The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(44)

Dragged by the elbow, I reluctantly followed but argued with her the entire way. “You know, I’m not sure why we came here at all. He put every detail imaginable about his Incubus shirt girl in the song. And it’s not like I have a visible mole or tattoo or distinctive feature he might suddenly remember. Hell, he didn’t even recognize you as the sidekick who sang with me when he met you last night. So, really, what more could we get from him?”

“He didn’t say how long her hair was or if she was taller or shorter than said sidekick.” She pinched me in the arm, making me yelp. “And that’s for calling me a measly sidekick, by the way. Puta. I’m no one’s sidekick. I am my own force of nature, thank you very much.”

True that. But instead of apologizing, I laughed at her offense, because I knew that was what she wanted me to do, until suddenly, we were at the bar and nothing seemed so funny anymore.

“I don’t want to do this,” I whined, trying to back away while Jodi shoved me forward.

When I finally gave in to her, I went sprawling into the counter, smacking my gut against the edge and causing the nearest bartender to whirl my way in surprise.

He wasn’t Asher, thank God. But he was gorgeous, and having him see me sprawled like a moron against the bar made my face heat miserably inside my mask. I sent the hottie bartender an apologetic wince and waved. “Hey...sorry, about that.”

He squinted a second before pointing at me. “It’s Sticks, right?”

I nodded. “Right. And you’re...Mason?”

Grinning, he sent me a thumbs-up. “What’s up? Can I get you and your...” He glanced at Jodi. “...friend a drink?”

“I want a pi?a colada,” Jodi immediately announced.

Dammit! I scowled at her. Of course, she’d drink one of those right in front of me, when I was trying to be all manly.

“Sure thing,” Mason said and glanced at me. “Sticks?”

Since I had liked the Angry Orchard Asher had gotten me the night before, I asked for one of those.

Mason turned away to fill our order, and Jodi lifted onto her tiptoes to call into my ear, “I don’t see your man. Are you sure he’s working tonight?”

“Shh...” I waved her quiet. “He’s not my man, and yes, I’m sure.”

“Well then, where is he?”

I scowled at her but shook my head, not sure about that answer myself as I scanned the place too, looking for him and dreading as much as I relished the moment I’d catch sight of his longish dark hair with the corn silk blond highlights. Dios, his hair was amazing. Finger-gripping-while-you-screamed-through-an-orgasm kind of amazing.

“Hey you! Sexy bartender with the scar,” Jodi called, making me cringe as she waved down the second guy behind the counter who wasn’t Mason. “Is Asher working tonight?”

The guy I remembered Asher calling Knox paused to send my roommate a short frown. “That’s classified information, sorry.”

I grinned, amused how protective his coworkers were of him. He must get more female attention than I initially thought.

“But I’m asking for her,” Jodi argued, hooking her thumb my way before she quickly corrected herself. “I mean, him.”

Knox glanced at me. It took him a second before recognition hit, but when his face cleared, he nodded. “Oh, hey. I didn’t see you there.”

“No problem. Jodi, this is Knox, another one of Asher’s coworkers. You were...otherwise occupied when I was introduced to him last night. Knox, this is my roommate, Jodi.”

She stuck out her hand, cooing, “Well, hello there, precious. Hey, have you two”—she hitched her chin toward Mason as he returned with our drinks—“ever considered being in a threesome together, because I would totally volunteer to be the middle woman in your hottie sandwich.”

“Uh...” Mason froze next to an equally motionless Knox as they both stared at Jodi in horror. “We have girlfriends.”

“Oh my God,” Jodi growled, throwing up her hands in defeat. “Is every f*cking hot bartender here already taken?”

“Everyone except Asher,” Mason answered, setting our drinks in front of us and waving me to stop when I pulled out my wallet to pay.

Damn, I was just getting the hang of swiping my billfold from my back pocket too. Was no one ever going to charge me anything again?

Cool.

“Where’d he disappear to, anyway?” a voice to my left asked, making me whirl around to find Pick next to me, leaning his arm against the counter as if he’d just arrived.

“Helping someone at the karaoke machine...again,” Mason answered as he cleared away a couple empty mugs left on the bar top.

“Of course,” Pick murmured, glancing that way, while Jodi practically pushed me aside so she could get in his face.

“Oh my f*cking God,” she murmured, practically drooling. “I want about five of you. Who the hell are you?”

Pick’s eyebrows lifted in surprise as he took Jodi in, the ring in his eyebrow glittering against the overhead light. “Well, aren’t you the sweetest?” He held out a hand to her. “The name’s Pick.”

She took his hand, but didn’t shake with him and totally didn’t let go of him. “Can I have your babies?”

With a grin, he shook his head and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “Sorry, sweetness. I already have a lady for that. But I do appreciate the offer. Does a man good to hear how much a beautiful woman appreciates his looks.”