THE SUN GOD
Beth looked at her phone and read the text message before she huffed in annoyance and closed the feature. She shouldn't have read it, just like she shouldn't have read the others--or listened to the voicemails. She should have completely blocked his number. Why hadn't she?
"Is that him again?" Juliet asked, raising a threatening eyebrow at her.
"Yes," Beth muttered.
"Have you talked to him since then?"
Beth straightened up and held her chin high and proud. "No. I have not."
"Good. Why is he still contacting you?"
"He says he misses me," Beth said with more sympathy in her voice than she'd intended. "He sounds so pitiful."
"Misses you? Why? He didn't give a shit about you to begin with."
Beth furrowed her brow and glared across the table at her best friend. They were sitting in a bar, having drinks after a very busy Wednesday in the office. T&K Contracting had insisted on moving up their meeting that week to go over contract negotiations and their renewed persistence was beginning to rub Beth the wrong way. They were seeming desperate all of a sudden and she didn't understand why. They were as good as confirmed, they just hadn't signed the paperwork, yet.
Now all she wanted to do was wind down after the long day, and Juliet wanted to grill her about another stressful subject.
"What's not to miss?" Beth said, struggling to stay positive and upbeat. "I would miss me, too, I'm fabulous."
"Well. That, you are. But he's a piece of shit and you're too good for him. And he knows it. That's why he misses you. Because you are fabulous and he knows he can't get any better. Don't give in to him. Don't give him that power, he doesn't deserve it."
"I wasn't planning on giving in to him. No matter how hot he is or how good he is at going down--" Beth's speech came to an abrupt halt when she spied the blue eyes across the bar over Juliet's shoulder. They were the exact same blue eyes she had become familiar with a few nights ago, but yet...they were on a completely different man. It had been a long day. Beth was surely losing her mind.
Juliet looked at her best friend strangely, putting her cocktail glass down on the table. "Beth? What's wrong with you?"
Suddenly, Beth snapped out of it and looked at Juliet, with her tight, dark bun and her much-too-professional navy blue blazer. "Quick, take your hair down and lose the blazer," Beth hissed.
Juliet's brown eyes looked at her as if she had three heads. "What the hell for?"
"Because you're in a bar, for fuck's sake! You look like somebody's mother!"
"Beth!" Juliet hissed. "You've never been ashamed to be seen with me before..."
"It's not that, it's for you. Just do it. Hurry, he's coming toward us."
The blood drained from Juliet's face, an expression that Beth wasn't aware was in her repertoire. However, she obeyed her and pulled the tie and the pins out of the back, letting her thick waves fall down her back. As she fluffed the back of it, she scowled at Beth. "I can feel the bump back there from the bun--"
"Who cares, it's not noticeable."
"I'm not taking off the blazer. It's freezing in here."
It didn't matter now anyway. The Sun God was already passing their table. As he passed, he winked at both of the ladies, causing them both to melt in their chairs. "Sweet lord..." Juliet mumbled as her head followed his every move. He stood just over six feet, sun-kissed skin, athletic build, and shoulder-length blonde waves that looked as if he were just freshly fucked. His eyes were blue as crystal and his teeth glowed strong and white as he flashed a smile to go with his wink.
"God, that's the perfect end to a long day," Beth breathed.
As Juliet leaned over in her chair to watch him disappear to a table along the back wall, she narrowed her eyes in thought and then straightened her spine back up. "You should go talk to him."
"What?" Beth squeaked in shock. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Who else? You two look like you're made for each other."
Beth blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, but I picked him out for you."
A devious grin crossed Juliet's face as she picked up her drink. "Oh, sweetie, you're too kind."
"I'm serious. I'm not...you know, really looking right now..."
"I'm never looking..."
"I know, but did you see him? He's just way too delicious to pass up..."
"You're damn right he is," Juliet said, attempting to have another peek at him. "But I'm willing to pass him up this time. For you. I think you should go talk to him. And for the love of fuck, take him home with you!" Then she raised a mischievous eyebrow. "Then give me all the juicy details."
