“Of course you did.”
“What’s the big deal? We’ll be out of here soon and you can head back home and take up knitting mittens for cats or whatever. Don’t make this into something that it isn’t.”
“Why should I? You’ve already done that.”
“Talk to him, don’t talk to him,” Serena said, reaching for another peanut, “it doesn’t matter to me. It’s your life, not mine. And besides, we’re already here, let’s just enjoy it, okay?”
“I really hate that you —”
“In case you’re interested,” Serena interrupted, “Colin is actually a very nice guy. Smart, too. And you have to admit, he’s kind of hot as far as bartenders go.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I actually think his tattoos are sexy,” she said, nodding toward him. “I’ll bet he’s got some more that aren’t visible, too.”
Maria struggled to find words. “I think…” she sputtered, trying to sort through it all and experiencing the same sort of confusion she had on the night she’d first met Colin. “Can we please just have our drinks and go?”
Serena made a face. “But I’m hungry.”
Colin returned with their drinks and set the foamy glasses in front of them. “Anything else?” he asked.
Before Maria could decline, Serena raised her voice over the sound of the crowd. “Could we have a menu?”
Serena pointedly ignored Maria’s obvious discomfort all through dinner.
Still, Maria had to admit that it wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d feared, mostly because Colin was too busy to treat them as anything other than ordinary customers. He mentioned nothing about changing Maria’s tire or about his classes with Serena; because of the crowd at the bar, he had barely enough time to keep up with orders. He hustled continuously from one end of the bar to the other, taking orders and making drinks, closing out bills, and getting the waitresses what they needed. In the next hour, the rooftop only became more crowded, and despite the addition of a second bartender a few minutes after they’d arrived – a pretty blonde perhaps a year older than Serena – the wait for drinks continued to grow. If there was any indication that Colin knew Serena at all, it was that their dinner order was taken and delivered promptly, as was a second round of drinks. He cleared their plates moments after they finished and dropped off the bill, which he also closed out as soon as Maria laid down her credit card. Meanwhile, Serena kept up a steady flow of lively chatter.
There were even moments when Maria forgot about Colin entirely, though from time to time she found her gaze flickering his way. Serena hadn’t said anything more about him, but Maria thought he seemed too old to be a college student. She supposed she could ask Serena about that, but she didn’t want to give her the satisfaction, since she’d dragged Maria here under false pretenses.
Despite herself, Maria had to admit that Serena was right about the fact that Colin – when he wasn’t bruised, bloody, and soaking wet on a deserted stretch of road – was seriously good-looking. Oddly clean-cut despite his tattoos and powerful build, he had a quick, almost wry grin, and as far as she could tell, all three of the waitresses had crushes on him. So did the group of women at the far end of the bar who’d shown up twenty minutes ago. She could tell by the way they smiled at him as he prepared their drinks and watched him after he’d turned away. Same thing with the other bartender; though she was as busy as Colin, she seemed to become noticeably distracted whenever he reached past her for a glass or a bottle of liquor.
Good-looking bartenders were common enough to be a cliché, as was the practice of flirting with them, but Colin’s reaction to the subtle and not-so-subtle signals surprised her. Though he was pleasant with everyone, he otherwise seemed oblivious to his admirers’ attention. Or, at least, he was acting oblivious. As she was trying to decode his motive, another, older male bartender moved behind the bar, partially blocking her view of Colin. Beside her, Serena had her phone out and was texting.
“I’m letting Steve and Melissa know that we’re about done,” Serena said, her fingers dancing.
“Are they here?”
“They’re walking this way now,” she said. When Maria just nodded, Serena went on. “He’s twenty-eight, you know.”
“Steve?”
“No,” Serena answered. “Steve is my age. Colin is twenty-eight.”
“And?”
“You’re twenty-eight, too.”
“Yes, I know.”
Serena drained her drink. “I figured I might as well mention it, since you’ve been sneaking peeks at him all night.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“You could have fooled me.”
Maria reached for her own drink, feeling slightly buoyant from the alcohol. “Okay,” she conceded, “maybe I did check him out once or twice. But twenty-eight is a little too old to still be in college, don’t you think?”
“That depends.”
“Depends on what?”
“On when he started. Colin didn’t start until a couple of years ago, so he’s right on schedule. He wants to be an elementary school teacher, just like me. And if you’re curious, his grades are probably better than mine. He takes his classes very seriously. He sits at the front of the class and takes ridiculous notes.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because it’s obvious that you’re interested in him.”