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I sat in the bar, alone in a crowd of people—there’s no lonelier feeling in the world. Unless it also happens to be your birthday.
I’d been so excited when I came home from work to find Dan getting ready to go out.
“For my birthday?” I’d asked. These days he didn’t want anything to do with me unless he was horny or needed something. Even then, the last time he’d pushed himself on me had been a week ago.
“For your—yeah, sure. For your birthday,” he’d agreed. I’d been thrilled.
I only realized my mistake when we arrived to find his friends already there, and my friends nowhere to be seen. One of them had sent him a text to say they were having a good time—I hadn’t even factored into the occasion.
He was at a table with them now, laughing it up on the other side of the crowded room. If I’d arrived home 15 minutes later, would he have even been there at all? I’d lost track of the number of beers he’d sunk already.
I finished my first and only drink, running my hand through red, slightly brassy hair. Was I no longer attractive to him? Was that it? He’d been a big fan of my breasts when we’d first started dating—they were larger than most, though I had the hips and backside to match.
Tonight I’d tried to play up what I felt were my strong suits—my favorite bra and a low-cut sweater; just a hint of makeup to bring out blue eyes and gloss to make my lips pout. Not that Dan cared. Or at least, not that I would know until four o’clock this morning.
I took a deep breath then stood up, pushing through the crowd to where Dan and his friends were sitting. “Hey, sweetie,” I said, tapping him on the shoulder.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing, just wondering if there’s room at the table for me? Thought I’d join the conversation.”
“Uh, there’s no more chairs.”
“I could bring one over?”
He screwed up his face. “No, I wouldn’t bother—we’re being really boring. Why don’t you go back to the bar and buy yourself another drink?”
“It’s kind of boring-”
“I said, go back to the bar!”
I fought the urge to stomp my foot. “Why did you even bring me here?” I asked.
“Whatever.” He turned back to his friends and must have rolled his eyes—one of them snickered.
I walked back to the bar with as much dignity as I could muster. I didn’t even stiffen when, amongst the snickers, I heard the word dragon lady float across the crowd. I’d known I would end up back here on my own—if I hadn’t, why had I left my coat over my stool to save it?
What was wrong with him? What was wrong with me? Why was I still with him, after the grief he put me through? He’d been the result of a drunken night that had turned into an on-again, off-again relationship. We’d been living together these last two years, ever since I’d been promoted from secretary to legal assistant, and he’d had too many bills to pay.
I’d liked living together, at first. I’d always wanted to be the kind of girl who could say things like ‘I live with my boyfriend.’ But the magic hadn’t lasted. In fact, it only ever seemed to come back these days when I brought up the subject of him finally paying rent.
I eyed the line of bottles behind the bar. Should I just drown my sorrows? I seriously considered it. Maybe I could drink until I didn’t feel anything anymore. It would be an expensive night, but it would be worthwhile. Hell, it was my birthday—Dan spent enough of my money, maybe I should spend some on myself.
I ordered a Manhattan, then handed over my credit card.
“I’ll take care of that for the lady,” a voice said on my left. It was deep; with an English accent that sent shivers down my spine. I’d always liked English accents.
Green eyes sparkled at me when I turned. “Um, thanks, but...”
“It’s your birthday. Let me buy you a drink.”
“How did you know it’s my birthday?”
The stranger tapped the side of his head. He had a dark shock of hair and sexy three day stubble—the kind that was intentional, not just the result of a couple of late nights. “Psychic,” he said, quirking a grin at me.
I laughed. “No, really. How do you know?”
He laughed again, and this time shrugged. “There’s a ‘Happy Birthday’ button on your coat. I took a chance when I saw the pretty face—figured even if I was wrong you’d probably accept the offer anyway.”
My face turned as red as my hair. I could feel it burning. “Oh. Um... One of the girls at work made me wear it.” I reached for the clip, thinking to remove it.
“No, leave it on. It’s fun.” He smiled.
My hand lowered. How could I refuse when he radiated charm like heat from a furnace?
And then there was that smile. It quirked up just a little more on one side than the other, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “What’s your name?” he asked.
“Rachel,” I said, extending a hand.
He took it. “I’m Chase. It’s very nice to meet you... and happy birthday.”
I blushed again, and raised my glass. “Thanks.” I looked surreptitiously over toward Dan, both relieved and disappointed when I saw him looking the other way. What would he think when he saw his girlfriend hanging out with a handsome stranger? I fought the urge to wave at him—draw his attention. Maybe a little jealousy would do the a-hole some good.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” I asked, attention back to my new friend and his very sexy accent.
“Shoot.”
“Are you British?”
He laughed. “What was your first clue?”
I didn’t know how to react to the laughter at first. I’d often drawn laughter from Dan, but... this was warm and genuine. I realized with a start that for once, I wasn’t being made fun of. I gave a tentative smile, which produced an even bigger one in return. “It was your hair,” I said, feeling brave. “Definitely not your accent, at all.” He burst into another round of laughter, and this time I joined him. It had been a long time since I’d laughed.
He sipped his own drink—a gin and tonic, perhaps; it was clear, with a slice of lemon. “Would you believe I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I was Australian, recently?”
I frowned. “Really?”
“Yes. I don’t think we sound at all alike, but maybe to you Americans I’m all ‘strewth’ and ‘crikey.’”
I laughed again, then sighed. “Thank you for the drink, and the laugh. I really needed both on my birthday.”
“My pleasure.” He met my eyes with a cheeky grin. “I’ll be a gentleman and not ask which birthday this is for you.”
“A very wise decision,” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m sure I’d get it wrong anyway. I tend to get dazzled by beautiful women—one smile and I’ve forgotten what it is that I was going to say.”
I blushed, thinking desperately for something to say before my skin burned to a crisp. “Um... so what brings you here? It’s a little late for a business meeting, isn’t it?”
He frowned, not quite understanding where I was going.
“Your suit,” I replied. “It looks much too expensive to just wear on a night out.”
He laughed. “This old thing?” he asked, picking at his tie. The clip holding it was gold, with a double ‘G’ symbol on the front, the two letters facing each other in a mirror image. “I guess I am sort of on business, when I think about it.”
I looked around suspiciously. “This isn’t one of those hidden camera shows, is it?” That would be just my luck.
The question made him laugh again. “If it were, would I tell you?”
That made me laugh again, too. I seemed to have laughed so much with this stranger—Chase, his name was. It felt unusual. It felt... good. “Good point. So what do you do for a living?”
He shrugged. “I work in the music business.”
“What, are you at the bar for the music?”
“Something like that. They’ve got a competition on later. Sometimes I like to come listen, scout new talent.”
I eyed his drink. “Sounds like fun.”
“It has its perks,” he acknowledged with a smile. “Would you like another drink? I’d love to hear what you do.”
I hesitated. One drink might be a kindness, but two was flirting. I really should tell him I had a boyfriend, even if my heart did sink just a little at the thought.
I looked in Dan’s direction. He’d just chugged a beer and was wiping foam from his upper lip. Classy. Then a waitress passed. He pinched her backside, saying something suggestive which made her giggle, before pulling her into his lap. With his arm around her and his friends cheering him on, he fished in his pocket and presented her with a $50 tip.
I frowned. Dan didn’t have any problems talking to pretty strangers. And it certainly didn’t look like he was telling her he had a girlfriend.
I turned back to Chase and smiled. “I’d love a drink, thank you. It’s so rare to find real gentlemen these days.”