Beth's face grew hot as she felt herself blush. "Juliet, no! I don't--no! I'm not--I'm not interested like that. You take him home--ooh! Invite him to your party!"
With that, the mood was gone. Juliet's face fell flat as she glared across the table. "I don't even want to have this party."
"It really won't be that bad. I was careful in my selection when I invited people, it's not like it's some random people off the street--"
"They're all random people off the street."
"Jules--I'm sorry, I just--I don't understand what the big deal is about--"
"You've known me for years now, Beth. You ought to know me by now."
"I do know, I just--sometimes you never cease to...I don't know, amaze me or whatever."
"My home is my home," Juliet said, lowering her voice. "It's where I go to get away. It's my bunker, my cocoon, my safe place. My home is mine. It's where my sanity is."
"Well, yes, of course it is--"
"And now it's about to be filled with a bunch of strangers I don't even know just for the sake of a little unnecessary publicity--I can feel a panic attack coming on just thinking about it."
Beth reached across the table and laid her hand over her friend's. "But I'll be there," she offered gently. "You know I won't let anything happen in there. I have this under control, I promise."
As they finished their drinks, they forgot about the beach babe that had distracted their initial conversation and spent the rest of the time dishing out party details. The one thing Beth couldn't deny, however, was how the beach babe's eyes struck such a chord with her...had they met before? She couldn't be sure. But the familiarity in him was terribly unnerving.
_________________________________________________
Travis was superficial. He knew he was, and he really didn't care about it, either. He'd spent the last several miserable years in this city of hell, the least he could do was have a little fun with it.
It was guys' night again and Travis was beside himself that he was able to drag Eric out of the office. Ever since he had taken it upon himself to handle the Carson Innovations lead, Eric had slaved and labored countless hours over it and still had nothing to show for it. It wasn't for lack of trying, though, and Travis knew it. What he also knew was that his brother needed this night to clear his head.
And speaking of Carson Innovations...
Travis smiled in triumph as he twirled the bar stool around and sat backwards in it, picking up the beer his brother had ordered for him. Looking around the table at Barry, Jesse, and Terrell, he nodded his head in the direction he'd just come from. "Guess who I just passed by on the way over here?"
Several pairs of eyes rolled at him but he ignored them as he turned up his beer. "Juliet Carson is here. And her smoking hot friend."
"Shit," Jesse hissed as he lowered his head. Terrell and Barry didn't react and Eric leaned his head to the side as if he were trying to see her.
Travis took great amusement in Jesse's face, however, and laughed at the top of the curly, brown hair on his head. "What's the matter, Jesse? Don't want her to see you?"
"Shut up," Jesse murmured.
"You still embarrassed that you couldn't get her off all those months ago? Is that still plaguing you or something?"
Jesse's head shot up and he glared at Travis, only heightening Travis's amusement. "I never said I couldn't get her off! Who told you that? It's bullshit."
"Relax. Your story said it all, man. Don't worry, it happens."
No, it didn't. Not to Travis, anyway. Travis never failed to get a woman off. It was something he prided himself in. But he chose not to rub salt in the wound. Jesse was sill his friend, after all. He didn't want to have too much fun at his expense.
It was too late, though. Jesse's face was red with embarrassed rage. "I guess that's what happens when you sleep with loose whores," he sneered. "Hard to get them off when they're too stretched out to feel it."
"Hey," Terrell suddenly barked, surprising the entire table. "Have some respect. She's still a woman, either way. And you're just as much of a whore for fucking her, so it doesn't make you much better. And let's be honest here. Was she really that loose?"
Jesse's nostrils flared as he turned up his beer. "Fuck you. Fuck all of you."
"Come on, man," Travis chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't be like that, we're only fucking with you." Then he adjusted himself on the stool and glanced in the direction of their table. "If you don't mind, though...I've always been curious..."
