Taking A Shot (16 page)

That meant Eddie gravitated toward the bar and kept Renee company, but as long as she did her job, Jenna didn’t mind.

Dylan drank whiskey and soda.

A man’s drink. She liked that about him.

He was a lawyer. Self-deprecating, funny, charming.

“I travel a lot, which doesn’t leave me a lot of time for dating,” he said.

“I’m always working, so the same.”

He leaned toward her. “I would think you’d get hit on all the time, considering your occupation.”

“Not really. I have regulars. They’re pretty protective. And I don’t date all that often. I’m picky.”

He looked her over. “So am I.”

She didn’t seem at all his type. He should be running with some model or someone in the corporate world, not a girl with tattoos, piercings, and purple streaks in her hair. She wondered what he saw in her.

“What do you like to do in your off time, Dylan?”

“I go boating in the summer. I like the outdoors. Hiking, camping, water skiing, riding my bike. I’m not much for sitting around doing nothing.”

“You must hate the winter, then.”

He laughed. “I spend a lot of time at the gym. There’s a rock wall at my gym and I climb it every chance I get. Fortunately, I have some clients in Colorado, so I do some snowboarding and skiing.”

Not exactly sports, but he was a definite jock. And when Ty came over to talk to Eddie, Dylan’s radar went off.

“Hey, isn’t that Tyler Anderson and Eddie Wolkowski from the Ice?”

“It is.”

“You know them?” He gave her a hopeful look.

“I do. I’m surprised Liz didn’t mention that they were both her clients.”

He turned his attention to Elizabeth. “You never told me you knew them.”

Liz shrugged. “The subject never came up.”

“Man, I’m a huge hockey fan. Can I get an intro?”

“Sure. Come with me.” Jenna took his hand while Liz fumed silently.

This would be comical if it wasn’t so ironic.

“Hey, Tyler, Eddie, this is Dylan Manchester. He’s a big fan of yours.”

Tyler’s gaze roamed over hers before turning to Dylan. He shook his hand.

“Always nice to meet a fan. Hi, Dylan.”

Eddie shook his hand, and before she knew it Dylan had abandoned her for the sports stars.

Fine with her. She had to get back behind the bar anyway. Renee took off to see to her customers at the tables, and Liz pinned her with a suspicious look.

“It’s like you planned this.”

Jenna rolled her eyes as she filled some drink orders. “Now how could I have possibly known he was a hockey fan? You’re the one who brought him to me, remember?”

Liz studied her glass of wine. “Obviously I’m going to have to do a better job of vetting potential dates for you in the future.”

“Obviously. Maybe a questionnaire?”

“You are so funny.”

She smirked. “I try to be.”

“But seriously, Jenna. Doesn’t it annoy you that he’s off with Ty and Eddie?”

“No. Should it?”

“You hate sports.”

“I told you. I don’t hate it. I just don’t want to date anyone who loves or plays it. I get plenty of it here, as you can see.”

Liz sighed. “I was so hopeful with Dylan. He’s amazing eye candy.”

Jenna let her gaze wander down the bar, but it didn’t settle on Dylan. She couldn’t help but gravitate toward Ty. Even though Dylan was drop dead gorgeous, in the middle of a pack of handsome men, it was Ty who captured her attention. He tilted the bottle of beer to his lips, and all she could think of was his mouth on hers, the way he kissed her. She watched his fingertips absently stroke the moisture on the outside of the bottle as he laughed with the guys, and remembered his touch, the way his fingers played along her skin.

She shivered.

“Sorry it didn’t work out with you and Dylan.”

She flipped her attention back to Liz. “No big deal.”

Liz looked at the end of the bar. “Or maybe it’s not Dylan you were looking at.”

“Of course it was. He’s hot.”

“So’s Ty.”

“I was not looking at Ty. That’s over.”

Liz crossed her arms and laid them on the bar. “Is it? Why do you fight the attraction when it’s so obvious?”

“It’s not obvious. He’s moved on and so have I.”

Liz laughed. “You have not. You’ve been watching him the entire time I’ve been here.”

“I haven’t—oh, hell. I have been.” It was pointless to deny it, when the truth was so obvious. “I can’t help myself. He’s like a virus I can’t get rid of.”

“That bad, huh?”

“He’s always here.”

“I don’t think he’s always here. It’s hockey season. He plays a lot of games and he’s frequently on the road. Maybe you just notice him when he is here.”

“I guess. I don’t know. It’s hard to forget about someone you slept with when they keep showing up where you work.”

“So he’s bothering you.”

“Not in the least. He ignores me.”

“He blew you off.”

“No. I dumped him.”

Liz threw her hands in the air. “Then what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know. He’s just…there. Reminding me.”

“Of?”

