Page 53 of Player For Hire
I rolled my eyes. “Dramatic much?”
He flicked his hand along his neck. “The hickey might have given it away.”
I slapped my neck and looked in the mirror behind the bar. There wasn’t a mark there at all, but when I turned around, Duncan just grinned. “I don’t have a mark, you asshat.”
“No, but it proved my hypothesis.”
“Shut up.”
“You got a girl, Banks?”
I sighed. “I don’t know.”
I finished the Guinness pours and set them in front of the customers then rang them out. “Thanks, guys.”
“You don’t know?” Duncan craned his neck. “Got any pretzels back there?”
“We don’t put out pretzels on Saturdays.”
“C’mon. I’m starving.”
Susie came back for another drink pickup.
“Hey, can you put a ticket in for some chili fries for my favorite idiot?”
“Can do.” She nudged Duncan. “Not that he deserves it.”
I filled Susie’s tray with tonight’s special—Dark and Stormy. “He doesn’t, but I guess we’ll feed him, anyway.”
“Aw, you do love me.” Duncan lifted his beer. “Cheers.”
“Oh, you’re paying for them.”
“Damn.”
I laughed and shook my head.
I took a few more orders as the bar started getting busy again. Saturday nights were an ebb and flow. Lots of people just wanted to chat while they nursed their drinks, but tonight was a lively crew.
During the next lull, I downed half a bottle of water.
“So who’s got you all wound up?” Duncan popped a fry in his mouth.
“Not gonna let it go?”
Duncan smiled smugly. “No. Of course not. I have to live vicariously through your conquests.”
“She’s not a conquest, man.”
“Oh…I see. Not just wound up but twisted up. Interesting.”
I recapped my bottle. “She’s my new neighbor.” I stashed my drink under the bar. “I like her.”
“Wow, not like you to shit where you eat, Colder.”
“It’s not like that.” I might have had a few one night stands over the last few years, okay…maybe more than a few. But they had been far and few between lately. It just didn’t hold the same appeal as it used to. “Just because you still play with the puck bunnies doesn’t mean I go home with a girl every night.”
He winced. “Harsh. True, but harsh.” He picked up his beer and waggled the empty glass. “Another, please.”