of whom also had the face tattoos. I really did not want to stay long. I’d give this one hour max and then I would drag Beth out if I had to. Rick ordered six lemon drop shots and two vodka cranberries. Then he pulled out the hugest wad of cash I’d ever seen to pay for them.
Drug dealer.
I really had to stop doing that.
When we received the shots we all held them up and threw them back. These guys were quiet and intense. No loud laughing or talking. Granted, they all seemed high, but not the giggly, munchy type of high. The type of high that gave off dangerous vibes.
“Thank you,” I told Rick as I set down my shot glass on the bar and climbed into the stool next to him.
“I’m surprised you came out,” he said. “I expected a no.”
“Why?” I asked.
This made him give a dry laugh. He gestured to me. “You seem like the careful type.”
I sucked down half of my vodka cranberry way too fast.
“I am. But I have fun too.”
He turned to face me, opening his legs and scooting closer. My heart picked up nervous speed.
“Tell me what made you swipe right on me.” His voice was low, kind of raw.
I mashed my lips together in thought, then took another huge pull from the straw. Rick met the bartender’s eye and nodded to my drink.
“You really don’t have to,” I said, but he waved it off.
“The question,” he said.
Oh, yeah, that. I cleared my throat. “To be honest, you don’t seem all that dangerous in your profile.” Aw, fuck, why did I have to be so honest?
He chuckled darkly. “But I do in real life?”
“Um…” My face heated, making him chuckle. Then I blurted, “What do you do for a living? Are you a chef?”
He outright laughed, making his eyes crinkle as he surveyed me. When his amusement finally settled he responded, “I work on the docks in the port, along with various side jobs.”
I knew it! Side jobs! Code for cooking meth.
He chuckled again as he sipped his drink, muttering, “Chef.”
I glanced over at Beth, who was sandwiched between two of the guys. She stood between the legs of one who was sitting, her hand rubbing down his arm, and the other was behind her with his hands on her waist. That escalated quickly. But unlike me, she was living her best life with a huge smile. The dude between us was scrolling on his phone and hadn’t looked up since the introductions and shot.
Rick tapped the bar and gave the bartender a nod. “Six more shots.”
I made a face. “I probably shouldn’t. The first two went straight to my head.”
“It’s all good,” he said. “Something tells me you can handle a little more.”
I sighed, because the vodka was the only thing keeping my nerves at bay right now, and I knew I could handle another. I just didn’t want to get crazy and lose my inhibitions with possible cartel members. What I needed to do was get to the heart of Rick and break the stereotypes that were freaking me out.
“So,” I said. “How much do you love puppies?”
Once again, he chuckled and shook his head. “Girl, you fucking crazy.”
“Does that mean you love them a lot?”
“I’m not really a pet person.”
“Okay.” I took another drink. “What would you say is your life goal?”
“To get rich and stay rich. What’s yours? Lemme guess. White picket fence. Starbucks in your hand with a man telling dad jokes as you raise your two point five children.”
“Ooh,” I said. Damn. I wasn’t the only one rocking the stereotypes tonight.
The next round of shots hit the bar and I took mine, biting into the lemon and letting the sour zing fill my mouth. Sour like my current mood.
“I guess we’re not very well-matched, huh?” I said.
He shrugged and grinned, unbothered. “I mean, I’d fuck with you if you were willing to take a walk on the wild side, but I don’t think you’re down for that.”
His words lit a blaze inside of me. This guy, right here, would have sex with me. He and I could get completely naked. He would be nothing like Don—Rick would be rough and wild. My body at that moment was stuck between aroused and terrified. If we had sex, I’d probably be scared to death the whole time, which wasn’t conducive to the orgasm I really wanted.
Damn it.
I was officially the most boring loser in the metro area. Why