doesn’t know when to quit. I’m sorry if he made you feel uncomfortable; he can be a real dick sometimes.”
I couldn’t believe he was worried about my feelings. “I’m fine. It wasn’t me he was giving a hard time.” I crossed the room and stood in front of him. “Besides, I’m sure half of what he said wasn’t true.” I looked at him questioningly.
He gave me a sheepish grin.
“Okay, some of it, then,” I said, chuckling.
“Actually most of what he said was true, I just wouldn’t have put it so crudely.”
“Oh!” My mind instantly went to the hand gesture Cooper had made, and my cheeks grew hot. What had Riley been doing in the bathroom?
Seeing my expression he quickly clarified, holding his hands up to stop my thoughts. “No, not that! I did get changed a couple of times, and I was a little nervous about coming over.”
He shrugged like it was no big deal, but I could see a slight flush creeping into his clean-shaven cheeks.
“Okay, is that all?”
He glanced up at me from under his eyebrows. “I did think about you today, but only once.”
I couldn’t help it; I was a little disappointed. I’d thought about him on and off all day.
“That once was for the entire day, from the time I woke up this morning.” He sighed. “The thing is …” He reached out and took my hands in his. “… I’m only here for a few days, so I don’t have time to play games. I like you, Tara; you’re the first girl I’ve liked in a long time, and I don’t want Chook screwing it up.”
I smiled. “Don’t worry about Cooper. I know him well enough to not take anything he says seriously.” Then I tugged his hand to lead him back out of the kitchen. “Maybe we need a change of scenery. Let’s go to Songbirds .”
M ARCUS GREETED us as we entered the bar. “Hey Tara, great to see you.” He beamed and gave me a tight hug and kiss on the cheek, lifting my feet off the ground and making me squeal. He ran his eyes over my dress. “You look beautiful, as always,” he complimented, kissing my cheek again.
He turned to Kelli and hugged her quickly and we introduced the guys. Marcus told us to take a seat and he would bring over some beers in a minute.
“So who’s Marcus, exactly?” Riley asked, frowning as we were sitting down.
“Oh, he’s the owner of this place. He’s really nice,” I replied sincerely. “We usually end up drinking all night for free whenever we come here. He’s even driven me home a couple of times.”
“I bet he has,” Riley said, looking at Cooper with a strained expression.
I laughed. “There’s nothing going on, and there’s no chance of anything happening with me. He’s a good friend of Jason’s.”
Riley exhaled and visibly relaxed.
“Don’t worry, he’s just scoping out the competition,” Cooper joked, and he gave Riley a slap on the back.
I shook my head, but was internally giving myself a high five. Was Riley really feeling threatened by Marcus? How ridiculous was that?
Jason and I had been into Songbirds a lot since I’d become Jason’s neighbour, but it was always because Jason wanted to see Marcus and needed a ‘wingman’, not because I had any romantic interest. Let’s face it; I was definitely not his type.
It was time for karaoke to start, and as always, people were crowding Marcus to select their songs.
“Okay, I’m going to trial something tonight, because everyone wants to sing and not everyone will get the chance to,” Marcus announced.
“Not everyone wants to,” Kelli whispered.
I grinned at Kelli as Marcus continued. “So we’re trying what I like to call Karaoke Bingo. You all have numbers on your tables so if I call yours out, someone from your table will get to come up and sing.”
There was a murmur through the crowd as people located their table numbers, then waited for the first to be drawn.
Table eight was called out. A group of girls near us screamed excitedly, and one jumped up and made her way to the stage
I couldn’t believe he was worried about my feelings. “I’m fine. It wasn’t me he was giving a hard time.” I crossed the room and stood in front of him. “Besides, I’m sure half of what he said wasn’t true.” I looked at him questioningly.
He gave me a sheepish grin.
“Okay, some of it, then,” I said, chuckling.
“Actually most of what he said was true, I just wouldn’t have put it so crudely.”
“Oh!” My mind instantly went to the hand gesture Cooper had made, and my cheeks grew hot. What had Riley been doing in the bathroom?
Seeing my expression he quickly clarified, holding his hands up to stop my thoughts. “No, not that! I did get changed a couple of times, and I was a little nervous about coming over.”
He shrugged like it was no big deal, but I could see a slight flush creeping into his clean-shaven cheeks.
“Okay, is that all?”
He glanced up at me from under his eyebrows. “I did think about you today, but only once.”
I couldn’t help it; I was a little disappointed. I’d thought about him on and off all day.
“That once was for the entire day, from the time I woke up this morning.” He sighed. “The thing is …” He reached out and took my hands in his. “… I’m only here for a few days, so I don’t have time to play games. I like you, Tara; you’re the first girl I’ve liked in a long time, and I don’t want Chook screwing it up.”
I smiled. “Don’t worry about Cooper. I know him well enough to not take anything he says seriously.” Then I tugged his hand to lead him back out of the kitchen. “Maybe we need a change of scenery. Let’s go to Songbirds .”
M ARCUS GREETED us as we entered the bar. “Hey Tara, great to see you.” He beamed and gave me a tight hug and kiss on the cheek, lifting my feet off the ground and making me squeal. He ran his eyes over my dress. “You look beautiful, as always,” he complimented, kissing my cheek again.
He turned to Kelli and hugged her quickly and we introduced the guys. Marcus told us to take a seat and he would bring over some beers in a minute.
“So who’s Marcus, exactly?” Riley asked, frowning as we were sitting down.
“Oh, he’s the owner of this place. He’s really nice,” I replied sincerely. “We usually end up drinking all night for free whenever we come here. He’s even driven me home a couple of times.”
“I bet he has,” Riley said, looking at Cooper with a strained expression.
I laughed. “There’s nothing going on, and there’s no chance of anything happening with me. He’s a good friend of Jason’s.”
Riley exhaled and visibly relaxed.
“Don’t worry, he’s just scoping out the competition,” Cooper joked, and he gave Riley a slap on the back.
I shook my head, but was internally giving myself a high five. Was Riley really feeling threatened by Marcus? How ridiculous was that?
Jason and I had been into Songbirds a lot since I’d become Jason’s neighbour, but it was always because Jason wanted to see Marcus and needed a ‘wingman’, not because I had any romantic interest. Let’s face it; I was definitely not his type.
It was time for karaoke to start, and as always, people were crowding Marcus to select their songs.
“Okay, I’m going to trial something tonight, because everyone wants to sing and not everyone will get the chance to,” Marcus announced.
“Not everyone wants to,” Kelli whispered.
I grinned at Kelli as Marcus continued. “So we’re trying what I like to call Karaoke Bingo. You all have numbers on your tables so if I call yours out, someone from your table will get to come up and sing.”
There was a murmur through the crowd as people located their table numbers, then waited for the first to be drawn.
Table eight was called out. A group of girls near us screamed excitedly, and one jumped up and made her way to the stage
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