really should go…” She grabbed her coat where it lay on the bar along with her purse.
“Aubree wait!” Jenny called after her.
“Tell Matthew…” She started to say something and shook her head and fled out of the bar. She didn’t go home. She just hailed a cab and had him drive her to Park and Field. She needed to think… She needed to escape the tight knot of pain growing inside her before it consumed her.
7
Hanky Panky
“Where’s Aubree?” Matthew asked Jenny as he came out of the storeroom with a case of craft beers in his arms. Jenny was scowling, one hand on her hip.
“Ask him.” She pointed at Will who stood by the bar looking like a chastened schoolboy.
“What did you do?” Matthew asked. When he saw Will’s deepening chagrin, he repeated more firmly. “What did you do?”
Will raised his hands in surrender. “I guess I put my foot in my mouth.”
“Where’s Aubree?” Matthew repeated in a low growl as he slammed the beer case onto the counter.
“She left,” Jenny said. “After he,” she jerked her hand at Will. “Made a wise ass comment about you rescuing Aubree from some disastrous dates. He made it sound like you were pity dating her.”
“I was being funny.” Will grumbled as he slumped into a bar stool. He took one of the beers from the case in front of him and popped the cap using the edge of the bar before taking a long drink.
“Dammit, Will.” Matthew cursed. “I like her. A lot.” He turned to Jenny. “When did she leave?”
“A few minutes ago. I think I saw her get into a cab.”
Matthew snatched his coat and shot one more warning glare toward his best friend before he rushed out into the snowy night.
“Aubree!” He shouted her name, but the streets were mostly empty, and he didn’t see her, which meant she must have gotten into a cab like Jenny thought.
Thinking she’d gone home, he ran the block back to their apartment building and went straight to her door. He knocked a dozen times, but either she wasn’t there or she didn’t want to answer. He pulled his cell phone out of his coat pocket and dialed her number. Nothing. No answer. He waited for her voicemail to beep.
“Aubree, please call me back,” he said.
Matthew stood in