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Tonight was one of those nights I couldn’t handle being alone If I had stayed in, I would just be stewing over Mom and our phone call this afternoon It happened every time we talked Fortunately those calls were few and far between She would heap on the guilt, re thatback a few shots and wrapping uy who knehat to do with his lips--and it wasn’t talk

"I need a drink," I announced, renewing ed to snag the waitress’s attention and place an order She didn’t even cardto find a cute guy here "How long is he on for?"

She shrugged "Dunno"

Discouraged, I slu up when the waitress returned with our pitcher Fortification was in order if I was going to sit through herover Noah I poured into a clear plastic cup and quickly gulped down the beer, instantly feeling warmer and e, checking out Noah’s druood hair He grinned atup my cup in salute as he did a less than stellar job on the druhout the next few songs, nursing o if you uy took it as an invitation So I didn’tan invitation, and there wouldn’t be any of that tonight Not here anyway

Not even when I spotted hih le I drank more, as if that would kill the sudden awareness that shot through uys in the place, but still older than reeted several people with nods and waves, a couple of slaps on the back My gaze slid over hi I squir insideand alive

I couldn’t stop y-can’t-be-ta never hurt As long as he didn’t knoas checking him out

Propping my chin in my palm, I lifted my drink and finished off another cup I was definitely feeling good now A heady euphoria wrapped around me as I checked him out

He wore a leather biker’s jacket, slim-lined and orn at the sea from the front of his jeans around to the back Biker boots carried hi, he looked built

His face was flushed and wind-chapped from the cold His hair looked deliciously windblown The kind of artfully wild er on the top and cropped shorter on the sides--soto perfect And yet I doubted he did ot out of bed He looked at ho stretch of bar

The bartender, an older woman with implausible red hair that bordered on purple, leaned across the counter and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek Yeah A definite regular Just further confir before he noticed me

Annie elbowed me "Take a picture, why don’t you?"