Sweet Reflection by Grace Henderson

minutes. I get up and go round the side slowly, thinking one of his team will appear and see me but I don’t get stopped as I reach the corner. I call out but don’t get a response. With one last look back out front, luckily there aren’t any customers waiting for drinks, I walk downstairs.
     
    “Hello, is anyone there?” I call out again. Through the thump of the music coming from outside I hear the scrape of a barrel being put back down on the floor.
    “Who’s there?” Ryan shouts back, as he walks through the door from the storeroom.
    “Oh it’s just me. I was worried about you.” He stops when he sees me and I can feel his eyes wandering over my body.
    “Aww I’m fine. I can take care of myself sweetheart, don’t worry.” He says as he teasingly flexes his muscles into different poses, and I have trouble taking my eyes off the way his shirt is stretching over them.
    “Why are you working tonight? I thought you were actually coming to the party?” I do my best to shut my mouth before he sees it gaping.
    “Yeah, I was going to, but I’ve had two staff ring in sick tonight. I think we’ll be a bit short as it is. Hopefully it’s manageable though because I don’t have any other options.”
    “I can help.” I blurt out, forgetting this is a friend’s party and I should be with her tonight. He’s just got that effect on me.
    “Really?”
    I can’t back out now, plus I think it would be fun, especially if Ryan was behind the bar with me. “Yeah well, I know my Jameson from my Malibu, and my diet coke from my regular. What else do people drink round here?” His laugh is a deep mix of pity and curiosity, I’m sure he’d love to see me make a fool of myself.
    His eyes narrow and he starts to walk forward with a small smile playing on his lips.
    “Have you ever had an Orgasm?”
    He draws out the words and I’m mentally running away from the question. I knew I shouldn’t have had that glass of wine before I came out, I can’t think straight because I swear he just asked me if I had ever had an orgasm. As he’s still walking towards me I realise I’ve moved and the cold bricks are sending a shiver through my back to the rest of my body.
    “How about a Long, Slow, Comfortable Screw Against The Wall?”
    His arm comes up to rest against the wall behind me and whilst I’m trying to determine what I’m feeling, he’s grinning at me.
    “What’s got into you?” I ask in shock. Ryan’s never acted like this, he’s flirting and it makes me uncomfortable because I want to respond in the same way but I haven’t pictured us likes this before; it’s all new.
    “Relax, Laurel, I’m just joking around. They’re names of cocktails, I get asked for them quite a lot, but I can see you’ve never heard of them so my joke probably doesn’t seem that funny. Sorry.” He looks worried that he’s taken it too far, and in some ways he has, because now I can’t get the image of him screwing me against the wall out of my head. Shit. He’s my friend. I can’t be having thoughts like that.
    “It’s okay, I’ve gotta get back upstairs.” My hands push at his chest firmly so I can distance myself. I turn to walk back upstairs and feel his large warm hand on my arm as he pulls me back round to face him. I’m not expecting it so I stumble slightly and he wraps his arms around me to stop me from falling.
    I drag in as many ragged breaths as possible in the seconds before his mouth covers mine and then he’s kissing me gently, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek; it’s tender and slow, not what I’m used to from other guys. I pull away and can’t help the smile that’s sneaking across my face.
    “You taste like chocolate.”
    “You caught me. I didn’t have time for dinner.” His echoing laugh shields his uncertainty but I can see it in his eyes. It makes me want to wrap my arms around him. Ryan is everything I could want in a man. He just isn’t James. But James doesn’t want me and as Ryan