Page 22 of Back Room Host

Suddenly, everything inside me got mixed up. I had already resigned myself to never seeing him again. This was my second chance because I was interested in the guy. And now, seeing him again, all in black, with his makeup and that captivating smile on his face, even more so.

He can definitely be my next Matteo.

Wait a minute … He just kissed a guy. Maybe his boyfriend?

Doesn’t matter. He’s just supposed to inspire me.

Like Matteo did with the semester project.

That was fun.

Damn, it’s been too long since I’ve had sex.

I liked Matteo. He was uncomplicated. Had enjoyed being my muse and having some fun with me at the same time. And all without commitment—until he came up with that absurd declaration of love that made no sense at all. It was completely absurd that someone could fall in love with me.

My gaze returned to Juri; he attracted me like a magnet and hadn’t lost any of his effect. His mysterious dark aura completelycaptivated me. But now, among all the undead—in this dimly lit room—he seemed even more mysterious.

He alone made something inside me tremble. My heart skipped a beat just seeing him. I had no idea what was going on with me. He looked good. Kind of dark. The James Dean hairstyle suited him.

“Hey, man! What are you standing around here for?” Daniel, my fellow bartender, snapped at me from the side. “People want to order!”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.”

I immediately got back to work. As much as I wanted to focus on the orders and the drinks, Juri had an irresistible pull on me. My eyes kept wandering to the dance floor to look for him and make sure he was still there. He wouldn’t slip away from me as easily this time. But unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. When I searched for him again, he was gone. No trace of him or his dog collar friend.

Maybe they went out for a smoke.

I tried to concentrate on work again, but it bothered me that I had missed this opportunity.

During a quiet moment, I took a sip of water and observed the people in the club when I saw Juri heading toward the bar. Unfortunately, he was headed for Daniel’s station, but I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. So, I put the glass down and hurried to the other side. At the last moment, I squeezed in between Daniel.

“I’ll take care of this one,” I said, turning to Juri. “Hi!”

I locked eyes with a pair of stunning, dark-rimmed eyes, which held a moment of brief confusion before blossoming into a welcoming smile, revealing gleaming white teeth. It was evident that he was genuinely pleased to see me.

“Hot chocolate! What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” I replied, laughing.

“I’ve never seen you here before!”

“Maybe you just didn’t notice me.” My pulse quickened, and heat rushed to my head.

“Of course, I would have noticed you,” he called over the counter. “With your platinum blond quiff, you stand out to everyone here.”

“Is that a good thing?” I asked, feeling slightly unsure.

Juri curled his lips. “It depends on whether you intended to make a lasting impression.”

“I can assure you! Today is my first day. What can I get you?”

“Two whiskey colas,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

As I prepared the drinks, my gaze fell on his neck. His beautiful neck with a prominent Adam’s apple … and a huge scar on the side.

What the hell?

I redirected my gaze to his face—his straight nose, beautifully arched brows, and dark eyes while my hands automatically prepared two glasses. I took extra time with the preparation and kept glancing at him. He watched me attentively, seeming quite interested, which slightly puzzled me. Especially since he had been the one to flee from the place in a hurry.

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