me.”
“That’s what Kent does.”
“Now I know. Please. I’ll give you half my tips tonight.”
I sigh. “Keep your tips. I’ll cover their table. But you have to take that guy with the green eyes. Table fourteen. He likes me.”
She hugs me and spills some of the beer on the bar. “Thank you, girl. We should hang out sometime. How come we never have before?”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.” I’m doing all kinds of things I don’t want to do lately. “Take Green Eyes these drinks. I already put his order through.”
“What if he asks about you?”
“Tell him the truth. I’m wildly unattainable.”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Somehow I don’t think that’s going to work. I’ll get his number for you.”
“No!” I shout, but she’s already gone.
I grumble mean things under my breath as I approach Kent’s table. Jake and Zeke grin at me.
“Look it’s the hot roommate!”
“Roommate hot the it’s look!”
Kent’s head whips around and zeroes in on me. “Oh joy,” he mumbles.
I ignore him. “Hi, fellas.”
“Where have you been?” Zeke wonders, talking normally for once. “I’m having a party tonight. You should come.” He reaches over and touches my wrist, toying with my hair tie.
Kent glares. “Your girlfriend’s going to be there, dipshit.”
I gently extract Zeke’s hand from my wrist. “I have to work until late. Maybe next time. How about we order?”
The men I don’t recognize order first. Then Jake and Zeke, who want the hot wings and the wings hot, and then finally it’s Kent’s turn.
He looks up at me with condemnation in his eyes. “Give me a bottle of whiskey.”
My stomach drops. The entire bottle? Kent…
He leans over and gets his wallet out, giving me the same credit card as the other night. He doesn’t say anything else. I try to meet his eyes but he won’t anymore. A few minutes later I return to their table with their drinks and Kent’s bottle. He immediately cracks the top and pours himself a shot, tossing it back.
“Here’s to forgetting all of the cheating, lying women out there, and the ones who are too good for us.” While everyone applauds, Kent glances briefly in my direction.
I bite my tongue and leave, returning to my other tables. But I watch him all night. He manages to drink half the bottle before they leave the bar. He’s staggering on the way out with the rest in his hand. I hope he’s not driving himself. A knot unfurls in my stomach. Idiot. Forgetting wasn’t worth losing your life over.
You gave him the bottle.
If I didn’t someone else would’ve. Wayne only cuts people off after they’ve drunken a hefty bill’s worth. Turning someone down over one bottle because I was worried about them wasn’t going to go over well.
As I turn to check on one of my tables Trevor steps in my path. “Done babysitting?”
I laugh uneasily. “Yes. Did Samantha fill you in?”
“She did. I have to go but she gave me your number. I’ll call you some time, if that’s all right?”
I keep my face nice. I can’t stand being put on the spot. “That’s all right.”
“Great. It was nice to finally meet you, Raina.” He leans down and kisses my cheek.
I’m too stunned to move out of the way. I wait for it. That buzzing attraction, but it doesn’t come. So far Kent is the only man who can make me feel it.
I smile at him when he winks. “You too, Trevor.”
When he’s gone I find Samantha and pull her into the kitchen. “Who said you could give him my number?”
“He likes you. He’s a really nice guy. Smart too.”
“He doesn’t even know me.”
She pats my shoulder. “Relax. Guys flirt with you all the time and you ignore them. Why?”
I push her off as nicely as possible. “Don’t do it again, Sam.”
“Fine, grouchy. How was Kent?” Her cheeks fill with pink.
I know the feeling. “He was a drunk a-hole. So like himself.”
“How much did you see?”
I roll my eyes as we enter the main floor again. “I didn’t see anything, I promise. It was dark.”
“Dark like dark, or dark like sort of dark?”
“Sam,” I warn.
“Did he talk about me?” She sounds hopeful beyond hope.
“It’s not any of my business,” I say, resenting Kent for making me do this to her. He should be here breaking her heart. Not me. “But Kent doesn’t think about any of you. You shouldn’t think about him.” Because the idea of you two together is pissing me off.
I’m his roommate. His wing-woman. I’m nothing but a pity