Page 1 of Together

Chapter One

Nikolas

The one anda half carat solitaire diamond set in platinum spins around the tip of my finger as I continue to flick it around and around. What a disaster tonight turned out to be. Stopping the ring, I stare at the diamond and shake my head. “Shit,” I mumble as I shove it into my jeans pocket and take a pull from my whiskey and wince. I really shouldn’t have ordered it but beer didn’t seem quite strong enough after the night I had.

If I’d have expected anything but hearing the word yes, and with a whole lot of enthusiasm, might I add, I would never have gone through with that crazy proposal I spent weeks planning.

I get the bartender’s attention and motion for another. I don’t have him cut it with Coke or water or even ice. What’s the point in that when all I really want to do is forget the last three years ever happened? Maybe if I just have him leave the bottle I’ll accomplish my goal.

“Vodka cranberry, hold the cranberry, please,” a quiet voice says beside me.

If she wants to get served, she’s going to have to speak up louder than that.

When my drink is served, I take a healthy gulp, noticing out of the corner of my eye that the dark-haired woman next to me still hasn’t been heard, even though she’s repeated it again.

“And a vodka for her,” I tell him, motioning toward my neighbor to my right with my thumb. “Anything to cut that with?” I ask her even though she already said just a vodka.

With a scowl aimed at the bartender for not noticing her, she shakes her head. “No. Just a vodka.”

“A shot then?” I ask for clarification.

“No. Larger.”

I widen my eyes and look to the bartender who appears slightly amused by her lack of words but that she knows what she wants.

He shrugs and quickly gets to work, places her straight up vodka in front of her and she tips it back, draining the clear liquid from the lowball glass and slamming it onto the shiny surface, spinning her finger around indicating she would like another. Because I’m staring at her — zero shame there because she’s kind of entertaining — I don’t miss the gag that follows or the little cough from the burn of the harsh liquid.

I glance to the bartender and he raises an eyebrow at me as if I’m the deciding factor here.

“She’s not mine.” I let him know, not to be a dick, but I’m not her keeper and by the looks of it, she doesn’t want some stranger making decisions for her.

“I’m no one’s,” she growls angrily. Oh, so now she finds her voice. Though, I gotta say, it’s a pretty adorable voice. She might betryingto sound angry, but it’s not really working out that way.

He pours another two fingers into her glass and it’s barely on the counter in front of her before she chugs it down.

This time the cough is a little more dramatic, complete with pounding on her chest with her fist and a “blech” escaping her throat when she sticks her tongue out. She completes the experience by shuddering.

I chuckle next to her and the bartender hands her a glass of iced water, sliding it across the bar top with one finger. His not-so-subtle suggestion doesn’t get his head bit off, only a grateful smile aimed his way.

She takes a sip and I do the same with my whiskey.

“Another?” the bartender asks skeptically, seemingly not wanting her to continue to get herself hammered, thus making him liable for over serving her. However, she’s not showing signs of being drunk by any means so maybe it’s not at that point yet.

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye, curious if she’s going to keep putting the alcohol down quickly.

“Yeah. Please. Maybe something different, though? I mean, stick with vodka because I don’t want to get sick from switching it up but maybe add like lemonade or whatever so it’s not so strong?”

I notice his lips twitch and have to bite back my own laugh. “Sure thing.”

He gets to work on her drink, her eyes never straying from his actions. When he’s finished, he hands her a glass filled with a light pink concoction that she happily takes a sip of.

“Oh my gosh,” she moans. “Mmm. That’s delicious.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you! I could have a million of these.”

“Watch it,” he tells her. “They’ll knock you on your ass if you’re not careful.”

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