Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology #1)(13)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Chapter Six

The bar top had never been cleaner. Technically, I didn’t have to be in to work until seven, but I got there early. By ten o’clock I was falling asleep. Max was already cutting back my shifts, and I was bored.

Labor Day came and went without a word from Colin, and I’d accepted the kiss hadn’t been as good for him. His disinterest shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. Usually I was so good at reading people and signs. I’d been wrong this time.

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Max came by on his rounds of the dining room. I was in the inside bar.

“Yeah. Things are fine.”

“A piece of advice: don’t go into acting.” He took a seat on one of the stools.

I forced a laugh. “That bad?”

“Yes. You stink at it. But tell me, what’s eating at you?” Max had this way about him that made you want to spill your life story. He’d started off bartending at the Grille, and I could imagine he’d amassed an endless amount of personal confidences during that time. The only confidences I got were from drunk guys hoping a sob story would get them laid.

“Nothing really. It’s more of a general blah feeling.”

“That doesn’t sound good. You never told me, what happened with your big date a few weeks ago?” He wriggled his eyebrow.

“It went.”

“Ah, I see.” He gave me a knowing look.

“No. It’s not all about that.”

“Are you sure? Because I have a few more words of advice for you if it is. Any boy who can’t see how lucky he’d be to date you isn’t worth it.”

“Thanks, Max. It’s really not that. I have to figure some things out.” My words were partially true, I did have to figure things out, but I was hung up on how wrong I’d been about Colin. It’s not that a guy hadn’t rejected me before, I’d just always expected it.

“If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

I tried to push my depressive thoughts away, but I felt lost. I’d spent my whole life on such a set path, and for the first time, I had no clue where I was going. I wanted it to excite me, but it scared me more.

“It’s pretty slow tonight. You can head home anytime you want. We don’t need both bars open, and Dale would be happy to come inside.” Max’s most seasoned bartender, Dale, got first dibs on shifts and bars. He was trying to work more, so I figured that meant I’d be working less.

“I might have to take you up on that.”

“I’ll pay you for the whole shift.”

“Thanks, Max.” It was weird to be so worried about a paycheck. I’d spent most of my life in the financial bubble of upper-middle class comfort my parents had given me. I’d kept that bubble through college, so for the first time, I was on my own dime. After paying Macon rent, I barely had enough for food. Working only a few nights a week was going to make for a very long winter.

“You aren’t going to ride your bike home alone though, are you?”

“No. I’ll get a ride,” I lied. I had no intention of calling anyone. It wasn’t even ten o’clock at night.

Max saw through it. “Maddy, it’s too dark to ride your bike. People won’t see you.”

“I’ll be fine.” I closed out the register and blatantly ignored the warnings he was giving me.

Outside I let out a sigh of relief. It’s not like I had a death wish, but I needed my time alone.

I unlocked my bike and hopped on. The best part of riding a bicycle is that it doesn’t take any gas. Oh, and you can usually maneuver your way around traffic.

I turned right out of the Grille and headed toward home. I loved the feel of the wind in my hair, and I relaxed. I still had a ways to go when I saw the car heading straight at me. I veered to the side, stopping before I flipped over the handlebars.

“Damn you, Macon.” I steadied myself as Macon rolled down his window. “You could have killed me.”

“I was just making sure you were awake.”

“Awake? I’d prefer breathing.” I finally calmed down enough to get off the bike.

“Stop complaining, you knew I wouldn’t hit you.” Wordlessly, he secured my bike onto his bike rack.

“He called you, didn’t he?” Max couldn’t leave it alone.

“Of course he did. You could get killed riding that thing at night.”

“The only one who came close to killing me was you.” I settled into the passenger seat.

“I was trying to prove the point. It’s dangerous.”

“Only when someone purposely tries to run me off the road. I’m hoping you’re the only one who would do that.”

“I bet there are more. You probably have enemies.”

“Enemies that are driving around the Outer Banks at night?” I turned down the AC that was blaring and freezing my legs.

“They might be really committed to the act of killing you.”

“You are so morbid.”

“No, just lightening the mood.”

“Keep it up. You’re doing a great job.”

“Want to keep lightening it?

“Only if it’s safe.”

“It’s safe. I have a guy I want to set you up with.” Macon kept his eyes on the road and a neutral expression on his face.

“Like a blind date? Is this a joke?”

“Not a joke. I guess it’s not completely blind because my friend is the one who asked me to set it up.”

“Your friend? What friend?” My skin prickled. I knew most of Macon’s friends in the area, and none of them were the type I’d date, or that he’d set me up with.

“Just one of the guys who works at the shop with me.”

“Why’d he ask you to set us up?” I asked suspiciously.

“He’s seen you around.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me?”

“You don’t trust me, do you?” He turned the AC back up. He could be so infuriating sometimes.

“Not when it comes to my dating life.”

He turned into our condo lot. “Come on, I think you’ll like him.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ralph.”

“Seriously? You expect me to go on a date with a guy named Ralph?” I slammed my door accidently and cringed. Macon was pretty protective of his car and would normally snap at me for it.

“You can’t be serious. A girl named Maddy is going to make fun of someone’s name.”