CHAPTER 10 BOWER #2
He shakes his head and presses forward. “Just…not a place I guess I’d take you on a first date—well, I mean, anyone, not just you, but I wouldn’t take anyone there on a first date.”
“Why not?” I ask as he makes a right onto a main road.
“It’s kind of like an old boys’ club, where men sip brandy and smoke cigars. Now it’s a pub for all, but it still gives off those good-old-boy vibes.”
“That is an interesting place to take a first date.” I worry my lip, thinking about what Gabby said beforehand. “Do you know anything about Cougar?”
“Not really,” he answers, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “But Graydon thought that he might be good for you.”
“Gabby was saying that he seemed like a player. Makes me a little nervous.”
“Really?” he asks, stopping at a stoplight and facing me. “Want me to take you back home, or better yet, take you to get ice cream and then take you home?”
The prospect of crawling out of this dress and right back into pajamas with ice cream in hand is incredibly appealing, but if there is one thing I know, it’s that I don’t ever want to be the person that stands someone up.
It’s happened to me before and I know how bad it feels.
And sure, it seems like Cougar is the type of guy who’d bounce back pretty easily, but still, I don’t ever want to be that person.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’ll be a good time.”
“You sure?” he asks, looking like he’s willing and ready to book it the hell out of here and back to the apartment building. “Because I don’t want to be the reason why you have a bad night.”
“It won’t be your fault if I do. It would be his. After all, he’s the one who has to impress me, right?”
“Right,” Bennett says, his eyes dropping to my lips for a moment before he turns back to the road. “But just in case, do you want to have a signal that you can text me in case you need me to bail you out?”
“Oh, that’s a clever idea. Like if I send you an alert emoji, you know to call me and I’ll pretend my aunt fell off a cliff or something.”
“Jesus,” he says as he makes a left-hand turn. “Maybe something a little more believable and a little less insane.”
“Aunt falling off a cliff too much?”
“Just a little.”
“Okay, maybe you got your head stuck in something and I have to come help you get your head out or else it’s a call to the firemen.”
“Why does my head need to be stuck in something? That seems idiotic.”
“I wasn’t talking about the head that sits on the top of your neck…”
His lips flatten, which makes me chuckle. “You’re talking about my penis? What the hell would I get it stuck in?”
“I don’t know. You’re young. Are there any trends going around that would make you accidentally get your penis stuck?”
“No,” he nearly shouts. “Jesus, Bower.”
I chuckle. “Okay, so not into the penis getting stuck in something. Got it, hmm, what can you get stuck in something?”
“Nothing,” he says. “Just say that I’m sick and need your help.”
“Oh…that’s actually, huh, that’s really good. Gives me a relatable reason to leave but also makes me seem like a good person rather than someone trying to get out of a horrific date. Wonderful job, Bennett.”
“Not that hard.”
“What’s not hard? Finding a reason why you need me? Or your penis when it gets stuck in something?”
He shakes his head as he says, “There’s something seriously wrong with you.”
“Are you sure you’re good to go? I can still take you home.”
I unbuckle my seatbelt and shake my head. “No, it’s good. This is going to be fun.” I look out the window toward the pub with stained-glass windows. Really wish he chose somewhere else.
“I can stick around for a second or even walk you in if you want.”
I chuckle. “You’re acting like a dad.”
“The fuck I am,” he says, utterly insulted at the suggestion. “Just looking out for you.”
“Well, I’ll be fine…Daddy.”
One singular brow raises that makes me burst out in laughter.
“If you’re calling me ‘daddy,’ then I can’t possibly allow you to go into that bar. Off to get ice cream it is.” He reaches to put the car back into drive, but I stop him with my hand to his.
“Don’t even think about it,” I say, then I open the door. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Anytime,” he says. “Want me to walk you in?”
I laugh. “No, I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Okay, but seriously, text me anytime if you need me, even if it’s three in the morning. I’m here for you.”
“Thank you, Bennett.” I squeeze his arm. “You’re a great friend. I’d be lost without you.”
His lips press together as he lightly smiles. “Anytime.”
I let out a deep breath. “Okay, here goes nothing.” I hop out of the car, wave to Bennett, and then head toward the front door.
Large, mahogany, and heavy, it takes me a second, but I pull it open and I’m instantly hit with that day-old, musty-beer smell that seems to permeate every pub in the world.
The entire space is floor-to-ceiling wood. From the walls, to the floors, to the tables and chairs, and only the stained-glass lampshades and brass accents along the bar provide contrast.
Bennett wasn’t kidding when he said it seems like a good old boys’ club.
Not letting it shift my mood, I glance around the room, looking for Cougar, just as a hand is placed on my back.
Surprised, I turn around and come face to, well, chest of a man in a blue-and-white-striped shirt and navy blue capris with accompanying loafers.
Slowly, I lift my eyes past a broad set of shoulders, up a thick column of a neck, to a freshly shaven jaw, slightly pointy nose, and then to a pair of dark and almost dangerous eyes.
“Bower?” he asks.
“Cougar,” I say, almost feeling breathless from his sheer presence. Not sure I’ve ever met someone who is six seven in real life, but my God, is he tall.
“That would be me.” He leans down and places a kiss on my cheek. “Great to meet you.” He takes in my dress and smirks. “You look great.”
“Thank you. I might have changed several times before coming tonight.”
“You chose right.” He holds out his arm and says, “Shall we?”