"You fuck her, you've fucked every man in New York," Jesse muttered.
Barry raised his eyes in amusement all of a sudden. "What, like you did? So...are you saying that if Travis fucks her--which, come on, we all know is inevitable--that he's essentially fucking you?" Barry turned and looked at Travis. "Travis, how do you feel about that?"
Travis grinned across the table at Jesse and turned up his beer. "I just hope you're as good in bed as I am."
The entire table erupted into laughter except for Eric, who had kept relatively quiet during the entire exchange. "Hey," Travis nudged him. "You in there?"
Eric stayed in his seat, his eyes trailing accusingly around the table. "You guys really think it's cute to objectify a woman that way? To--to pass her around like she's...? I mean, it's sick, I can't believe I'm sitting here listening to this."
"Ah, shit," Barry said, shaking his head. "When the fuck did you get all high and mighty all of a sudden? Let's keep in mind, not only did she reject your advances, she practically ran away from you. Don't think that night has gone forgotten around here, man. I mean, it was a valiant effort on your part, but at least these guys are getting something out of it."
"I wasn't trying to sleep with her!" Eric growled all of a sudden. "Not like you assholes are. She's a fucking human being--"
"You guys," Terrell's bass came across the voice. "Chill. Listen at us. Are we seriously sitting here fighting over a woman? One woman?"
"Sounds like we're all fucking the same woman," Barry muttered.
"Actually, only one of us here has fucked her," Travis corrected. "The rest of us just want to."
"Well, except for sweetheart over there," Barry chided, nodding toward Eric.
With that, Eric surprisingly jumped up and attempted to get himself over the table.
"Whoa!" Travis said, shoving his shoulder down and into his seat. "Hey!" Then he swiped Eric's beer from him and turned it up for himself. "You're cut off. How many have you had?"
"Enough," Terrell answered.
"I figured as much."
"This is bullshit. This is why I don't come out with you assholes anymore," Eric sneered.
"Here we go," Jesse muttered.
"Hey, what the fuck is your problem all of a sudden, anyway?" Barry asked.
"He's drunk," Travis said, trying to cool down the situation. "You know how he gets, just let it roll off."
"Fuck you," Eric spat at Travis. "What the fuck do you know?"
"Are you serious?" Travis asked, amused at his mirror image.
Eric stood up and adjusted his shirt, the scowl permanently painted on his face. "Where are you going?" Travis asked him.
"I'm going to introduce myself and get my meeting," he muttered.
"Oh, hell no, you're not," Travis objected. "Not in the state you're in. Sit down."
"Fuck you."
"Fuck you. Sit down. You're drunk. You're not getting a meeting tonight." Then he stood up and leaned over the table to look in the opposite direction. Then he sat back down. "Besides, their table's empty. They're already gone. It's an omen. Sit down."
Miraculously, Travis was able to keep his twin brother under control for the rest of the night. Eric had always been a belligerent drunk and their friends knew it, too. Sometimes it was hard to remember when he was busy firing four-letter insults off at you, but they usually got over it. Travis usually got the worst of it, anyway, and he was okay with that. He'd rather it be him than someone else.
Saturday night would be interesting. As long as he could keep Eric out of the alcohol, that was. Saturday night, Reynolds Construction would make themselves known to Carson Innovations--in more ways than one.
_________________________________________________
Thursday night, Juliet sat uncomfortably at the bar and looked around. For a sports bar full of men, there was no eye candy. Everyone was focused on one of the many TV screens in the room, so much so that she could strip down and go eighties video vixen all over the bar and nobody would bat an eyelash. She yawned as she sat next to Terrell at the bar. He was the only eye candy in the entire place--and he had placed himself off limits.
She had given in to the beer invitation, perhaps more easily than she'd expected to. This wasn't her. She didn't...go for drinks without getting something out of it. And she certainly didn't visit dinky sports bars where there was no real conversation to be had--though, in her defense, she never really cared what the man had to say, anyway. She normally just let them yammer on until they took her to bed and she got the night over with. In all actuality, she got more fun out of her vibrator most of the time. But nothing beat a little skin-on-skin contact.
