Page 33 of Love Thy Neighbor

“You don’t scare me, Caroline. Now go mingle.”

I give her a gentle push toward the table, then slide past her, making sure to keep my distance and not accidentally brush up against her.

Shayla, the woman who’s usually behind the bar, spots me from the other end and tells the second bartender she’s got this one as I approach.

She sashays over to me, her perky tits barely contained by her tight, small top.

“Hey, handsome,” she purrs, leaning across the bar and pressing her breasts together. They’re now dangerously close to spilling free.

“Hey, Shay,” I say. “How you been?”

“Good, but not as good as I’ve been before.”

I’m not an idiot. I know she’s referring to the night we had together when our company first started coming here. It was a one-time thing, and I made sure that was clear when my boss began bringing us here almost every Friday.

Every time I come in, she references our roll in the hay and how nobody else has come close to rocking her world like that. Sad, because all I did was make her come. But I think she’s accepted there won’t be a repeat.

“Can you start a tab for me?”

“Sure thing. What’ll it be tonight, handsome? Your usual?”

I nod. “A spiced rum and root beer too.”

She lifts her perfectly sculpted brow. “Two drinks?”

You’re here with someone?That’s what she’s really asking.

“Two drinks tonight.”

“Pity.” She pouts, and I don’t correct her that I’m here with my best friend and not a date. “Be right back.”

She flounces away, putting extra sway into her hips. She’s hot, I’ll give her that, but she’s not what I’m after at the moment.

I rest my back against the bar, turning toward the crowd, scanning it for someone to help take me down off this edge I seem to be standing on.

My eyes eventually land back on my co-workers. Paul is chatting with Chad One and Chad Two, two other developers, while the rest of the group seems to be enraptured by a story being told by Drake, our resident class clown.

Joan is talking with another coder, and Caroline is…

Wait. Where the fuck is Caroline?

I push to my full height, scanning the space again.

Damn it’s crowded in here.

I’m having a tough time spotting her—but then the distinct color of her dress catches my eye.

She’s in the corner of the bar talking with Eli.

Fuck.Of coursethat tool would defy my direct order. He does it all the time during projects. He’s a fucking know-it-all and way too anal about some crap.

Eli is a jackass on a good day, but get a few drinks in him and he’s even worse.

He’s rowdy. Loud. Brash.

And definitely not fucking good enough for Caroline.

“Here you go, handsome,” Shayla says, drawing my attention. “Just let me know when you’re ready to close out.”

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