NOAH

Chapter 3

'Cute' Jess had called him; 'breathtaking' was closer to the truth, but even that didn't quite cover it.

The lithe body of a dancer, the soft jaw line, the beautiful lips that formed a wide mouth that was a work of art on its own, and the eyes that looked... Impatient?

That was new.

"What are you having?" He repeated and once again I had to strain to form a coherent thought that would not lead to me blurting out 'you are gorgeous'.

I placed the empty glass on the bar top, opened my mouth and this time managed "A drink."

I sounded like an idiot - what else would I be there for? - so I hastily added: "I'm not sure what you made me before. Jess said you made it. Jess is the waitress. Tall, blond bob. I mean, she's tall, the bob is short. She brought it. The drink, I mean. My drink that you made."

"Okay..." He enunciated slowly, looking at me like I was crazy, drunk, or both. "I have no idea what you just said."

I took a couple of deep breaths and tried again: "I wasn't sure what I wanted to drink, so Jess, the waitress, said she'd ask Erik to make me something. Apparently he was busy, because she said you made it instead."

"Sorry, but I'll need more than that. I've made quite a few drinks tonight."

"Of course you have," I muttered, and he leaned closer, probably thinking my words had been meant for him. "It was minty and refreshing, and had a light green color." I was sure the description fit a good number of beverages, but I hoped he'd figure it out.

"Oh! The one for..." He suddenly clamped his mouth shut.

"The one for...?" I prompted.

"Never mind. I remember what I made you." He took a few bottles off the shelves behind him and began to pour the different liquids in the glass I'd left for a refill. "This cocktail is something I made up, but I haven't given it a name yet."

"What did Jess say? When she asked you to make this drink?"

He glanced up at me only for a second, then lowered his head and kept working on the concoction.

"She's a friend; I'm not going to get her fired," I reassured him, but the only answer I got was 'Good to know'.

"Seriously..." I racked my brain for his name. Jess had mentioned it; why the Hell had I not paid attention?

"Here you go." He slid the beverage towards me. "That will be..."

"Oh, Dex doesn't need to pay for his drinks." Erik joined us, leaning sideways on the bar. "He is Ash's brother, after all."

The younger guy had been avoiding looking at me while he'd been making my drink, but his head shot up at the other bartender's words. He stared at me with probably the same stunned expression I'd had when I'd decided that I'd been acting silly for avoiding the new guy and came here to order refill of the delicious cocktail he'd made.

"What is..." I heard Erik start, but my savior cut him off with 'I'll take my break now, okay, Erik?' before dashing away from us.

"Noah?" Erik called after him.

"Noah," I repeated and ran after the guy whose name I'd finally learned. Through the dance floor, then into one of the several narrow hallways, then into the staff room.

"You can't be here," he said once I walked in and closed the door. Then he shook his head and snorted. "What am I saying? Of course you can. Your brother owns the place."

He was pacing between the two rows of lockers. Back and forth. Back and forth.

"Noah, what's wrong?" I stepped towards him and he stopped.