Chapter 15 Scarlett
FIFTEEN
SCARLETT
Twenty minutes later, our taxi stops in front of a bar called the Cellar Dog Jazz Club.
“Have you ever been here?” Nico asks as we step out of the taxi.
I shake my head, taking in the lively bar in front of me. “I’m not super big on the party scene,” I admit.
He lets out a thoughtful hum as he takes my hand. “What scene are you big on?”
To my surprise, I feel an urge to be open with him. Maybe because I feel safe with him. Or maybe it’s because I know he took a risk asking me out.
“The academic one,” I admit quietly.
While I occasionally tell clients I’m in school if it fits with the persona I think they want, I’ve never really broached the subject of school with a man.
Not in a way I could be honest about it.
I heard no one wants a know-it-all for a girlfriend so many times in my life that it’s practically engrained in me.
Amara is the only one who knows I’m even enrolled in college.
But…I think Nico might be understanding of it.
I’m holding my breath for his reaction, but he sounds excited when he asks, “Really? Does that mean you’re in school?”
I nod, my grip on his hand tightening.
He grins as he pulls me to sit on the stools at the bar. “Damn, Red, you’re holding out on me. Now I want to know everything.”
All tension releases from my shoulders with one relieved laugh. Of course, Nico wouldn’t think college was a turnoff. The man is the least judgmental person I’ve ever met.
“But first,” Nico says, waving the bartender down, “let’s get you something to drink. What would you like? Wine?”
When I glance at the drink menu behind the bartender, I realize…no, I don’t want wine. I want to be normal for once in my life and order what I want.
I want to order a beer without feeling like my mother is going to sneer at me for picking a “trashy” drink.
“Actually…” I start, looking to Nico for help. “Can you help me pick a beer? I’m not a big beer-drinker so I don’t know what to try.”
He looks surprised but turns to the bartender anyway. “Then let’s get you a flight. I’m sure they have something basic and light, yeah?”
The bartender nods and immediately walks off, leaving Nico and I to our conversation.
“So…academics. That’s a pretty broad answer. What are you studying?”
I have to tamp down on the giddiness that bubbles inside me at the question. I’ve never thought about how it would feel to tell somebody about this thing that I love so much that was never encouraged when I was growing up.
“Psychology,” I answer proudly. “I’m doing an online program for my undergrad right now.”
Nico nods at that. “Psychology makes total sense for you.”
I tilt my head. “Why do you say that?”
When he grins, his dimple pops. “Because you can read people like a book.”
I let out a loud laugh that I’d normally be embarrassed about, but I feel too free to care. “I can read you like a book because you have the worst poker face.” Feeling cheeky, I nudge his leg with my foot. “Aren’t fighters supposed to be good at hiding their reactions?”
He looks downright delighted by the question. “I’m sorry, are you teasing me?”
I shrug, feeling too happy to hide my smile.
“For your information, I have a fantastic poker face when I’m fighting,” Nico says with a sniff. Then after a moment, he adds, “It’s just you I can’t hide my thoughts from.”
Part of me loves that, because I feel the same way about him.
“So, what’s the dream?” he asks. “Why psychology?”
“I haven’t gotten that far,” I admit. “I have no idea what I’ll do with it, if anything. It’s just…something to do for now.”
“And you enjoy it?” Nico presses. “You like your classes?”
I nod, a small smile coming back. “I like them a lot. And…”
Nico latches onto the word. “And…what?”
I take a deep breath before admitting, “And I’m really, really good at it. I have the highest grades in every one of my classes.”
I’ve never told anyone that. I never wanted to sound like I was bragging, or that I thought I was better than anyone. But with Nico…
With Nico, something else flashes in his eyes.
“Fuck, baby,” he breathes. “You’re sexy and smart? Are you even real?”
I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to a man.
Nico might see the thought in my eyes because he sucks in a breath as heat flames in his. His gaze drops to my mouth, and he reaches for my chair to pull me closer—
“Here you are, folks, one flight of our light beers.”
I jerk back as the bartender puts a tray of four small beers on the bar in front of me. “Th-thank you,” I stammer, my cheeks warming as I lean away from Nico. “Which ones…?”
The bartender points at each beer as he lists out, “In order, you have the Pilsner, Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, and then—excuse the executive decision—I brought you a cider to try, too. If you don’t know much about beer, you might prefer that one or a sour.”
