Ask Him (Mess with Me 1.50)

He blows out a breath. “Okay, so when you see a hot girl, don’t talk about work, obviously. Ask her about herself, her job and whether she likes what she does. Chicks love that shit.”

This seems like common sense to me so perhaps I’m worrying for nothing.

“Oh but make sure she knows you have a job. Tell her you own a company just not which one. You don’t want her to think you’re a loser.” He points at my shirt. “Maybe this is a bad idea. These clothes are like pussy repellant.”

I take another swig of beer. “I can’t talk about work but somehow I need her to know that I own my company. This is getting complicated.”

Behind Jason’s head, I see a swing of brown hair that looks familiar. I peer over his shoulder and then stand so I can see better.

The beautiful girl that threw her coffee on me yesterday morning is standing in the middle of the bar. The too-tight shirt is gone and instead she’s wearing skin tight jeans and a halter that shows off her shoulders and the sweet curve of her perky little breasts.

“Clumsy Girl. She’s here,” I whisper.

“Who?” Jason pauses with a beer halfway to his mouth.

She’s walking toward us now. I whip around. The bar has filled up since I’ve been here and there are no more empty stools.

“You have to leave. Go, now!” I shove him off the stool right before she gets close. I barely hear Jason’s muttered curse over the sound of my heart pounding.

She looks at the empty stool next to me and then around at the crowded bar.

That’s right, beautiful. There are no other options.

“Is anyone sitting here?” she asks.

“No. Please, have a seat.”

She climbs up and then places her small bag in her lap. When she looks over at me, I quickly look away.

“Hey, do I know you?”

I laugh softly. “Maybe if you bump into me and spill beer all over my shirt you’d remember.”

Recognition lights her eyes and she smiles. “I knew you looked familiar. This is such an odd coincidence. But maybe this is a good sign for me. I think you’re my lucky charm.”

“Have I brought you luck, then?” I take the opportunity to stare at her and drink in my fill.

She’s the kind of pretty that many people overlook. Brown hair and eyes but she has small, delicate features that give her an almost elvish appearance. Her lashes frame her eyes and give her a sexy, slumberous look despite how young she is. Like a good girl just waiting to go bad.

She shrugs but her cheeks flush pink at my close scrutiny. “When I met you yesterday–”

“You mean when you accosted me yesterday,” I interrupt.

Her lips purse as she glares at me. It’s so cute that it makes me want to annoy her just for the hell of it. That murderous expression on her innocent face is adorable. Like one of those tiny kittens that’s convinced it’s actually a fierce lion.

“Bumped into you. I accidentally bumped into you, and one could argue that you were at fault for just standing in the middle of the sidewalk like that.”

I pretend to think about it. “I’m willing to accept a tiny part of the blame but I still lost a shirt in the process.”

She winces. “Sorry about that. I’ll pay for your dry cleaning.”

“No need. It was part of a three pack. Three shirts for the price of one. Fantastic.”

“Okay then.” She laughs. “Not sure I’ve ever met a guy so happy about a thrifty deal. But that’s a good thing. Nothing wrong with saving money.” She glances at my empty glass. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Shocked, I just stare at her for a second. “You want to buy me a drink?”

“Yes! I’m here celebrating and it’s bad luck to toast with an empty glass. Or so I’ve heard.”