Otherwise Occupied (Evan Arden 2)

Michele brought out another round of drinks and rolled her eyes at me once she got a good look at Bridgett, which confirmed my suspicions. I wasn’t sure how she knew, but I could tell by her expression that she understood the situation. I gave her the evil eye back – the last thing I needed was someone who served me drinks judging me for the quality of my date.

Thankfully, Bridgett didn’t seem to notice, not that I cared what Michele or anyone else thought about me or my date. However, this was supposed to be a nice night for Bridgett, and I didn’t want something stupid to ruin it. So far, everything had been perfect.

“These drinks really are fantastic!” Bridgett said as she sipped the fruity martini.

“All of the drinks here are great,” I told her. “They have awesome food, too.”

We ordered a couple more drinks, and as crowds rolled in, the manager tried to help out at the bar. He scratched his head, stared at the rows of bottles on the shelf, and looked lost.

It was kind of like cabaret.

“You put cranberries in it, right?” he asked.

“It’s a raspberry martini,” Michele replied, “so you put raspberries in it.”

“Got it.” Patrick looked around the bar, then under it. “Umm…where are they?”

“You need a glass,” Michele informed him. She pulled four beers and placed them neatly on a tray before walking off.

“Do you know what vodka Michele was using?” Patrick asked me as he held up two bottles.

“The good shit,” I replied, which made Bridgett giggle.

He put both bottles back and grabbed a tall bottle of Grey Goose.

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” Michele mumbled as she came back and took the shaker from him.

The drinks were made, and the banter continued.

“Did you need a glass, George?”

“You have to pour it in the mouth!”

“This shirt keeps coming un-tucked – I look like a total loser.”

“You are a total loser.”

“You can’t talk to me like that!”

“So, where can I go to find a hooker?”

Maybe the patron thought he was being quiet or subtle, but he wasn’t. The concierge chuckled and rubbed the spot between his eyes, which made his glasses bounce up and down on his face. I glanced over at Bridgett, who had obviously heard the guy’s question. She wrapped her fingers around the edge of her new drink and stared at the floating fruit.

I reached over and placed the end of my finger under her chin to turn her towards me. For a long moment, we just looked at each other, and then I leaned in to press my lips against hers. My tongue tasted the raspberry drink as it reached into her mouth.

I tilted my head and kissed her again.

And again.

Her fingers gripped my arm through my suit jacket as she pressed harder against me. When we parted, her eyes were glassy and her chest rose and fell with her breaths. I couldn’t help but smile a bit at her expression, which seemed to cause her to blush.

She was a fucking sexy sight.

One of the other patrons noticed her, too, but one glare from me and he kept his eyes to himself.

“You are beautiful tonight,” I whispered.

Before she could respond, the manager walked behind me, grumbling.