Page 4 of Along Came Amor
And nearly spit it back out.
Forget lemonade. This was more like furniture polish, strong and sour and nowhere close to the tangy sweetness she’d been expecting.
Ava couldn’t control her grimace as she swallowed.
As the stinging in her mouth subsided, she set the glass back on the napkin and tried to school her features, hoping the bartender hadn’t seen.
So much for new experiences. She’d just go upstairs, order French fries, and watchPride & Prejudicefor the millionth time.
Alone.
The enormity of her loneliness hit her like a sledgehammer. She’d bottled things up during her marriage, acted like everything was fine throughout the divorce, but somehow, this disappointing drink was the last straw.
The need to talk to somebody,anybody, welled up in her like a tidal wave.
But there was no one.
Jasmine and Michelle were busy with their new lives. Damaris wouldn’t be there until later that night. Ava’s mother worked the night shift as a NICU nurse, and never mind her dad or stepmom—they tiptoed around the subject of divorce like it was a contagious sickness and Ava’s father was in remission.
Eyes hot, she blinked hard and pushed her glass toward the other side of the bar. As she was opening her purse to pay, someone approached on her left.
Wary, Ava glanced at the newcomer. A ton of empty seats stretched along the bar, so why was somebody trying to sit right next to...
Holy shit.
Her thoughts stuttered to a halt as her gaze traveled over the man beside her, taking note of every handsome feature. Dark wavy hair with hints of silver at the temples. Strong jaw. Brown eyes, impossibly long lashes, and thick, straight brows. The faint lines at the corners of his eyes only added to his attractiveness, as if they were neon arrows inviting her to drown in their depths.
The word that came to mind wasdreamboat. Old fashioned,but it fit him as perfectly as the dark blue silk suit that accentuated his broad chest and shoulders.
On second thought, he could sit next to heranytime.
With a friendly smile, he gestured at her glass. “Something wrong with your drink?”
Shit. He must have seen her reaction. Embarrassment warmed her cheeks, but she tried to play it off, like the smooth timbre of his voice wasn’t doing dark and delicious things to her. “Oh no, the drink’s fine.”
His expression turned skeptical. “The face you made when you tasted it says otherwise.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not really thirsty anyway.”
Eyes filled with amusement, he picked up the glass and sniffed. Then, to her surprise, he took a sip.
“Wow.” With a slight raise of his brows, he set it back down and cleared his throat. “Did you order that on purpose?”
“I left it up to the Universe,” she grumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. I just wanted something... strong, I guess.” She wasn’t going to explain the concept of New Ava to him.
“This wasn’t what you were expecting?”
“Not exactly.”
When he smiled, soft laugh lines bracketed his mouth. “Let’s get you something else.”
“That’s not—wait, what are you doing?”
He rounded the end of the bar as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I’m going to make you a different drink.”
