“It’s not hard to buy a scone. It’s quite easy. You take out the money, and you get the scone. But see, I can’t eat scones for every meal. And you can’t either. You need to look sharp for the ladies.”
“And you need to look sharp for the lads. Speaking of—anyone catching your eye these days? Seems like it’s been forever since that last guy. What was his name? Damian?”
I wave a hand. “Dylan, and that was ages ago.”
Before Maeve and I bought The Magpie and made the pact, we were both just bartenders in our twenties. And, frankly, bartenders in their twenties—especially attractive bartenders—can get plenty of action.
Like when I worked at The Olde Shoe, and in walked Dylan, five years younger, clever and confident. He’d come by, flirt with me all night, and then we’d wind up going out to a club.
Then to my place, since he had twenty roommates or so.
Let’s keep this simple, I’d said. Just keep it fun.
Of course, he’d said.
Soon it became more regular. He’d invite himself over to cook dinner. He’d stay the night, and he’d want to make breakfast, spend the day together.
Suddenly, Dylan wasn’t just making dirty talk with me at the bar.
He was starting to hint at other things.
Other levels.
Levels like love.
That set off my get-the-hell-out-of-there radar.
I wasn’t in love with him. Hadn’t been with anyone, for that matter. All the guys seemed to want more than I was willing to give.
I cut things off with Dylan. And when Maeve and I bought The Magpie a few months later, she’d just come out of a bad relationship that had rattled her, so we’d decided on a pact to eliminate distractions.
The number one rule is don’t mix business with pleasure. You can’t run the risk of falling for a customer who might come back too often, show up at the wrong times, or leave a terrible review. Best to keep those worlds separate.
So we set our rules and our goals—focus on the bar and add in some friendly stakes to keep things interesting.
It’s not like I’m celibate. A hookup here or there is just what the doctor ordered some nights. But I’m thirty-one now, and I steer clear of the younger guys who see a future in me that I’m not ready to share—they see someone steady, stable, with a business and a flat he owns and doesn’t share with three, or twenty, of his mates.
It’s a life I’ve worked hard for. One I’ve sought out. One I’m having at last, and I don’t want to chance losing.
I take a bite of my breakfast as Dad continues on with his matchmaker routine. “Fine, not Dylan. But there are plenty of other men out there. A whole city full of fascinating people. That is, if you leave the bar.”
I snort. If only Dad knew about last night.
Dad grins. “Oh? Perhaps you’ve already found someone?”
I shake my head. “Definitely not.”
“Liar.”
I huff. “How do you do that? See right through me?”
“I wonder. Maybe because I raised you? Also, did you forget I was a reporter for thirty-five years? I know how to read people.”
“You know how to read financials and CEOs. You were a business reporter.”
“And I know how to read my son. Who is the lucky fella?”
I laugh at his persistence. “No one. Just this absolutely frustrating American who walked into my bar last night and had the nerve to flirt with me.”
Dad feigns shock. “Flirting with a handsome, quick-witted, sarcastic bartender. The goddamn nerve of the Yankees.”
“Can you believe it? Some nights I have to beat them off with a stick.”
He strokes his jaw. “It’s the family curse, son. We have no choice but to live with it. I’ve had to spend my entire life fending off the ladies.”
“Yeah, seems like Penny wants to work her magic on you. She was trying to get me to buy you a scone.”
“I knew I liked her for a good reason. But you’re not distracting me.” Dad wags his oat-covered spoon in my direction. “Will you see this absolutely frustrating American again?”
I shrug. “I don’t think so. It’s all for the best. Too much going on at work. I don’t have time for frustrating Americans. Especially ones who are too cocky for their own good.”
“All I’m saying is, don’t let all the opportunities pass you by. I’ve always admired your work ethic, but it’s okay to get out there a little sometimes, meet that special someone.”