Page 75 of The Catch

Before she had a chance to spit out a spunky retort, Jay pulled the gloves out from behind his back, displaying them before her like a dozen long-stemmed roses.

Cat gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth in surprise. “I was heartbroken. You’re the best!”

Now Josh’s whole body was burning with the urge to tell this guy off. Or maybe it was a low-grade fever. He couldn’t tell. He swallowed painfully and moved his hand to a more conspicuous spot on Cat’s shoulder.

Dani’s head bobbed back and forth in his peripheral vision, tossing between Jay’s brilliant smile and Josh’s clenched jaw. She cleared her throat loudly, stealing Cat’s attention back.

Cat suddenly remembered his existence and decided to introduce them. “Jay, this is my boyfriend Josh,” she said, completely oblivious to the slight downturn in the corner of Jay’s mouth as the title left her tongue. Josh didn’t miss it, though, and his lips curled in the opposite direction when he reached across the bar for the second time. “Jay bartends here on Wednesday nights when Dani and I have our Happy Hour date.”

They exchanged a bruising handshake, and Josh could practically see the steam pouring from Jay’s ears. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he liked it.

Jay wasn’t giving up yet, though. “You’ve missed a few lately, Cat,” he said, his gaze back on her the second Josh released his hand. “I was getting kinda used to seeing that pretty smile every week.”

“That would be my fault,” Josh said. He pulled Cat closer and kissed her hair.

Now Cat’s eyes were on the two of them, her mouth in a tight line.

“That right?” Jay asked with just enough amusement in his tone to set Josh’s jaw to stone.

“It is.”

Jay tugged at the rag that was slung over his shoulder and began wiping at some moisture that had pooled on the bar. “That must be why I haven’t met you yet,” he said. “Or even heard of you.”

“Josh lives out of town,” Cat said, reaching for his wrist. She wrapped her fingers around him and squeezed in a gesture that he wasn’t quite sure was meant to be comforting or threatening. He didn’t care much for either at the moment.

“That’s right,” Josh said, lowering his voice and firing a look across the bar. “I’m not in the city all that often, but if you want, we can step outside and I can introduce myself.”

Cat’s mouth dropped open, her eyes pure fire. Dani nearly choked on her tequila.

He didn’t know why he said it. He’d never been in a fight in his life. He was the exact opposite of a hothead, but something about Jay had his blood pumping with testosterone.

“Okay!” Dani chimed in. “Another shot? Should we get a table? I wonder where Sonya is.”

Jay stared at him, sucking his teeth while sizing up how much of Josh’s threat was going to be a promise. “I should get back to the bar,” he finally said.

Josh watched Jay retreat before daring to look back at Cat. Her nostrils flared, her face tipped up at him and plastered with a scowl that could freeze the Sahara. She didn’t have time to say whatever was on her tongue, though, because Emma and Adam showed up, filling in around them at the bar.

When Sonya finally arrived, the group started filing toward the main dining area, but Cat planted her feet and wrapped an arm around Josh’s bicep, holding him in place. She held a finger up to Dani to let her know they would be a minute, and he sucked in a calming breath, ready to take his punishment.

“What was that about?” Cat hissed when her friends were out of hearing range.

“What do you mean?”

“Your little standoff with Jay.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Was that supposed to impress me?”

“That depends,” he said. “Was the hair flipping and giggling supposed to impress him?”

Her mouth fell open, her eyebrows jumping to her hairline. “Why are you acting like a jealous jerk?” she whispered sharply. “This isn’t like you.”

“Sure it is,” he said. “Gut decisions, right?” That was a shit thing to say. He regretted it almost immediately, but he knew even though they had said their “I’m sorrys” he hadn’t let it go yet. Was this what figuring things out meant to Cat? Keeping her options open by flirting with guys like Jay?

Cat was fuming now. She looked fully prepared to give him a piece of her mind in the middle of the restaurant until the anger on her face slid into concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” he lied for no particular reason. He wasn’t exactly. Every breath he took hurt, and the whiskey had only served to weigh down his eyelids even more.

“He’s never been that forward before.” She stood on her toes and pressed a hand to his forehead. Her fingers felt like ice, and he couldn’t help but lean in. “It was disrespectful, and I’m sorry he made you uncomfortable.”

“He’s right, though. I’m not with you most of the time. Why wouldn’t he think he had a shot?”

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