She curled up her nose and rested her chin on her palm as she leaned on the bar and faced Terrell. "Are you sure you don't want to go have sex somewhere? Give me another shot, I know I'm not that bad."
He smiled at her, amused. "I didn't say you were bad. There was just no spark."
Juliet rolled her eyes. "Is there ever?"
He chuckled heartily with a nod. "Yeah. Yeah, there is."
Juliet was stumped. "There doesn't have to be spark..."
"No. But spark is what makes it good. It's what keeps you coming back."
Her eyes widened. "Well...I never come back."
"What does that mean?"
"I've never had sex with a man more than once. In...in a long, long time..."
"Are you saying you've never had good sex?"
"You were good."
"I'm serious."
She shrugged. "I mean, I get what I need...most of the time."
"And what do you need?"
"To get off."
"And?"
"And...what else is there?"
Terrell stared at her in disbelief, now scooting his beer bottle in mindless circles on the bar top. "There's...dinner. And drinks. And laughing and enjoying each other's company. There's...spark."
"I only fuck in one position," she blurted suddenly. "There's no spark."
Terrell lost his mind. He laughed so hard he had to rest his head in his arms on the bar. Struggling to recover, he breathed, "What?"
"You think that's my problem?"
"I have to know why. I have to know."
"It's the only one I like," she replied simply.
"Jesus," he whispered, shaking his head. "And all these men are just lining up out the door to fuck you. I don't get it..."
"First of all, you don't have to be so harsh. I'm fabulous. Secondly, it's--it's not really like that. I only date once or twice a month, at best."
He raised an eyebrow and turned up his beer. "Could have fooled me."
She glared at him in offense. "What does that mean?"
Sighing, he sat back in the stool and looked at her. "Look. I'm gonna be straight with you. A few of my buddies and I ended up in the same bar you were in the other night. They talked about you--I didn't. You fucked my buddy, Jesse, and then you fucked me...and the rest of them want to fuck you...one almost approached you. It's just...do you realize what the rumor mill among the men in Manhattan is? It's crazy."
"Jesse?" She said, choosing to ignore the comment about the rumor mill. "Who the hell is Jesse?"
"See? That right there. I'm lucky you remembered my name. That's why I wanted to hang and not sleep with you anymore."
"Well, that's different, I like you. There's obviously a reason I don't remember him."
"It was several months ago--"
"That would be it."
Terrell chuckled in amusement to himself and then opened his mouth to speak when the entire restaurant went into an uproar of cheers. His head whipped around at the screen above the bar and he reacted. "Aw! No! Come on, man! Damn!"
Juliet raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Odd man out tonight?"
"I got a lot of money riding on this game. Fuck, man."
"How much money?"
"Too much. That bastard," he muttered.
"Okay," Juliet said, straightening up in her stool. "You wanted to drag me out to this godforsaken place so bad and now here I am. I don't do these places, by the way, this is not for me. There isn't a hot guy in the place except for the one who is currently depriving me of what I'd rather be doing, and I don't do football. So. We're going to order a shit load of hot wings, a shit load of beer, and you're going to teach me football. That is how this evening is going to go."
"Oh. It is, is it?" He grinned at her, amused.
"Yes," she smiled back. "That way, I'll have had a good time and you'll be good and drunk by the time your team loses."
"Hey. You watch your language."
"You wave that bartender over. Let's get this party started. Oh! Speaking of parties, I'm having on Saturday night. You wanna come? It's just a small get-together..."
He raised his beer bottle and clinked it against hers. "Wouldn't miss it, sweetheart."
Juliet smiled in triumph as she turned up her own beer. Here she was, doing what she did best--making the best out of a seemingly desolate situation. And she'd invited the only party guest she cared to invite. It would be nice having someone there that she actually knew besides Beth. Maybe this party wouldn't be so bad after all.
