The Lonely Drop Read Online Free PDF

sex?”
    “Can’t help it, your voice is sexy.”
    “I need to go to sleep.” I yawn.
    “Okay. I’ll let you go. Happy New Year, Nick.”
    “Happy New Year, Kev.”
    It takes me a very long time to fall asleep.
    ****
    January 6, 2014
    Nervous butterflies stirring my guts wake me before dawn. I might see Kevin tonight. I armor my heart with the knowledge he’s only here temporarily, that this reunion, however welcome, is not some fairy tale with a happy-ever-after ending. Stupid heart doesn’t seem to care.
    I head over to the Drop at ten thirty to get the pub ready to open, wondering if he’ll stop by. Jenny’s kids are still out of school on holiday break, so I handle the lunch crowd by myself, thankful it’s busy enough to keep my mind off the impending reunion with Kevin. But when the lunch rush is over, my thoughts go straight to him. Stupid brain.
    The text comes at four-thirty.
    At the hotel— gonna take a shower and then check in with work. Are you at the Drop?
    I almost succeed at not picturing him in the shower. Stupid dick.
    Yeah. Come by when you finish up with work. Jenny comes in at six. Dinner?
    He doesn’t answer for a long time. Finally:
    Sorry. Was in the shower. Date dinner???
    Your overuse of punctuation is very romantic. Friends dinner.
    I can almost hear his put-upon tone when he replies.
    Fine. Friends dinner. I’ll meet you at the Drop at 6???! xo, Mr! Romance!?!
    I can’t help it, I laugh.
    No, I smell like a brewery. Gonna go home and shower. 7.
    I start wiping down the bar and my phone buzzes again.
    See you then.
    I can’t wait. Stupid, stupid heart.
    ****

Chapter Three
    He’s waiting at the bar, wearing dark jeans that are borderline too-tight and a tight black T-shirt. It’s a good look for him, drawing the eye to the athletic lines of his chest and shoulders. When he sees me, his face lights up with one of those gorgeous smiles of his.
    “Hey.” I approach, not sure whether to shake his hand or hug him. I want to kiss him, I realize. The thought terrifies me but refuses to leave my head. The memory of our first desperate kiss in an almost-bare dorm room competes for dominance in my brain with wondering what ten years has done for his technique. I’m so gone.
    “Hi.” He stands and pulls me into a hug. He’s a few inches taller than I am. If I were brave enough, I could fold my head onto his shoulder and breathe in his scent. The hug lingers a little longer than it should, then he lets me go.
    “Buy you a drink?” he asks, gesturing at the row of taps and grinning.
    “Not here. Come on, let’s walk.”
    We end up at my favorite noodle place, and it’s crowded but comfortable for a weekday evening. He charms me over dinner with stories about the travel he does for his dad’s company.
    “The boss is a jerk, but there are perks.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Went to Paris for a month last year and was wined and dined by sexy French men. I gained ten pounds and a healthy appreciation for dirty talk.”
    “You speak French?” Why did I not remember that?
    “Just enough to get by.” He flashes me a shy smile. “It was fun, being a novelty to them. A big dorky American who accidentally says ‘fuck me’ instead of ‘kiss me.’ End result was the same though.”
    “How do you mix up the words for kiss and fuck?”
    “It’s easier than you think.”
    I’ll have to take his word for it. “So, last time you came to town it was to fire people. And this time you’re doing job interviews? How does that work?”
    “I already interviewed them by phone, but a face-to-face interview is the final step. We’re going to transfer someone from New York to be the general manager, but I need a new sales manager and a new HR manager. Once those two are in place, they’ll take over future hiring decisions.”
    “Hard to imagine you have many employees willing to leave the city to come here.”
    He shrugs, giving me an odd look. “Asheville has its charms, I’m learning. Besides, it