Guy Hater (Fisher Brothers 2)

“The truth is that he’s not looking for a relationship right now. He’s most likely just flirting with you because that’s the way Ryan is. He can’t help it; it’s in his nature. He’s really friendly, and he wants everyone to love him.”

“Unlike you?” I asked, and Frank shot me a look.

“I don’t need everyone to love me. Just the right ones.” With that, he turned and headed back toward the bar, which had finally started to clear out.

Britney seemed to deflate, her enthusiasm draining out of her in a long, dramatic sigh. “I guess it was all in my head.”

I tossed my arm around her shoulder. “The flirting was real. It just didn’t mean what you wanted it to. I’m sorry, Brit.”

“It’s okay. I’ll still crush on him because I can’t even help it.” She took another sip of her drink. “And you’ll still crush on Frank because you can’t help it either.”

I choked on my drink before pulling away from her. Pounding on my chest, I shot her a crazed look.

I wanted to argue with her, but the denial died in my throat.

She was right, and it was pointless to try to say otherwise.

What Was That

Frank

I sat in the office, willing time to pass faster.

Actually, I was hiding. Hiding from Claudia, hiding from whatever these feelings were, hiding from my brothers.

Hiding from the truth.

Since we’d opened the bar, I’d never spent time hanging with any of the customers. Unlike Nick, who lost all control of his balls whenever Jess walked through the doors, I didn’t want to mix my personal and professional life. I’d convinced myself that they shouldn’t cross over, and told Shelby that as well.

Thank God she listened and stayed away most of the time. She was a middle-school teacher and was always busy planning lessons or grading papers, and went to sleep at a decent hour like regular people. On the rare occasion that she had stopped in the bar, I tended to hole up in the office, wishing she’d leave.

Fuck, that made me sound like a real asshole. And you know what? Maybe I was. I didn’t know anymore.

I wasn’t sure of anything after tonight, and I hadn’t even technically done anything wrong. But I had acted out of character, and Ryan and Nick both knew it.

I could tell they couldn’t wait to give me shit about it by the way they were both casting glances at me. Ryan especially. I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d say when they started questioning me, but I knew I needed to deny, deny, deny.

Whatever the hell the truth was, I wasn’t ready to admit it to my brothers, let alone to myself. I was the responsible one, the oldest, the one who didn’t fly by the seat of his pants. Somehow in all of my making the right decisions and choices, I’d ended up in a relationship that no longer brought me happiness. And to be honest, I hadn’t been happy in years.

Yet Shelby still stayed and never complained. God, that woman was a saint. What kind of man falls out of love with a saint?

Glancing at the clock, I noted the time and headed out of the office and into the nearly empty bar. Almost everyone had left, including Jess and her friend.

Claudia and Britney, however, were right where I’d left them.

I wasn’t sure if I was relieved that Claudia hadn’t left without saying good-bye, or nervous that she was still here. I stared at her profile, memorizing the way her hair moved as she did, wondering what it would feel like in my hands. Was it as soft as it looked? What did it smell like?

“Last call!” Nick shouted as he rang the bell that hung in the corner of the bar, making my thoughts crash-land back into reality.

Ryan and Nick both turned to me, waiting for me to deliver my regular line. With a smile, I addressed the small crowd.

“You don’t have to go home,” I yelled.

And they responded, “But you can’t stay here!”

“That’s right!” Man, I loved this bar. I threw my fist in the air and glanced toward Claudia, who was staring right at me. I gave her a small smile, and that strange pull I’d felt before came roaring back to life as she smiled back.

“Hey, Ryan?” a woman shouted, and I rolled my eyes.