Page 26

We pull up to The Cracked Mug about twenty minutes later and I’m feeling great.

The music worked its magic and I have a small, but good, buzz going.

I’m not sure if it’s from the two margaritas we had at home, or from the very obvious electricity buzzing between me and Lincoln, but either way, I am ready for this night out.

Hunter parks the SUV and we all climb out at the same time.

Sadie makes her way to me and hooks her arm through mine.

We both turn to make our way into the bar and stop so abruptly we trip over our own feet.

The boys clearly aren’t paying attention because they run full speed into us.

“Ah! What the hell? What’s wrong?” Hunter asks without bothering to look at what caused us to stop in the first place.

Sadie sweeps her arm out in front of her.

“That! Do you not see that? This place takes ‘dive bar’ to a whole new level!”

Both men turn their heads in unison and proceed to keel over in laughter.

I can’t help it.

I burst out laughing and join them in their hysterics.

Before long, we’re all laughing hysterically, wiping tears from our eyes.

This is the craziest looking bar I have ever seen in my life .

The Cracked Mug is, quite literally, a mug-shaped bar.

I mean, there’s even a damn handle sticking out of the side of the building!

There appears to be a “crack” in the mug, starting at the top of the building and ending just above the door.

No windows.

Just a giant ass cracked mug.

I can’t decide if it’s the coolest or most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.

I’m wiping the last tears from my eyes when Hunter finally composes himself enough to explain himself.

“I was chatting with Niko about where we should go tonight to avoid the team and the press. I told him I wanted a hidden gem dive bar. He gave me the name and address of this place but told me not to Google it.”

“And you didn’t think that was weird?” Sadie asks while nudging his shoulder.

Hunter flicks her ear and they begin swatting at each other like a couple of toddlers.

I swear these two are more like brother and sister each day.

Once they’re done with their theatrics, Hunter raises his hands and shrugs.

“What! I wanted to be surprised!”

Lincoln clasps Hunter on the shoulder.

“Well, mission accomplished. This is definitely a surprise, man.”

There seems to be a lighter air surrounding Lincoln tonight.

I’m not sure what it is but ever since he whispered in my ear and sent chills down my spine, he seems lighter.

Happier.

I think I like this lighter side of Lincoln.

Seeming to sense my attention on him, Lincoln looks over and catches me staring.

I’m fairly certain I have a goofy ass smile on my face too.

So that’s great.

Sadie rescues me from myself and grabs my hand before she starts pulling me toward the front door of the bar.

She turns her head and hollers at the boys.

“Last one in the bar buys the first round!”

Once we’re inside it’s not hard to find a table, considering the bar is mostly empty.

I’m actually a little surprised by this because the inside of the bar is impressive.

On the far side along the wall is a well-stocked bar with a handful of stools lining the bartop.

There are a few high top tables spread throughout, but they’re unlike any tables I’ve ever seen.

It looks as if they were made out of something from a factory, definitely industrial looking, with weathered pipes that look like they could hold a giant roll of paper.

The tops of the tables are made of the most gorgeous wood I’ve ever seen, and are stained the same color as the handmade bartop that crosses the back wall.

“Whoa, this place is awesome!” I hear Hunter say as he takes his seat at our high top table.

“Niko mentioned this place was an ode to an old paper mill that used to be around here. I bet these tables were made from the old factory. They’re pretty sweet.”

“I was just wondering what they were made from. They’re beautiful.” I run my hand over the top of the table and then grab a drink menu from the center.

Lincoln clearly has the same idea because he grabs the menu at exactly the same time and our fingers brush for the briefest moment.

The jolt of electricity I feel at minimal contact is not normal.

He snaps his hand back as if he just touched fire, and it’s clear he is just affected as I am by the simple touch.

He nods toward the menu.

“You go ahead. I was last in the bar so the first round is on me.”

It’s at this moment I finally notice that Lincoln has taken his jacket off, and I think I might start drooling.

He’s wearing a Henley and it looks to be the same color as the massive eggplant Sadie brought home from the market yesterday.

It’s a dark shade, and I can’t help but stare at the way the shirt hugs his phenomenal biceps.

Like, how is he even that ripped?

And I swear, he’s the only man on the planet who makes purple look sexy.

The purple makes the green of his eyes even more intense, which causes me to stare like a damn idiot.

It’s not even fair.

This man is a damn specimen.

Sadie nudges me, breaking my trance and I quickly drop my eyes from Lincoln’s chest.

There’s no way he didn’t catch me staring.

Oops.

I look down to the drink menu and pray to the gods above that they have margaritas at this joint.

Thankfully, they have an entire page of specialty drinks and one of their featured fall drinks is a Smoky Harvest Apple Cider Margarita.

Sign.

Me.

Up.

“I’ll take their apple cider margarita that’s on special. On the rocks. And could you ask if we could get a pitcher of water?”

I close the menu and reach over the table to hand it to Lincoln.

He smirks before taking it from me.

“Water already, huh? Too many pregame margaritas?”

Sadie steps in before I can fire back with the smartass comment on my tongue.

Luckily, she has one at the ready.

“You’re one to talk. Did you or did you not almost piss your pants in the apartment? Linky Boy can’t hold his booze?”

Blanching at the nickname she uses, I’m afraid Grumpy Lincoln will make an appearance.

Instead, he laughs and gives credit where credit is due.

“Touché, Sadie. You’re right. I almost pulled a Billy Madison and wet myself.” He laughs again before taking Sadie and Hunter’s orders and making his way to the bar.

I sure do love watching that man walk away.

Hunter and Sadie both start cracking up and I look over at them.

“What the hell is your problem, you guys?”

“Us? It’s like your eyes are permanently attached to that man’s ass,” Sadie says in between cackles.

“Shut up! They are not. Besides, what’s so wrong with appreciating a work of art? Because, good lord, that ass could hang in the Louvre,” I say while fanning myself.

Hunter leans over to Sadie trying to keep his comment quiet but I still manage to hear him say, “This is going to be easier than we thought.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I’m about to question the two troublemakers but Lincoln makes his way back to the table with our drinks before I can interrogate them.

“What did I miss?” he asks while handing Sadie and me our margaritas.

“I heard your cackles from across the room.”

I ignore his question and take a long sip of my margarita, which isn’t suspicious at all.

Nope, not even a little bit.

But damn, this margarita is good.

Hunter saves me by chiming in.

“Oh nothing, we were just talking about the giant bubble hockey debacle that happened during intermission last game. That dude went flying !” He and Sadie start fake laughing and it’s a very pathetic attempt at a cover story.

Lincoln eyes us all suspiciously but, for whatever reason, doesn’t call us out on Hunter’s bullshit.

I’m mid-sip on my delicious margarita when Sadie’s screech scares the ever-loving bejesus out of me, causing me to choke and spit my drink back into my glass.

I put my hand on my chest and try to calm my pounding heart.

“What the hell, Sadie?”

I realize her eyes are fixed on the opposite end of the bar.

I turn my head to see what caused her to screech like a howler monkey and that’s when I see it.

Oh, hell no.

There’s a small stage being set up with microphones and a DJ setting up shop.

This is my worst nightmare.

It’s freaking karaoke night.