Page 70 of The Bad Husband

His crooked smile keeps the orders and tips coming.

“Do you like him?” Keira asks from behind her drink.

The bar is in our line of sight. Blondes, brunettes, and redheads clamor over him.

“He surely has a lot of fans,” I say, pointing to him with my drink.

Smiling, I go on.

“What in the world were you thinking? Poor guy can’t even look in my direction. He’s that busy. And I’m not talking about fulfilling orders here. I’m sure he’s booked solid for the rest of the year with other stuff.”

“It gets crazy like that in the summer. Believe it or not, he had a girlfriend last year during summer break.”

I look at her.

“What happened to her?”

She flicks her head toward the bar.

“This. She couldn’t stand it after a while.”

“You won’t say. And you thought he’d be an option for me.”

“For having sex? Yes. He’s only had happy customers.”

My eyes linger on her face as she studies him juggling a dozen tasks behind the counter.

“What about you? Have you ever been interested in him?”

She shakes her head, sunk in thought.

“Frankie and I go way back. I recommended him for this job, actually. We were good friends before he became quite a hit with the local bar female clientele. Nah. I wouldn’t be able to live like this.”

She gestures to the crowd and looks away.

“I don’t think he’s good for me, either,” I say.

She shifts her focus to me.

“It’s different with you. You don’t know him.”

“I’m not for him,” I argue. “Look at him talking to five women at once. Can you imagine him getting in a car with me and trying to strike up a quiet conversation?”

“Give him a chance. You might be surprised.”

I’m not so sure.

Things wind down eventually, and we end up at the bar, where Keira introduces him to me.

He squeezes my hand briefly, his eyes pinned on mine for a few seconds.

He must’ve met a lot of new women tonight. I’d be shocked if my name registered with him.

After midnight, the place empties, and after one, he walks us out, and someone else takes his place at the bar.

The place closes after two.

He’s genuinely easygoing, not intimidated.