Chapter 5
WIDE RECEIVER SPOTTED IN BAR BEFORE OPENING HOURS Claims he’s “just helping”
Alaia
I finish the article about my sisters and their little ‘fire’ incident – I may have left Benny out of the story completely – and send it off to Mike before slamming my laptop shut. One job down. One to go.
I sigh as I stand and make my way out of the office into the bar. Bootlegger opens in an hour and I need to prep the bar for opening. I don’t mind stocking drinks, mixers, and ice. And cutting fresh garnishes and ensuring all the equipment is working is fine as well.
But cleaning and sanitizing the surfaces? Ugh. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a dirty person. I prefer things neat and clean. What I don’t prefer is dealing with glitter.
A cleaning crew comes in to clean the bar after we close each night and yet somehow there’s still glitter clinging to the surfaces every day. I swear glitter multiplies at night when no one’s looking.
I clean the bar and sweep the floors until I have a pile of glitter. Seriously, a pile. How much glitter does a woman need to become a mermaid? Actually, I’m pretty sure mermaids don’t use glitter at all.
The door to the bar bangs open.
“We’re not open yet!”
“Julian let me in.”
Damn, it’s Tanner. Appearing as sexy as he did the first night we met. Nope. He’s not sexy. He’s a player who’s in trouble more often than not.
I force myself to frown. “What are you doing here? And how do you know Julian?”
“I chatted with the bartender the other night whenever you got busy.”
“And what are you doing here? I can’t serve you any alcohol until we’re officially opened.”
“Don’t want a drink.”
My brow furrows. “You don’t want a drink? Are you feeling well? Should I phone a doctor? My sisters are nurse practitioners, I can ask one of them to come here off the books.”
He chuckles. “Off the books?”
“Or whatever it’s called when you don’t want a record of your medical visit.” I lower my voice. “Is it an STD? I heard chlamydia is on the rise.”
He rears back. “I do not have the clap.”
“I’m pretty sure gonorrhea is the clap. Not chlamydia.”
“You know a lot about STDs.”
“I have twin sisters who work in medicine and think it’s hilarious to freak me out at Sunday dinner.” I shiver. “The pictures they bring.”
“Your sisters sound fun.”
I snort. “Yeah, if you don’t mind getting your eyelashes plucked while you’re sleeping by someone dressed as a clown.”
He barks out a laugh. “Definitely fun.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you when they set your house ablaze.”
“Ablaze?”
I shrug. “I’d carry a fire extinguisher if I were you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I reach for my phone. “Now, shall I contact them? What are your symptoms?”
“I’m not sick.”
“But you didn’t want a drink. Tanner Long is known for his love of alcohol.”
He scowls. “Don’t always believe what you read in the gossip rags.”
My cheeks heat with embarrassment. I should know better than to believe everything printed.
I’m supposed to be a journalist. A serious journalist. Not someone who writes gossip columns and uses her column in the newspaper to tease her sisters.
And I won’t even be writing those articles if the Gazette closes.
“Okay, you’re not here for a drink. You’re not ill. Do I have to continue to guess why you’re here, or are you going to tell me?” I notice the time. “And make it quick. I need to finish prepping to open up.”
He scans the bar. “What do you need to do?”
“I’m done sweeping, so I need to put away the broom and dustbin. I’ve already stocked the bar, but I need to cut fresh garnishes.”
“Let me help.”
He grabs the broom before leaning over to pick up the dustbin.
“Be careful.”
“Careful?” He blinks. “What do you mean?”
I point to his jeans, which are now covered in glitter. “Careful.”
He glances down. “I’ve glitter bombed people before, but I’ve never been glitter bombed.”
“Welp. It appears you glitter bombed yourself. Good luck picking glitter out of every crevice of your body for the next year or so.”
He chuckles as he swipes at his jeans.
“Oh no, you don’t.” I march toward him and grab his arm. “You are not spreading glitter all over the floor after I swept.”