She narrowed her gaze at Liz. “Are you sure you’re not an attorney?”

Liz laughed. “I’m certain. But I know he’s gotten to you, so what it is about him?”

“We had an amazing night together.”

“So go have some more. No one says you have to marry the guy, but if you had fun with him, who cares if he plays sports? I know for a fact Ty isn’t the settling-down type.”

“He’s not?”

“No.”

Then maybe she’d been approaching this all wrong. Maybe she should just screw his brains out and get him out of her system, and then they could go their separate ways.

“You could be right. I just didn’t get enough of him, and he’s on my mind a lot. It’s not like I care for him.”

“Right. You just want more of that hot stuff he’s offering.”

She let out a snort. “Something like that.”

“So go for it.”

“If he’s interested. Remember, I dumped him.”

“Honey, he has a penis. He’s interested. And men are different than women, in case you haven’t noticed. If he was hurt over being dumped, do you think he’d still be coming here?”

“Good point.” Ty didn’t act hurt. He still smiled and waved at her, he was still friendly. He’d just been maintaining his distance.

It was, after all, what she’d asked for. She’d told him it was over.

But now she didn’t want it to be over.

Ugh. When had she become
that
woman?

“I don’t know, Liz. He might think I’m crazy.”

“We’re all crazy. That’s what makes women so interesting. Go up and talk to him.”

“In front of my date for tonight?”

“Pfft. I’ll take care of Dylan. I have some legal matters to talk over with him anyway. And if Dylan had the hots for you, no hockey team in the world would have been able to pull him away.”

“Huh. So you’re saying I wasn’t exactly his type?”

“He likes big boobs.”

She gaped at her less-than-generous chest, then at Liz. “Why the hell did you set him up with me?”

Liz shrugged. “To see if you’d go through with it.”

“You
are
crazy.”

“See? I told you.” Liz slid off the bar stool and headed over to Dylan, pulled him away from his adoration of the Ice players, and led him to one of the tables. Ever a gentleman, he went where Liz directed him.

Not that Jenna expected him to do otherwise. Liz had a dominating presence and guys tended to do what they were asked to do when she was the one doing the commanding.

In fact, it took less than ten minutes for Liz to return to the bar with Dylan and grab her purse.

“There’s a few papers in my office I need to go over with Dylan, so we’re heading out.”

Dylan shook her hand. “Really nice to meet you, Jenna. You have a great bar here.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Dylan. Come back anytime.”

She went around to kiss and hug Liz. “Thanks.”

Liz’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “You’re welcome. Now make good use of your time.”

It wasn’t exactly in her realm of experience to make up with a guy she’d recently dumped. But in order to exorcise Ty from her life, she was going to have to get her fill of him, and that meant eating crow was in order.

Since Dylan had left and Renee was off waiting on her customers, the guys had moved back to the pool tables. Jenna didn’t relish the idea of wading into a sea of Ice players to talk to Ty, and getting him alone might be problematic.

She pondered the situation, even considered giving Renee a note to give to him, then thought better of it. What if he shared it with his friends? They’d all laugh.

And this isn’t high school, you idiot. Where are your balls?

Sucking up her courage, she called one of the waitresses over to cover the bar and headed over to the group.

“How’s it going tonight?”

“We are great. Steaks were good,” Victor said with a smile.

“Hey, Jenna.”

Ty smiled at her, seemed friendly.

“Hi.”

“Sorry about monopolizing your date tonight.”

“He wasn’t my date. He was with Liz.”

“Yeah, but she brought him here for you. I guess things didn’t work out?”

She bit her cheek to keep from saying something she’d regret later. “I guess not.”

“Too bad.” He leaned against the pool table. “Maybe next time.”

“Maybe.”

This wasn’t going at all like she’d planned. She pivoted to head back to the bar.

“Jenna.”

“Yeah.”

“Was there some reason you came over here?”

Balls, Jenna, remember? You dumped him. It’s up to you to get him back.

She sucked in a breath and turned around, plastering on a smile. “Oh. Yeah. I was just wondering when you had a day off next.”

“Wednesday. Why?”

“Would you like to come over? Maybe have pizza or something?”

She saw his brow arch, waited for him to make some remark.

“I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with me after that night.”

And there it was. She deserved it.

“I changed my mind.”

He didn’t say anything for the longest time.

That was it. He was going to say no and she was going to be humiliated.

Dumbass. You should have known better.

“I like pizza.”

She exhaled.
Thank you, Ty
. “Great. How about seven?”

“Sure. See you then.”

She swallowed, those butterflies stomping around in her stomach. Damn them.

Soon enough she’d send those butterflies off to fly around in someone else’s belly. She just had to get Ty out of her system. And when she did, the butterflies would go away.