Nico slips a twenty into the tip jar in front of us. “Thanks, man. These are great.”
Once again, excitement bubbles inside me. “Should I just try them in order?” I ask Nico, studying the beers. “Or is there a specific process for this?”
“You can try them in whatever order you want,” he says with a chuckle, resting an arm along the back of my chair. “I’m curious to see which one you like the most.”
I pick up the far-left glass and take a tentative sniff before lifting it to my lips.
“Well? What’s the verdict?” he asks as I let the flavor sit on my tongue before swallowing.
“It’s…not bad.”
But Nico must see the lie on my face because he grins and says, “Beer in general might be an acquired taste. At first, it kind of tastes like ass.”
I take another sip. “How old were you when you had your first drink?”
“Fourteen, I think. I’m the youngest, so I started everything a little too early.”
Lifting the second beer to my lips, I take a sip.
And immediately make a face.
He throws his head back with a laugh as I slide the second beer back. “Did you also think that beer tastes terrible?” I ask with a wince.
“Yup. I took one sip of the Coors Light I stole from Lucas and immediately dumped it.”
“That’s not making me excited about these other beers,” I grumble, reaching for the third one.
“They’re not all bad, I swear,” Nico says as he nods at the one in my hand. “That one’s a little fruity, so you might like it.”
Sure enough, when I try the wheat beer, my eyebrows shoot up. “That’s not bad. Definitely the best of the three.”
“One more,” Nico says, sliding the last beer in front of me. “Then you can decide which one you want to order for when we tear into some of these games.”
I frown at him. “We’re playing games?”
“Mhmm,” he says with a smile. “The live music starts in an hour, so I figured we could try your hand at some bar games while we wait.”
And maybe a tiny buzz is already hitting my system, or maybe it’s Nico’s presence that I’m drunk on, but I can’t hide the giddy smile that pulls at my lips. “Okay,” I whisper happily.
His smile grows, his gaze dropping once more to my lips before quickly lifting back up. “Go on,” he encourages.
As soon as the cider hits my taste buds, my eyes widen. “Oh my God.”
Nico grins. “Yeah, that’s what I figured would happen. It’s good, right?”
I take another, bigger sip. “So good. It’s like spicy juice.”
He waves the bartender down again. “An accurate description. Now let’s get you a real glass so I can start to school you on those games.”
I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.
Maybe the first time my mom took me horseback riding.
I was twelve years old and had finally worn her down about signing me up for lessons.
It probably wouldn’t have been as fun if she went with me, but then again, that was never a real worry.
She’d rather pay for a private and pawn me off on some instructor.
Thankfully, the instructor was more lenient about taking me out on the trails instead of just having me ride in circles around the arena.
It was the first time I ever felt truly free.
Until now.
“You’re cheating!” I shriek at Nico. But I doubt he can hear me over my laughter.
“You’re just mad I keep beating you,” he says with a grin, spinning the foosball handle and scoring his tenth goal.
I straighten with a groan. “They should make it against the rules to spin the handle blindly like that.”
“It is,” says some girl as she walks by me.
My head whips around to stare open-mouthed at Nico. “You are a cheater!”
“You’re cute when you’re outraged,” he says with a chuckle. Gesturing around the bar, he asks, “So, what’s next?”
We’ve been here for over an hour at this point.
I was worried he was going to want to talk the whole time, but we’ve mostly been playing games.
I learned how to play shuffleboard, a couple of arcade games, and I even got to try ping-pong for the first time.
The only one I couldn’t bring myself to attempt was pool, but maybe another time.
Another time?
I’m snapped out of the foreign thought when there’s movement on the stage. Chairs are being carried out, instruments are being moved around. It looks like they’re setting up for the musicians.
“Want to find a seat?” Nico asks.
I nod, so he leads us over to the left side of the room, into a slightly more secluded area. He grabs us two more waters on the way.
I have to fight the unladylike urge to chug it. I think I’ve been laughing to the point of dehydration.
“Okay, so…question for you,” I start once we’re seated, waiting for the music to start.
He turns his entire body to face me. “Shoot.”
“If I had picked the art option, where would you have taken me?”
“I was wondering if you were going to ask me that. We would’ve gone to the Banksy exhibit. Have you seen it?”
Slowly, I shake my head. I’ve barely seen anything in this city.
Somehow, I think he reads that on my face. Because his next question is gentle. “Would you say you haven’t done much exploring in the city since you moved here?”