Beth looked at her phone and read the text message before she huffed in annoyance and closed the feature. She shouldn't have read it, just like she shouldn't have read the others--or listened to the voicemails. She should have completely blocked his number. Why hadn't she?
"Is that him again?" Juliet asked, raising a threatening eyebrow at her.
"Yes," Beth muttered.
"Have you talked to him since then?"
Beth straightened up and held her chin high and proud. "No. I have not."
"Good. Why is he still contacting you?"
"He says he misses me," Beth said with more sympathy in her voice than she'd intended. "He sounds so pitiful."
"Misses you? Why? He didn't give a shit about you to begin with."
Beth furrowed her brow and glared across the table at her best friend. They were sitting in a bar, having drinks after a very busy Wednesday in the office. T&K Contracting had insisted on moving up their meeting that week to go over contract negotiations and their renewed persistence was beginning to rub Beth the wrong way. They were seeming desperate all of a sudden and she didn't understand why. They were as good as confirmed, they just hadn't signed the paperwork, yet.
Now all she wanted to do was wind down after the long day, and Juliet wanted to grill her about another stressful subject.
"What's not to miss?" Beth said, struggling to stay positive and upbeat. "I would miss me, too, I'm fabulous."
"Well. That, you are. But he's a piece of shit and you're too good for him. And he knows it. That's why he misses you. Because you are fabulous and he knows he can't get any better. Don't give in to him. Don't give him that power, he doesn't deserve it."
"I wasn't planning on giving in to him. No matter how hot he is or how good he is at going down--" Beth's speech came to an abrupt halt when she spied the blue eyes across the bar over Juliet's shoulder. They were the exact same blue eyes she had become familiar with a few nights ago, but yet...they were on a completely different man. It had been a long day. Beth was surely losing her mind.
Juliet looked at her best friend strangely, putting her cocktail glass down on the table. "Beth? What's wrong with you?"
Suddenly, Beth snapped out of it and looked at Juliet, with her tight, dark bun and her much-too-professional navy blue blazer. "Quick, take your hair down and lose the blazer," Beth hissed.
Juliet's brown eyes looked at her as if she had three heads. "What the hell for?"
"Because you're in a bar, for fuck's sake! You look like somebody's mother!"
"Beth!" Juliet hissed. "You've never been ashamed to be seen with me before..."
"It's not that, it's for you. Just do it. Hurry, he's coming toward us."
The blood drained from Juliet's face, an expression that Beth wasn't aware was in her repertoire. However, she obeyed her and pulled the tie and the pins out of the back, letting her thick waves fall down her back. As she fluffed the back of it, she scowled at Beth. "I can feel the bump back there from the bun--"
"Who cares, it's not noticeable."
"I'm not taking off the blazer. It's freezing in here."
It didn't matter now anyway. The Sun God was already passing their table. As he passed, he winked at both of the ladies, causing them both to melt in their chairs. "Sweet lord..." Juliet mumbled as her head followed his every move. He stood just over six feet, sun-kissed skin, athletic build, and shoulder-length blonde waves that looked as if he were just freshly fucked. His eyes were blue as crystal and his teeth glowed strong and white as he flashed a smile to go with his wink.
"God, that's the perfect end to a long day," Beth breathed.
As Juliet leaned over in her chair to watch him disappear to a table along the back wall, she narrowed her eyes in thought and then straightened her spine back up. "You should go talk to him."
"What?" Beth squeaked in shock. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Who else? You two look like you're made for each other."
Beth blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, but I picked him out for you."
A devious grin crossed Juliet's face as she picked up her drink. "Oh, sweetie, you're too kind."
"I'm serious. I'm not...you know, really looking right now..."
"I'm never looking..."
"I know, but did you see him? He's just way too delicious to pass up..."
"You're damn right he is," Juliet said, attempting to have another peek at him. "But I'm willing to pass him up this time. For you. I think you should go talk to him. And for the love of fuck, take him home with you!" Then she raised a mischievous eyebrow. "Then give me all the juicy details."
