I look up sneakily, trying my best to make it look like Sally hadn’t just told me about someone checking me out. I flicked my eyes across the tables and froze when my eyes met his brown eyes from across the bar.
Why wasn’t he sitting at his regular table? Did he sit at another table, further away at the back to watch me? Or even better, why didn’t he just come over and introduce himself?
“You look constipated,” Robert said from next to me.
“You say the sweetest things to me, man.” I turned to face him, rolling my eyes at what he said.
“What?” He laughed at my expression. “It’s either you staring at his table when he came in the other night and sat over there or him staring at you while he hides at another table.” He laughed. “You’re like two girls.” He reached beneath the bar and poured a small glass of scotch. “Here.” He held it out to me, placing it on the bar in front of me. “Go and deliver the drink and introduce yourself.”
I flicked my eyes between the drink and him before I shook myself. I was never a shy man. No point in starting now. I grabbed the drink and walked over to his table. I looked up as I approached, feeling his eyes on me. I smirked when his eyes stopped on my tattooed arms.
“Here’s your drink.” I placed the glass down in front of him. “Thought I’d come over and introduce myself.” I smiled at him, trying my damnedest to be my charming self. “I’m Luke.” I held my hand out to him and waited for him to shake it.
“Hello Luke.” He smiled at me before he reached for my hand, giving it a firm shake. Tingles traveled up my arm from where he touched me. “Are you enjoying the new job?” he asked as he pulled his hand back.
“It’s good.” I nodded my head and tucked my hands in my trouser pockets. His eyes stared at the ink disappearing beneath my sleeves. “It’s not my first time behind a bar, though.”
“No?” He met my gaze. “You don’t sound like you’re from around here.”
“I’m a Brit. Born and bred. I’m from London.”
“On a US trip?” He grinned over at me before his eyes flashed behind me to the bar.
“Luke! A bit of help,” Robert called over to us.
I nodded my head politely at him and walked away. As I got to the bar, I looked back, smirking when I saw he was watching me walk away.
“You flirt!” Robert teased.
“Who’s that guy?” I asked. I nodded my head behind me to gesture who I meant.
He looked past me before a devious smirk appeared on his face. “That’s Freddie.”
Freddie. I liked it. The name suited him.
“What do you need help with?” I asked, changing the subject, gesturing to the empty glasses in front of him. “Need me to clear up?”
“No.” He shook his head at me. “Would you mind changing one of the barrels for me? We are almost out of this brand and you’re not here tomorrow because you had to be selfish and book a day off.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Yeah, yeah.” I walked around the bar to get to the stairs that led down to the cellar where the kegs were stored. “You could help me, you know!” I called up the steps.
“You’re the muscles!” he replied. “I’m too pretty to lift heavy equipment.”
I made my way over and made quick work of swapping the barrels over. As I lined the keg up, I rolled the now empty barrel over to the collection point near the roller shutter door before I turned around, making sure the pipes were tight before I made my way back up to the bar.
“All done.” I wiped my dusty hands on my trousers, leaving dirty handprints behind. “Need help closing up or…?” I stopped as my eyes zeroed in on the now-empty table Freddie had been sitting at.
“You can go on. I’ll finish up.” Robert turned towards me. “I am your boss, you know. You don’t need to do everything around here.”
“I’m going now.” Sally came around the bar and threw my coat at me. “Fancy walking me out?”
“Sure.” I put my coat on and buttoned it up, meeting Sally on the other side. “Bye Robert,” she called.
I placed my arm over her shoulders and started walking her out. “See you in a couple of days, man.” I gave him a wave over my shoulder and guided her out. “Need me to walk you home?” I positioned my body in an attempt to block her from the cold wind that was blowing our way as we stepped outside.
“No, that’s okay. My taxi is here.” She waved her hand to the yellow cab that was idling at the curb. “We can share if you want?”
“No, that’s okay. You go on. I fancy a walk and I don’t live far anyway.” I watched her get in the cab and drive away before I started my walk down the block. I had only taken a few steps when my phone vibrated in my back pocket with a text message.