I drag him toward the hallway and out the back door. “There. Feel free to swipe and shake as much as you please.”
“Shake? What am I? A dog?”
I lift an eyebrow. “I’ve heard you called worse things.”
He lifts up his leg and shakes it. Glitter flutters through the air. I step back before any attaches itself to me. Don’t laugh. Glitter has magical properties. It gets into places it should not be able to reach. Scientists should study the stuff.
I point to the alleyway. “You can go through there.”
His brow furrows. “Go through there? Why would I go through there?”
“How else are you going to leave? I prefer you don’t go through the front door. The last thing I need is the police showing up because some smuggler complained I was selling alcohol before opening time.”
“Someone would tell on you?”
“Yep. Probably Garcia because I refuse to serve him before opening at least once a week.”
“Surely, the police would understand and believe you.”
“You’d think they would, but you’ve never met my twin sisters. Beth and Anne are always getting into trouble and somehow they drag me with them.”
“Somehow?”
“It’s not my fault. They told me the doctor was handsy.
I thought we were going to his house to discuss the issue.
I didn’t realize they had a bucket of crabs with them.
And I certainly didn’t realize Anne was distracting me with outrageous stories while Beth spread the crabs all over the porch before ringing the doctor’s doorbell. ”
He grins. “I seriously need to meet your sisters.”
“It’s your funeral. They’re identical and love to ‘test’ dates. As in you’ll be eating dinner with Anne and then she’ll go to the bathroom and Beth will return. If you don’t realize they pulled a switcheroo, you have failed and your life is forfeit.”
“Forfeit?”
“Don’t worry. They won’t actually kill you. But they will stalk you on social media and tell the world crazy stories about you.” My nose wrinkles. “Although, in your case, you’ve already done some wild shit. They’d have to step up their game.”
He holds up his hands. “Don’t worry. I don’t want to date your sisters. I want to date you.”
“Me?” I tap my chest. “I thought we discussed this. You asked for my phone number, I said no, end of story.”
“But you chatted with me all night.”
I roll my eyes. “Because you were sitting at the bar and I’m a bartender. I’m legally obligated to chat with anyone sitting at the bar.”
“Legally obligated?”
“Yep. I’d lose my license if anyone found out I gave a customer the cold shoulder.”
His nose wrinkles. “You really don’t want to date me?”
“From what I understand, you don’t date. You hit it and quit it.”
“Those women weren’t you.”
My heart stutters for a moment. How would it feel to have this gorgeous man with those green eyes I want to drown in while he explores my body, actually want me? But he doesn’t want me, I remind my heart. I’m a challenge because I told him no.
“I think we’re better off as friends.”
“Friends? I’m not usually friends with women.”
I beam at him. “I’m happy to pop your ‘friends with women’ cherry.”
“I’m not sure I’m supposed to want to date a woman I’m ‘friends’ with.”
“Trust me. You won’t want to date me once you get to know me.”
“Really? I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”
“For one, I’m not fun.”
“Agree to disagree. The stories you’ve told me have all sounded fun.”
“Because I’m a journalist. I tell stories. It’s what I do.”
He threads a hand through his hair. I can’t help but notice how his biceps bulge with the action. He’s a wide receiver. He’s supposed to be lean and fast. He’s not supposed to sport toned muscles I want to lick.
“We’d have a ball together.”
“Sorry, but I’m not in the market for having a ball or having fun. I’m trying to get my journalist career off the ground so I can leave this island.”
And I need to do it fast before the Gazette closes.
“Why do you want to leave Smuggler’s Hideaway? This island is a blast.”
“As I just established, I am not fun.”
“Says the woman who tricked me into drinking moonshine.”
“I didn’t trick you, but if I had, it would’ve been your fault.”
He laughs. “You’re fun. But you’re fighting me for some reason. Don’t worry. I can be persistent when I want to be.”
Oh, sweet mermaid. Please don’t be persistent. I’m not sure how long I can resist Tanner. Despite knowing how dating him would be a big mistake. Colossal mistake.