Beth's face grew hot as she felt herself blush. "Juliet, no! I don't--no! I'm not--I'm not interested like that. You take him home--ooh! Invite him to your party!"
With that, the mood was gone. Juliet's face fell flat as she glared across the table. "I don't even want to have this party."
"It really won't be that bad. I was careful in my selection when I invited people, it's not like it's some random people off the street--"
"They're all random people off the street."
"Jules--I'm sorry, I just--I don't understand what the big deal is about--"
"You've known me for years now, Beth. You ought to know me by now."
"I do know, I just--sometimes you never cease to...I don't know, amaze me or whatever."
"My home is my home," Juliet said, lowering her voice. "It's where I go to get away. It's my bunker, my cocoon, my safe place. My home is mine. It's where my sanity is."
"Well, yes, of course it is--"
"And now it's about to be filled with a bunch of strangers I don't even know just for the sake of a little unnecessary publicity--I can feel a panic attack coming on just thinking about it."
Beth reached across the table and laid her hand over her friend's. "But I'll be there," she offered gently. "You know I won't let anything happen in there. I have this under control, I promise."
As they finished their drinks, they forgot about the beach babe that had distracted their initial conversation and spent the rest of the time dishing out party details. The one thing Beth couldn't deny, however, was how the beach babe's eyes struck such a chord with her...had they met before? She couldn't be sure. But the familiarity in him was terribly unnerving.
_________________________________________________
Travis was superficial. He knew he was, and he really didn't care about it, either. He'd spent the last several miserable years in this city of hell, the least he could do was have a little fun with it.
It was guys' night again and Travis was beside himself that he was able to drag Eric out of the office. Ever since he had taken it upon himself to handle the Carson Innovations lead, Eric had slaved and labored countless hours over it and still had nothing to show for it. It wasn't for lack of trying, though, and Travis knew it. What he also knew was that his brother needed this night to clear his head.
And speaking of Carson Innovations...
Travis smiled in triumph as he twirled the bar stool around and sat backwards in it, picking up the beer his brother had ordered for him. Looking around the table at Barry, Jesse, and Terrell, he nodded his head in the direction he'd just come from. "Guess who I just passed by on the way over here?"
Several pairs of eyes rolled at him but he ignored them as he turned up his beer. "Juliet Carson is here. And her smoking hot friend."
"Shit," Jesse hissed as he lowered his head. Terrell and Barry didn't react and Eric leaned his head to the side as if he were trying to see her.
Travis took great amusement in Jesse's face, however, and laughed at the top of the curly, brown hair on his head. "What's the matter, Jesse? Don't want her to see you?"
"Shut up," Jesse murmured.
"You still embarrassed that you couldn't get her off all those months ago? Is that still plaguing you or something?"
Jesse's head shot up and he glared at Travis, only heightening Travis's amusement. "I never said I couldn't get her off! Who told you that? It's bullshit."
"Relax. Your story said it all, man. Don't worry, it happens."
No, it didn't. Not to Travis, anyway. Travis never failed to get a woman off. It was something he prided himself in. But he chose not to rub salt in the wound. Jesse was sill his friend, after all. He didn't want to have too much fun at his expense.
It was too late, though. Jesse's face was red with embarrassed rage. "I guess that's what happens when you sleep with loose whores," he sneered. "Hard to get them off when they're too stretched out to feel it."
"Hey," Terrell suddenly barked, surprising the entire table. "Have some respect. She's still a woman, either way. And you're just as much of a whore for fucking her, so it doesn't make you much better. And let's be honest here. Was she really that loose?"
Jesse's nostrils flared as he turned up his beer. "Fuck you. Fuck all of you."
"Come on, man," Travis chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't be like that, we're only fucking with you." Then he adjusted himself on the stool and glanced in the direction of their table. "If you don't mind, though...I've always been curious..."
"You fuck her, you've fucked every man in New York," Jesse muttered.
