Griffin snorted. “Try woman prowess. That's what women like. They want a guy who knows what they're doing. Like I know all of Steph's hot spots. I'll bet you haven't even found the sweet spot yet, have you?”
The words hung in the air between them.
Griffin smirked. “I knew it!”
Dave launched himself at Griffin. They hit the ground, the wooden barstools flying across the room. They rolled all over the floor, a tangle of limbs. Dave had Griffin's long hair fisted in one hand, and he struggled to get his other arm out of Griffin's ironclad grip so he could get in one good punch to that pretty boy's face.
“Whoa, Griffin Huntley's in a bar fight,” someone yelled. “Say cheese.” A flash went off.
They rolled some more. More flashes went off. Some beeps too as cell phones recorded the epic event. Ha! Dave thought, somewhat deliriously. This will be all over the tabloids. I’ll definitely be called to the principal’s office!
Griffin loosened his grip on Dave to glare at the crowd hovering nearby. “No pictures!” Griffin hollered. “No video!”
Dave took advantage of the distraction and rolled off Griffin, intent on getting away from the man he never should’ve taken on, when his elbow accidentally hit Griffin in the face. Suddenly blood spurted out of Griffin’s nose.
“You broke my nose!” Griffin screamed. He staggered to his feet. Someone handed him a napkin, and he tilted his head back, trying to stop the bleeding.
Dave stood, horrified. “I didn’t…” He trailed off as the blood oozed through the white napkin, making him feel woozy. “Shit,” he said before he passed out.
When he came to, Griffin was glaring at him, holding an ice pack to his nose, and a tough-looking police officer was staring down at him.
“Can you stand?” the cop asked.
Dave stood, veering unsteadily to the side. The cop’s name tag said R. O’Hare. R. O’Hare was going to arrest him. Him, a respectable teacher, in jail. He felt a little woozy again. He focused away from the sharp eyes of the cop, willing himself to stay upright.
“You two are spending the night in a very special place where you can cool off,” R. O’Hare said.
“I'm not going anywhere,” Griffin said in a big show of tough-guy bravado that Dave felt was ill-advised, even in his barely coherent state.
R. O’Hare was unimpressed. “We've already got drunken and disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. You want to add some more charges to the list?” At Griffin’s silence, R. O’Hare jerked his head to the door. “Didn’t think so. Let’s go.”
Dave went peacefully.
“I want a lawyer,” Griffin said, digging in his heels.
“You’ll get your phone call,” R. O’Hare said. “Now let’s go,” he bit out, “or do I need to cuff you?” He glanced meaningfully around at all the patrons eagerly watching the scene.
Griffin went. R. O’Hare ushered them into the back of his police car and made the short drive to the Clover Park police station.
“What do we have here, Chief?” another cop asked.
“Two drunk idiots. Put them in the holding cell to sober up.”
Dave would’ve normally been mortified to be in jail, terrified to be locked up with his arch enemy, but he was much too busy trying not to puke.
Chapter Seven
Steph showed up at the Clover Park police station at six a.m. Saturday morning to talk to the two men that were a complete embarrassment to the male species and to her. Dave had called her last night making absolutely no sense. He just kept repeating, “I’m in jail, and I love your hair.” Finally he must’ve handed the phone over because then Ryan O’Hare explained the situation. They’d agreed it was better to let the pair sober up overnight before letting them loose on Clover Park. Jaz had called right after. Her sister, Zoe, had been waitressing at Garner’s and had seen the whole thing. Jaz told her all about how Dave had kicked Griff’s ass. What did it say about Steph that she felt a little thrill that Dave had fought for her and won?
She should be furious with both of them for such a display. For getting shit-faced together. What were they doing together in the first place? This whole thing made her realize that the two men she’d thought were so different, actually had something more than just her in common. Griff had this alpha male thing going on with a hidden sweet side while Dave had a sweet personality with a hidden alpha. She'd thought she was getting the opposite of Griff with Dave, but now she wasn't so sure.