Page 8 of Demitri

I watchDemitri walk down the back hall to leave the bar, and all I can think is I’ve just fucked up in the worst way possible. He’s never stayed the night at my house. Hell, he’s never been past the living room. That’s not the kind of relationship we have.

“You look like you either just made the biggest mistake or the best decision of your life,” Victoria quietly says from across the bar.

“What? Oh, no, I’m fine.”

She rolls her eyes at me, a small smile on her lips. “You can tell yourself that all you want, but you can’t hide what others see. You care for him.”

“Of course I do. He’s a friend.”

“Mia, that man is more than your friend.”

I’m shaking my head before she’s finished. She puts her hands up in surrender.

“You know it’s alright to have feelings for someone. In fact, it can be quite liberating to give over to those feelings.”

“I don’t have feelings. Not anymore.”

She nods, an understanding in her eye I don’t see very often. “It might feel like that, but you do. I know you do.”

I stare at her, not willing to say anything else and give myself away. I refuse to admit the truth, even to myself most days. She finally gives me a sad smile and taps the bar, turning back to her boys, as I’ve heard her call them before. Daniel stands and pulls her into his body for a quick hug and kisses her forehead before they both sit down.

Demitri. Tall, strong, and all man has invaded my thoughts since the first time I met him, right here in this bar with most of the same people.

FOUR YEARS AGO

“Looks like you all were serious over there.” I smile at the man standing in front of me.

“Yeah, you could say that. But they’re done with me for the night.”

“Get you a drink?”

“Shot of Beluga Gold Line if you have it.”

I raise my brows at him. “Well, aren’t we fancy? Afraid the best I can do is Beluga Noble.”

“It’ll have to do.”

I look at the man in front of me. He’s hot, I’ll give him that. Tall, lean but solid, blond hair that just begs to be grabbed, lips that are just a little too plump, blue eyes that look like they can see into my soul. But he doesn’t look like he’s comfortable in his own clothes, even if those are a pair of faded jeans and a t-shirt with what looks like a burn hole in the hem. He also doesn’t looklike someone who could afford the expensive top-shelf drink he just requested.

“So, you from these parts?” I ask as I pull out a shot glass and find the bottle of liquor.

“Isn’t that my line?” he quietly returns.

“Touché.” I grin, pouring his drink and sliding it across the bar.

I watch him as he checks out my bar. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s clean, spacious, and mine.

“So, I’m guessing you named the bar after you? Mia’s?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking about changing it, though. Bars are supposed to have‘manly’names like Pat’s Place or Jim’s Juice, or something like that.”

“What are you thinking about changing it to?”

“I’m not sure yet, but something that screams alcohol, you know?”

“How about Rock Brews, so you have the city and the beer?” he asks.

I scrunch up my nose. “Eh…”

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