Barry raised his eyes in amusement all of a sudden. "What, like you did? So...are you saying that if Travis fucks her--which, come on, we all know is inevitable--that he's essentially fucking you?" Barry turned and looked at Travis. "Travis, how do you feel about that?"
Travis grinned across the table at Jesse and turned up his beer. "I just hope you're as good in bed as I am."
The entire table erupted into laughter except for Eric, who had kept relatively quiet during the entire exchange. "Hey," Travis nudged him. "You in there?"
Eric stayed in his seat, his eyes trailing accusingly around the table. "You guys really think it's cute to objectify a woman that way? To--to pass her around like she's...? I mean, it's sick, I can't believe I'm sitting here listening to this."
"Ah, shit," Barry said, shaking his head. "When the fuck did you get all high and mighty all of a sudden? Let's keep in mind, not only did she reject your advances, she practically ran away from you. Don't think that night has gone forgotten around here, man. I mean, it was a valiant effort on your part, but at least these guys are getting something out of it."
"I wasn't trying to sleep with her!" Eric growled all of a sudden. "Not like you assholes are. She's a fucking human being--"
"You guys," Terrell's bass came across the voice. "Chill. Listen at us. Are we seriously sitting here fighting over a woman? One woman?"
"Sounds like we're all fucking the same woman," Barry muttered.
"Actually, only one of us here has fucked her," Travis corrected. "The rest of us just want to."
"Well, except for sweetheart over there," Barry chided, nodding toward Eric.
With that, Eric surprisingly jumped up and attempted to get himself over the table.
"Whoa!" Travis said, shoving his shoulder down and into his seat. "Hey!" Then he swiped Eric's beer from him and turned it up for himself. "You're cut off. How many have you had?"
"Enough," Terrell answered.
"I figured as much."
"This is bullshit. This is why I don't come out with you assholes anymore," Eric sneered.
"Here we go," Jesse muttered.
"Hey, what the fuck is your problem all of a sudden, anyway?" Barry asked.
"He's drunk," Travis said, trying to cool down the situation. "You know how he gets, just let it roll off."
"Fuck you," Eric spat at Travis. "What the fuck do you know?"
"Are you serious?" Travis asked, amused at his mirror image.
Eric stood up and adjusted his shirt, the scowl permanently painted on his face. "Where are you going?" Travis asked him.
"I'm going to introduce myself and get my meeting," he muttered.
"Oh, hell no, you're not," Travis objected. "Not in the state you're in. Sit down."
"Fuck you."
"Fuck you. Sit down. You're drunk. You're not getting a meeting tonight." Then he stood up and leaned over the table to look in the opposite direction. Then he sat back down. "Besides, their table's empty. They're already gone. It's an omen. Sit down."
Miraculously, Travis was able to keep his twin brother under control for the rest of the night. Eric had always been a belligerent drunk and their friends knew it, too. Sometimes it was hard to remember when he was busy firing four-letter insults off at you, but they usually got over it. Travis usually got the worst of it, anyway, and he was okay with that. He'd rather it be him than someone else.
Saturday night would be interesting. As long as he could keep Eric out of the alcohol, that was. Saturday night, Reynolds Construction would make themselves known to Carson Innovations--in more ways than one.
_________________________________________________
Thursday night, Juliet sat uncomfortably at the bar and looked around. For a sports bar full of men, there was no eye candy. Everyone was focused on one of the many TV screens in the room, so much so that she could strip down and go eighties video vixen all over the bar and nobody would bat an eyelash. She yawned as she sat next to Terrell at the bar. He was the only eye candy in the entire place--and he had placed himself off limits.
She had given in to the beer invitation, perhaps more easily than she'd expected to. This wasn't her. She didn't...go for drinks without getting something out of it. And she certainly didn't visit dinky sports bars where there was no real conversation to be had--though, in her defense, she never really cared what the man had to say, anyway. She normally just let them yammer on until they took her to bed and she got the night over with. In all actuality, she got more fun out of her vibrator most of the time. But nothing beat a little skin-on-skin contact.
