Page 7 of Mr. Brightside

Fuck. I still don’t totally understand what all that means. The typical college experience is foreign to me. I have a business degree from Akron, but I just wrote a check each semester, went to my classes between shifts at Clinton’s, and got decent enough grades to graduate.

What Ithinkhe’s saying is that his school funding got pulled, and he unexpectedly needs money. A lot of money. Fast.

I’ll. Be. Damned.

What’s that line? Of all the bars in all the towns in all the world… the husband I’m desperately seeking might just be sitting in mine.

Even better—he might need me just as much as I need him.

I force myself to nod—to acknowledge that I heard him, even though I have no idea how to respond. How the hell do I play this? I can’t just explain the situation or proposition him here… no one even knows Mike’s plans yet. Also, Cory’s super close with Lia. And Tori.

Fuck.

Mike asked me to keep this whole situation quiet, and I refuse to defy his wishes. Keeping this on the down low benefits me, too. If Cory isn’t into this… If I can’t convince him to do this with me…

This is a Hail Mary of a shot. This is putting every egg in one flimsy basket. This is risky as hell, with a slim chance of working at best.

But it’s the only option I’ve found that makes sense.

Cory is my age, maybe a year or two younger. He’s gorgeous, with this dark and handsome effortlessness that I’m drawn to. He’s kind. Dependable. A hard worker. A good friend. He’s more serious than the type I usually go for—if I actually did relationships and had a type—but I’m best friends with Everhett Wheeler. I can handle stoicism and seriousness because I’ve been practicing with Rhett for years.

Plus, we’ve hooked up before. And those hookupsstilllive rent free in my mind. Never mind that he ended things abruptly and without explanation. We were never anything but casual. Even if it was some of the hottest sex of my life.

I don’t know if it was a defense mechanism or if I’m just a coward, but I never asked Cory why he stopped taking my calls. Back then, I assumed he’d moved on and found better. Or maybe he compared notes with Lia and realized there was some overlap to my time with her and what he and I shared.

I didn’t want to make things awkward, so I brushed it off and acted like nothing had ever happened.

The timing worked itself out. The spring he and I started and stopped our fling was when things really went sideways for Rhett and Tori. I spent the next year and a half being there for my best friend and his girl. When I wasn’t with them, I was working my ass off to make The Oak the best watering hole in Hampton.

Even though Cory went cold on me without explanation, I owe it to myself to see if this could lead somewhere. He’s most likely going to shoot me down. I know that. But now that this idea is percolating in my mind, it feels like the only reasonable way forward.

I have no choice. I’m out of time. Out of options. But I refuse to give up.

I’m going to ask Cory to marry me.

I’m going to do it tonight.

And I’m going to do everything in my power to convince him to say yes. As soon as he gets off work and I can talk to him privately, of course.

Never mind the fact that Mike is expecting my answer before that.

I return to the bar and spread my arms wide on the polished wood. Gripping the edges for balance, and because I know it makes the veins pop in my forearms, I lean forward until I have his full attention. I intentionally get in his space and breathe in the heady citrus smell of his aftershave. I look him right in the eye and lower my voice an octave.

“So, listen… I don’t totally understand what you’re going through. But I’ve been dealing with some things lately, too. What do you say we meet up after work and talk? I think I have an idea about how we could help each other out.”

His pupils dilate with my words.

Bullseye.

Okay, so maybe it’s not entirely fair to use my sex appeal to convince him to come over. Especially because I reallydojust want to talk. At least at first.

But I have to use everything in my toolbox to see this through. Not playing full out isn’t an option right now. Either this will work or it won’t. But if it doesn’t, it won’t be because I didn’t try hard enough.

Cory clears his throat, then blinks and shakes his head slightly before finally responding. “Um, yeah. Sure. Where are you thinking?”

He fidgets on the stool, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s recalling one of the times we hooked up after work. We would sneak off to the walk-in cooler. Or climb into the back seat of my Jeep. We really were hot and heavy for a bit.

I shake my head to clear my wandering thoughts. Business before pleasure. At least for tonight.