Ha! Ballsy. I bit my lip. What was my play here? If this was some trick, I had to admit I was falling for it. I was intrigued.
I laughed. “Okay, I’ll buy this round. What’s your poison?”
“Whiskey rocks. A finger.”
“Just one?” I uttered out of nowhere, feeling my cheeks turn red.
“Let’s start with one,” he winked. I wasn’t sure if he was playing along with the dirty subtext or didn’t catch it. Either way, I waved the bartender over and recited the order. When it was delivered, I handed him the glass.
“Your whiskey on the rocks, sir.”
I took my own glass, there was still some wine in it, and we toasted.
“I’ve never served drinks before. How did I do?”
He licked his lips, swallowed his first sip, then responded. “Pretty good. Minus the fingers comment.”
I laughed out loud, and he joined me. “Well, thank you for your feedback!”
“You’re welcome.” He winked at me and I felt like my skin was on fire. What was I doing? Having a drink with some random millionaire, him not knowing that I was nobody special.
“I’m Owen, Owen Hayes, and you are?”
I offered him my hand to shake it, but instead he brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly. A shiver went through my body. “Sydney.”
First name only seemed safer for some reason. I wasn’t sure what the rules were.
“Another round,” he said to the bartender. “And refill whatever the lady is having.”
“So,” he said, “what are you doing in this dump?”
I rolled my eyes. “Ugh! You were doing so well! Now we’re back to square one!”
He laughed and I wanted to leave more than ever. I wanted to leave with Owen. Let him do things to me. Break my out of this funk I had been in. We could get out of here and get drinks like normal people, without auctions and shady nightclubs…
But I had to stay on target. For Declan.
And that was exactly what I was going to do. No matter how sexy Owen was, this wasn’t the place to think about myself. Unless…
“The better question is – what are you doing in this dump? You don’t look like these other guys.”
“Oh, I’m just meeting an old friend. Well, not a friend, really. Just someone I know.”
Yup, there you go, mystery solved, I thought. He’s here on business.
“Well I need more than that,” I said, putting my glass on the bar.
He looked at me, then said, with a smile, “It’s someone I have a proposition for.”
“Ooh. And what kind of proposition would that be?” I picked the glass back up.
“Something that would help me in the long run, but right now I would rather be talking to you.”
Oh shit. I couldn’t breathe. I just wanted him, and now.
“Do you like it here?” I asked as I felt a blush creeping up my skin.
“Not really. It’s a little overwhelming.”