I took another drink. “What’d she have to say?”
“Oh, you should have seen her.” His eyes lit up. “There was a whole speech, which I happily sat through.” He looked proud of himself. “She even provided visuals.”
My brows knit together. “Visuals?”
He leaned over the bar, laughing. “She put together what she called a ‘mood board’ of Harmony.”
I couldn’t restrain my own laughter as I loosened my tie. “And your verdict?”
“Promised her I’d at least talk to you.”
I gave a slight nod, appreciating him appeasing her. “Good man, but my mind is made up. She needs the city to help her grow…build the right connections.”
He groaned. “Always about connections and business with you. Thank God the little guy has Jax and me to show him how to live it up.”
I shot him an unimpressed glower and finished my drink. I could’ve used a second, but I had a one-drink limit when I was on my way to pick up Oliver.
“Look, I know it’s not my business, but it’s a good school—a good town.”
“Then why’d you leave?” I challenged. I’d never asked him before, and honestly I was that concerned.
“I had my reasons, but they didn’t involve Harmony itself. I have plenty of good memories from there.”
“I’m sure.”
“Come on. You said you lived there when you were younger.”
“And I haven’t been back since,” I clarified.
“Never?” He looked stunned, as though I’d confessed to some heinous crime.
“Why would I? My grandparents passed on, and my father got a job here.”
“Wait.” He shook his head, bemused. “So you’ve never even been there? I mean, where you can remember it?”
“No.” Why was that hard to believe? I traveled enough, but not to a town that held nothing of interest.
“Well, shit, looks like we have a road trip this weekend.”
I sat back, narrowing my eyes. “No. She’s not going there, and neither am I.”
“Come on, I’ll make sure it’s worthwhile. I know you’re as tired of the same damn scene as I am. All the decent-looking women we have yet to bang in this city are becoming fewer and more far between. I’m in need of some new prospects.”
When he put it like that, sweet country girls sounded like my type of weekend after all. I grinned, convinced.
“You’re on, but not this weekend. I’m taking Oliver to the new exhibit on dinosaurs. Next weekend.”
His grin was triumphant. “How’s the little prince doing?”
Caleb was the only person outside my family whom I discussed Oliver with or allowed around him. “He’s been frustrated lately,” I answered honestly.
He laughed, pulling the rag from his shoulder and wiping it over the bar. “Just like his old man, huh?”
I cracked another smile at the jab. “His cousin Charlie’s already learning to play the piano.”
“Damn, that kid’s so little. What is he, two?”
“And a half, and already challenging Oliver. Katherine’s teaching them both, but it’s not coming as easily for Oliver.”
“Katherine, mmm.” He closed his eyes, exaggerating his crush. “I’ll never understand how that stiff brother of yours ended up with such a fine specimen of woman.”
“Watch it,” I warned, which was unnecessary. Caleb had a thing about teasing me when it came to her. He shot me a knowing smirk.
A guy a few stools down called him over for a drink. I glanced back at the redhead still sitting, still waiting. She was in a short black dress, which suited her well.
I pivoted on my stool and was appreciating the view she gave of her matching black thong when she repositioned herself, spreading her legs for the briefest moment before crossing them in the other direction. Caleb stepped back over, moving my empty glass and replacing it with one filled with soda.
“Oliver has nothing to worry about. The little guy can paint. That’s all he needs, as you can attest to, to appeal to the ladies.”
I held up my glass to salute him, finding just the hint of Jack mixed in as I took a drink. He knew me too well.
“It seems it doesn’t take as much anymore,” I replied, thinking out loud. Revealing to a woman that I was an artist was even more effective than telling her I ran my own company, although it seemed most women were receptive without any conversation at all.
I glanced down at my watch. Twenty until five—plenty of time left. I grabbed my coat and stood. “Where is she?” I asked, sliding it over my arm.
Caleb knew exactly what I was asking. He leaned forward and spoke in a hushed voice. “Four seats down.”
With one stealthy move of my head, I saw his target: a dark-haired beauty in a cheap grey dress. From her seated position, she was all tits and ass. Just his type.
“Not bad. So I take it big-shot Parker’s in the hole again?” I threw out, referring to the owner of the bar who was always owing Caleb something. It gave Caleb a new game to play, though: using his roleplaying exploits to pick up women. Why he had a thing for pretending to be a struggling bartender, I didn’t know.
He grinned, shrugging a shoulder in mock innocence. “He should be grateful. It’s free help for the bar. No better way to clear a debt.”
It was true—Parker was lucky Caleb let him pay it off by giving him full rein of his place, and with his female patrons. Not everyone was that lucky. Caleb had a padded bank account, but I knew he was still looking for what he really wanted to do for a living. Because of that, he played games—both respectable and questionable ones.
“Tell the little guy I said hi,” he said, turning away to face his prey.
“Good luck,” I replied, though he didn’t need it. He’d used the bartender act before on unsuspecting women who came in for a drink, hooking them with his ‘woe is me’ bartender routine. It never led anywhere serious, though, because he was as jaded as I was. I wasn’t sure what his story was, which was actually the glue that bonded us. He never asked about Natasha, I never questioned how he made his money outside the poker table, and neither of us placed judgment. It worked well.
I took one more drink from my glass to finish it off, then strode straight to the pert redhead.
Her expression confirmed a conversation wasn’t needed. She dragged her gaze down my chest, stopping below my belt, and then gazed back up at me, darting her tongue out to moisten her lips. She was eager to skip to the main event, which worked perfectly with my time crunch.
I held out my hand and watched her broad smile lift her features. She put her hand in mine, stood up, and followed me to the back, no questions asked. Some women made it too easy.
When I opened the door to the small break room, I found it empty as usual. She entered the room, looking around while I shut the door behind us.
The soft creaminess of her breasts overflowed from the low-cut dress that hit just under her ass. She was only looking for one thing dressed like that, and I was more than happy to indulge her.
She moved toward me, her hands skimming over my tie. “Thanks for the drink. It was…delicious.” Her soft voice was as fake as her breasts, but I went with it. I turned the lock on the door and then twirled my finger, directing her to turn around.