Page 4 of Gone for You

“Well, definitely not a flaming orgy that the trio of boobs was asking for.”

I snort out a laugh at the nickname for the girls who just walked away, shaking my head before I look up. Any sort of response is caught in my throat when my eyes land on the gorgeous woman sitting in front of me. My mouth quirks up in the corner and I rest my palms on the wooden bar top.

“It doesn’t sound appealing to you?”

She taps her chin and pretends to think. “Interesting, maybe. Appealing? No. I’m a little too possessive for that. I’m not one for sharing. I like a little more, one-on-one attention.”

I lean forward, getting a little more into her space. “I like the sound of that.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah. I failed sharing in kindergarten.”

She giggles, head falling forward just slightly. Where the group of girls who were here earlier giggled to garner my attention, I can tell she’s genuinely amused. She tucks a piece of her long blonde hair behind her ear, her finger trailing down her jaw. I notice a small birthmark below her temple and I have the unexplainable urge to reach out and touch it.

“Can I get a peach whiskey lemonade?”

I grin. “A what, now?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t have peach whiskey!”

“Sorry, I don’t get a lot of requests for flavored whiskeys here but I’ll see what I can do for you.”

I hold up a finger to her, the universal sign of stay right there, and push through the small door at the end of the bar. I grab a peach from the kitchen, grateful that we have some even though it’s not peach season in Michigan. Penny was messing around with a recipe for a cobbler she sometimes makes when it’s not as busy here.

Returning, I toss it up in the air and catch it, my mood lightening with every step I take that brings me back to the beautiful blonde. I wink, lifting the peach like it’s a prize when I get back behind the bar and grab a bottle of whiskey off the top shelf and a shaker. I slice up the peach, muddle it in the bottom of a shaker then mix together the perfect blend of simple syrup, whiskey, lemonade, a few slices of peaches and ice.

Glancing in her direction out of the corner of my eye, I notice she’s watching me with curiosity, a faint smile on her lips. It almost causes me to lose my focus, wanting to toss everything aside, kick everyone but her out, and close up the bar so I can get to know her.

I hold her attention as I remove the lid, fill a tumbler with ice and drop in a sprig of mint then pour the mixture into the glass. Feeling proud of myself, I slide it over to her, raise an eyebrow, and wait while she takes a sip.

Her eyes close and even over the noise of the crowd, I can hear her moan. It could be because my arms are crossed, elbows resting on the bar as I focus solely on the beautiful woman across from me, plump lips wrapping around the straw.

“Good?” I ask her, needing to hear her voice again.

Instead, she nods, beautiful golden brown eyes sparkle and small lines crinkle in the corner. The way she licks her lips after taking another sip makes up for the fact that she’s denying me the chance to listen to her talk.

“Meets your approval?” I ask again.

“It does.”

“Glad to hear it.”

She lifts the glass in my direction and places some cash on the bar before sliding off her seat and turning her back on me.

“Wait,” I call out to her, wanting to tell her she doesn’t need to pay me but somehow knowing it would just annoy her.

She turns around and I ask, “What’s your name?”

Pressing her lips together, she holds my eyes for what feels like a lifetime before she says, “Liv.”

“Liv. I’m Ethan.”

“Ethan,” she repeats and I nod, swallowing hard. Her eyes light up and she smiles. A beautiful smile that transforms her face from beautiful to gorgeous.

I stand, frozen, watching as she joins the birthday party. I hate that she’s walking away from me, but glad that she’s here with the party which hopefully means she’ll be here for a while.

She climbs the stairs and someone stands up, throwing her arms in the air as she pushes people out of the way to get to her. Her friend hugs her tightly, smiling broadly as Liv holds her glass out so she doesn’t spill. Something about her is familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. Her beauty is striking. She reminds me of a girl I met once years ago.

---