Page 27 of Champagne & Handcuffs

After pulling the wooden door open, I walked into the dimly light bar and spotted Annie sitting at a high top near the side wall. She probably thought we were having drinks here and then going to a nice restaurant for dinner. That wasn’t my plan. Lola’s provided me with more dinners than I could count, and what better way than to be a cheap date than just order cheese sticks as an appetizer?

The closer I got to the table, the more Annie’s eyes widened. Did she not believe I was going to show? Girls were so weird—especiallymy two best friends.

“Annie?” I asked, and she stood.

“Hi.” She reached out to give me a hug, but I stuck my hand out to shake hers.

“The boys are right. You’re fine as hell.” Bet she didn’t see that line coming.

“Um. Thanks?”

“What’s your poison tonight, honeybuns?” Having that term of endearment roll off my tongue made me shiver.

“Um, I’ll have a margarita?”

“Why the question? You aren’t sure whatcha drinkin’?”

“I usually don’t know what to order.”

I took a seat, feeling as though it was going to take me thirty minutes to get what she really wanted to drink. Annie followed suit. “Gibbs told me you’ve seen me here before. Do you just come for the food then?”

“No, I come here with my friends to have a good time.”

“Oh, so you like to shake that ass out on the dance floor for all the guys to fantasize about?”

She laughed. “I love to dance. Do you?”

“Yeah sure. What's not to love about a nice ass pressed against my dick as we sway to the beat of the music?”

“I’d definitely back mine up against you.”

Aw fuck.Changing the subject, I said, “A margarita is a good drink to have. What do you want to eat it?”

“We’re eating here? I thought we were just meeting here for a few drinks and then going somewhere else.” Could she not have figured out what she wanted to drinkbeforeshe showed up? I didn’t want to be here all night. That wasn’t my plan. Get in, get out, I’ll catch you later.

“Nah, honeybuns. Lola's has the best fried pickles in town. No need to go somewhere else.”

“Eww. I'm more of a fresh veggies girl. I'm not into fried foods.”

“Then a lot of limes it is with that margarita.” I winked and stood. “I’ll be back.” I left to go to the bar to order our drinks and place the food order. “Hey, Greg, can I get a margarita on the rocks with salt and extra limes, aCoors Light,and every fried food item you have on the menu?”

He laughed. “Are you serious?”

I rolled my eyes. Greg had been my bartender for a few years, and when I ordered food, it was usually a burger or something. Not every fried food known to man. “Yeah, man.”

“Whatever you say, McKenna.” He turned and went to the POS system, rang up what I assumed would be potato skins, French fries, fried pickles, chicken strips and cheese sticks. He turned, opened a bottle ofCoorsfor me, and then started making the margarita. “What’s up with you tonight?”

I leaned in as if Annie could hear me from across the room. “I’m on this date as a favor to Gibbs.”

Greg chuckled. “She’s cute. You’re just not feeling it?”

“I can’t get serious with Gibbs’s sister, man.”

He set the tequila drink in front of me. “So you decided to order every bad item on the menu to get her to want to leave early?”

I laughed. “Yeah.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re a stand up guy. I never thought you’d do such a thing.”