She curled up her nose and rested her chin on her palm as she leaned on the bar and faced Terrell. "Are you sure you don't want to go have sex somewhere? Give me another shot, I know I'm not that bad."
He smiled at her, amused. "I didn't say you were bad. There was just no spark."
Juliet rolled her eyes. "Is there ever?"
He chuckled heartily with a nod. "Yeah. Yeah, there is."
Juliet was stumped. "There doesn't have to be spark..."
"No. But spark is what makes it good. It's what keeps you coming back."
Her eyes widened. "Well...I never come back."
"What does that mean?"
"I've never had sex with a man more than once. In...in a long, long time..."
"Are you saying you've never had good sex?"
"You were good."
"I'm serious."
She shrugged. "I mean, I get what I need...most of the time."
"And what do you need?"
"To get off."
"And?"
"And...what else is there?"
Terrell stared at her in disbelief, now scooting his beer bottle in mindless circles on the bar top. "There's...dinner. And drinks. And laughing and enjoying each other's company. There's...spark."
"I only fuck in one position," she blurted suddenly. "There's no spark."
Terrell lost his mind. He laughed so hard he had to rest his head in his arms on the bar. Struggling to recover, he breathed, "What?"
"You think that's my problem?"
"I have to know why. I have to know."
"It's the only one I like," she replied simply.
"Jesus," he whispered, shaking his head. "And all these men are just lining up out the door to fuck you. I don't get it..."
"First of all, you don't have to be so harsh. I'm fabulous. Secondly, it's--it's not really like that. I only date once or twice a month, at best."
He raised an eyebrow and turned up his beer. "Could have fooled me."
She glared at him in offense. "What does that mean?"
Sighing, he sat back in the stool and looked at her. "Look. I'm gonna be straight with you. A few of my buddies and I ended up in the same bar you were in the other night. They talked about you--I didn't. You fucked my buddy, Jesse, and then you fucked me...and the rest of them want to fuck you...one almost approached you. It's just...do you realize what the rumor mill among the men in Manhattan is? It's crazy."
"Jesse?" She said, choosing to ignore the comment about the rumor mill. "Who the hell is Jesse?"
"See? That right there. I'm lucky you remembered my name. That's why I wanted to hang and not sleep with you anymore."
"Well, that's different, I like you. There's obviously a reason I don't remember him."
"It was several months ago--"
"That would be it."
Terrell chuckled in amusement to himself and then opened his mouth to speak when the entire restaurant went into an uproar of cheers. His head whipped around at the screen above the bar and he reacted. "Aw! No! Come on, man! Damn!"
Juliet raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Odd man out tonight?"
"I got a lot of money riding on this game. Fuck, man."
"How much money?"
"Too much. That bastard," he muttered.
"Okay," Juliet said, straightening up in her stool. "You wanted to drag me out to this godforsaken place so bad and now here I am. I don't do these places, by the way, this is not for me. There isn't a hot guy in the place except for the one who is currently depriving me of what I'd rather be doing, and I don't do football. So. We're going to order a shit load of hot wings, a shit load of beer, and you're going to teach me football. That is how this evening is going to go."
"Oh. It is, is it?" He grinned at her, amused.
"Yes," she smiled back. "That way, I'll have had a good time and you'll be good and drunk by the time your team loses."
"Hey. You watch your language."
"You wave that bartender over. Let's get this party started. Oh! Speaking of parties, I'm having on Saturday night. You wanna come? It's just a small get-together..."
He raised his beer bottle and clinked it against hers. "Wouldn't miss it, sweetheart."
Juliet smiled in triumph as she turned up her own beer. Here she was, doing what she did best--making the best out of a seemingly desolate situation. And she'd invited the only party guest she cared to invite. It would be nice having someone there that she actually knew besides Beth. Maybe this party wouldn't be so bad after all.