Blast From The Past 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

happen, Edgar,” I said. “My lips are sealed.”
    “Bet they weren’t with your mystery man,” Edgar fired back as he walked out of my office. He winked at me, then went about his business, leaving me to my thoughts about the mystery man and how my lips definitely weren’t sealed seven years ago when we were together.

~ Chapter 8 ~
     
    I made my way to the counter to order three beers and two shots. Melanie had decided to stop drinking the hard stuff, and Beth and I were going to drink our lemon drops without her. But none of us were going to have anything to drink unless I could flag down the bartender, which wasn’t so easy. Patty the bookworm didn’t know much about the bars, and, even after her spirits had been lifted by the spirits, she didn’t know how to get the bartender’s attention when there were more than a dozen other people vying for it.
    “Excuse me,” I tried to shout over the other voices around me. But it was pointless. So I was leaning over the bar, and so was waving at the bartender. I obviously needed to do something aggressive, but couldn’t figure out what.
    “I’d offer to help you,” a vaguely familiar voice said from a foot away, “but I don’t want your friend attacking me again.”
    I looked over and saw the tall, dark, and handsome stranger—my mystery man—and he was smiling.
    “Sorry about all of that,” I said. “That’s just how Julie is. She’s pretty outspoken.”
    “But does she speak for you?” the man asked.
    “What do you mean?” I asked in response, a little confused by his question.
    “You said she’s outspoken,” he clarified. “But does she speak for you? When she gave me the cold shoulder, was that your way of telling me to get lost too?”
    “I don’t know,” I said, looking into his piercing gray eyes. “I probably wouldn’t have been so quick to turn my back on you.”
    “Then don’t do it now,” the stranger said. “Let’s talk and get to know each other a bit, then you can get rid of me if you want to.” He dangled a $20 bill in the air and motioned to the bartender with it—finally, something got her attention.
    “I won’t make the same mistake twice,” he said, turning to me again. “This time I’ll ask… Can I buy you a drink?”
    “Sure,” I said, smiling at the man. “My name’s Patty, and I’ll have a draft beer.”
    “Cute name for a cute girl,” he answered. “I’m Joe.”
    “Two tall drafts,” Joe said to the bartender.
    “Coming right up, handsome,” she replied, eyeing me up like I was her competition.
    One round led to another, and Joe and I were getting along very well, though our conversation remained largely superficial. I’d almost forgotten about my friends completely, and had lost almost all sense of my surroundings, as well as of right and wrong. When Joe leaned in to place his empty glass on the counter, I swore he was leaning in to kiss me, and I leaned forward to kiss him back. His lips were soft and tender, though they tasted like beer, and the stubble on his face tickled my chin.
    “That was a surprise,” Joe said when we finally separated our mouths.
    “I guess I’m full of surprises tonight,” I said, amazed at my own ability to save face in the situation. I’d figured out that he wasn’t trying to kiss me, and a realization like that was the type of thing that would have sent sober bookworm Patty running back to her dorm room in tears. But, Patty-with-a-buzz-on was getting a better sense of her drunken footing.
    “What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?” Joe asked, wrapping his arm around me and trailing his fingers along the small of my back.
    “I can’t show you here,” I whispered, bringing my body closer to his and placing a hand playfully on his shoulder.
    “Well, I only live a couple blocks away from here,” Joe said. “We can go back there and you can show me.” I could feel the excitement growing in his pants as he pushed up against me.
    “All right,”