CHAPTER 3
Sonnie
I sat up and felt an odd rush of endorphins from hearing the familiar voice on the other end of the line. Brown Eyes. “How’d you get my number?”
“Do you want honesty or something sexier?”
I bit back a smile. “Honesty. Always.”
“I bribed the other bartender.” He cleared his throat. “Yep. I’m not exactly proud of myself, but I’m not sorry, either.”
Scoffing, I hugged my pillow to my chest. “Shannon gave you my number because you bribed her? And she gave you one of the cupcakes?”
“I paid for both. We didn’t clarify the bribe up front so I paid her for just your name at first. She really made me work to get your number. I hope it’s less creepy and more flattering, but I’m afraid it’s leaning towards more creepy.” He sounded like he was smiling, despite somewhat scolding himself. “Your cupcake, though. It was fucking delicious.”
I found myself smiling and flopped back in bed. “Thank you. Did you call for an order of cupcakes?”
His laugh was low and husky. “As much as I liked the cupcake, I’m calling for you. I know you said you didn’t grab drinks with customers, but I’ll make a promise to you that I’ll never come back to the bar. Problem solved.”
My blush was childish but it’d been a long time since anyone made any effort for me, so I was more than a little flattered that the drop-dead sexy stranger from the night before had worked to get in touch with me. “What’s your name?”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. Drake. And I know your name is Sonnie Morgan, but I especially think Cupcake is more than fitting after knowing how talented you are.”
“Drake. What if I just said I don’t date customers to let you down easy last night?”
“Wrong direction, Cupcake.” He was definitely still grinning. “Let’s focus on the way you saved me last night. I should properly thank you for that, over dinner and drinks.”
I laughed. “You thanked me last night. If anything, we should focus on how handsy you were with your hero.”
“You’re walking into this one, Cupcake. I’d love to talk about how handsy I was. In graphic detail. Since I’m a gentleman, however, I’ll refrain.”
“Oh, my god. You’re impossible.” I felt my bed shift lightly and looked down to see Monster staring at me with a pair of my panties in his mouth. “Drop those, you little pervert!”
Monster spit out my panties and proceeded to rip me a new one in a series of angry meows . He was as sick of my shit as I was of his. Apparently, my refusal to let him eat my panties was his limit.
“What the fuck is that sound?” Drake sounded genuinely concerned for me and I was thankful someone was finally paying attention to the terror that was Monster.
“My sister’s cat, Monster. He’s a terror. He makes it his mission to chew on everything I own. Currently, it’s panties. This morning, it was my house shoes.” I snatched the panties and shoved them under my pillow. “Go away, Monster.”
“Does it have rabies? What’s with the sounds?”
I snorted. “He’s just pissed and talking back. We rescued him from an alley behind a strip club in Memphis. He’s got a big personality.”
“I’m still not convinced you shouldn’t call animal control.”
“Rosie would murder me. She likes two things in the world and Monster is one of them.”
“Is the other one you?”
I laughed a little too hard at that. “Sorry. No, I am definitely not the other thing she likes. She’s fifteen and being raised by someone barely nine years older than her. She definitely does not like me.”
“Wow. You’re raising her? That’s got to be hard.” He hesitated. “Also, I’m doing the math and you’re twenty-four? I’m too old for you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you canceling the date with me that I haven’t accepted yet?”
“I should. I’m thirty-seven. I should apologize for bothering you and let you go.” With a pained sound, he continued. “I’m an asshole, though, and I’m not going to.”
A shiver of excitement worked its way down my spine. “You’re acting like I’m even going to agree to a date with you. Which, I’m not.”
“No?”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m raising a fifteen-year-old. I’m busy.” Reality set in a little and I swallowed my flirtiness. What the hell was I doing? Giggling with a complete stranger on the phone like I was Rosie’s age with no responsibilities or concerns? “Matter of fact, I should go.”
“How busy?” His voice took on an edge of concern. “Do you give yourself breaks?”
“Breaks? What are those?” I sighed. “I don’t have time for breaks. Or money for breaks.”
“Sonnie, I don’t know you, but you’re too young to burn yourself out. If you won’t go out with me, at least take yourself out.” He paused and cleared his throat. “Sorry. I realized I’m overstepping. You just sounded so much older when you said that and I’ve been there myself. Overworked and pushed to the limit. It’s not good.”
For some reason, his concern dragged everything to the surface. Emotions threatened to bubble over and I ground my teeth together to keep them in check. “I took Rosie in three years ago. I was twenty-one and I had all these big plans. Rosie needed me, though. I bartend at least six nights a week, every week. I take as many baking orders as I can. I ate icing for breakfast because the only other thing in the fridge was pickles and Rosie yelled at me for drinking a flat diet Coke she’d left there weeks ago. She also yelled at me for banging on her door to wake her up when she slept through her alarm.
“I’m broke, I threatened a few bullies with vehicular homicide this morning, and there hasn’t been a single fad diet come around that encourages people to eat cupcakes. I would love to go out with you for dinner and drinks. I’d love to skip all that and go straight to the orgasms I’m sure you’re an expert at giving. I haven’t had one of those in… Jesus, I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve masturbated.” I sucked in a huge breath of air. “I don’t know what a break is. Maybe when Rosie graduates, I can take a break. Or when she gets a career and can take care of herself? I don’t know. I just know that right now? There are no breaks. It’s unfortunate, though, because you’re incredibly hot and our chemistry alone would make me come if I had the energy to touch myself. But I don’t.
“So, thank you for flattering me by calling, but I’ve just said all of this and now I have to go bury my head in the sand and be embarrassed for the next two to four years. Shit.”
I hung up before he could say anything and stared at my phone like it was a spider that had crawled into my hand and bit me. What the hell was wrong with me? Why had I said all of that?
Letting out a mortified scream, I pulled a pillow over my face and hoped I was going to wake up to Rosie’s alarm. At least then the entire morning would’ve just been a terrible dream. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.