Page 20 of Knockout (Whiskey Dolls 2)

“Whatever,” he grumbled, the moody, brooding Jude I’d come to know returning to the surface. “I’m done with this conversation.”

“Uh huh. Because I’m right, and you know it.” I did a little victory jig. I loved one-upping Jude Kingsley. It made me happier than sugar dipped in more sugar, deep fried, and drizzled with chocolate. I was sure a therapist would have a field day with that one, but in that moment, I didn’t care.

His top lip curled up, and he looked positively terrified. “Good lord. Is that how you dance? Word of advice, unless you want the date to end immediately, don’t do that in front of the poor guy.”

I snorted and reached out to smack him on the arm. “I’ll return the favor. If you want your date to last, maybe develop a new personality between now and when you walk through the door.”

The elevator dinged, having finally made it to the lobby. “Have a good night,” I chirped as I stepped out. “And give my sympathies to your date. I have a feeling she’s going to need them.”

“Wait,” he called out, stopping the doors before they could close. “You aren’t driving yourself?” His expression grew dark and serious. “Please tell me you aren’t doing something dumb like getting into a car with a man you hardly know.”

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “It’s called an Uber, Grandpa. Will you relax? I’ll still be alive and kicking by tomorrow morning. To prove it, I’ll wake you up by blasting that KPop you love so much.”

“Don’t bother. If tonight goes how I expect, I probably won’t be home to hear it.”

That comment made my heartboom, boom, floprather unhappily, but before I could issue a retort, he released the doors and took a step back deeper into the elevator. Reading my reaction clear as day, he let them close on his smug, punchable face.

Ireallyneeded to do better at masking my reactions, damn it!

* * *

Lifting the glass to my lips, I took a sip of my mojito through the tiny black straw as I turned on my stool and scanned the restaurant. I’d opted to wait at the bar for my date instead of sitting at the table alone, and good thing too, because the guy was already ten minutes late.

There had been a car accident on the freeway, but the Uber driver’s GPS had rerouted us to go around the wreckage. I could only assume my date had gotten stuck in the traffic the wreck had caused. Fortunately, living in a small town surrounded by other small towns meant that the backup usually wasn’t that bad and cleared up relatively quickly.

That was one thing I didnotmiss about living in a big city. The traffic and accompanying smog were things of the past. When I’d taken a job at Whiskey Dolls and moved to Grapevine, I’d said goodbye to all of that, and hadn’t regretted it once.

Pulling in a calming breath, I faced the bar once more and took another sip before chasing some of the muddled mint in my glass with the straw.

“Can I buy you another?” a voice asked from my right.

Turning to give the man who’d just stopped beside me a friendly smile, I said, “Thank you, but I’m actually waiting for my date.”

That didn’t seem to do anything to deter him. The man’s grin turned smarmy as he made himself comfortable on the stool beside mine. “Then how about I keep you company till he gets here.”

My smile lost some of its light. “That’s really not necessary.”

“Of course it is.” The jerk actually licked his lips as he leered down at my legs. “Beautiful woman like you shouldn’t be made to sit alone and wait.”

I blew out a frustrated puff of air and gave it to him straight. “Look, man. That was me trying to be nice, but clearly that’s not going to work on you, so I’ll just spell it out. If my choices are sitting here alone or sitting here with you while you continue to hit on me even though I’ve shot you down as politely as I can, I choose the former. I don’t want you to buy me a drink. I don’t want your company. And Iabsolutelydon’t want to deal with you undressing me with your beady little eyes. So do us both a favor and move on, yeah?”

“You were hurt in the past, weren’t you?”

“Jeez, man! Really?”

I was exactly one point five seconds away from getting up and calling this blind date a wash just to get away from Mr. Clueless to my right when another voice spoke up. A very familiar and totally unexpected gravelly voice that never failed to make me shiver.

“You’re in my seat, asshole.”

For the love of baby goats everywhere. This cannotbe happening.

10

Layla

Looking back over my shoulder, my mouth dropped open and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.

“What thehell?”

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