Chapter 8
Saturday
I hurried back to our table before Rob could say anything rude to Tanner. “Hey,” I said, slapping Tanner on the back. “Glad you could come.”
Rob didn’t say anything snarky, but he squinted his eyes at Tanner. I ignored him.
“Me too,” Tanner said. “Have you met Abigail?” He touched the blonde’s lower back, gesturing her forward. Almost like he was giving her to me as an offering. Which was weird, because she was clearly his date.
“No,” I said. “But it’s nice to meet you.” I put out my hand to be polite. Not that it was necessary. Tanner went through women even faster than I did. I’d never see this girl again.
Instead of shaking my hand she laughed and gave me a hug. “Nice to finally meet you,” she purred in my ear. “Tanner told me you were handsome, but his words didn’t do you justice.”
I did not hug her back. Why the hell was Tanner telling his date that I was handsome?
Tanner gave me a thumbs up when Abigail didn’t move from my arms.
Holy hell. He wasn’t seriously trying to set me up with this chick? During boys’ night. I’d told him I didn’t want to actually meet anyone. Several times.
“What do you say we get out of here?” She booped me on the nose like I was five years old.
Nope. I pulled myself out of her embrace. “Sorry, I’ve had a long day,” I said. “I was just hoping to hang out with my friends.”
She literally pouted.
Maybe she really was just a kid. How old was this girl? And if this was the kind of girl Tanner thought I’d find true love with or whatever bullshit he was calling it, he’d lost it. He was as crazy as Rob said.
I sat down on my stool and pretended that awkwardness hadn’t just happened.
Tanner said something to Abigail, she pouted again, kissed him on the cheek, then walked away like he’d dismissed her. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I thought she might be a good fit.” He sat down next to me and stole my drink.
“A good fit for Matt?” Rob asked. “Was she even legal? She looked like she was 17.”
“She’s 25.”
Rob shook his head. “She booped his nose. I boop my daughter’s nose.”
“Well, she has a kid,” Tanner said. “She’s probably just used to hanging out with little Timmy all day. Anyway, how is everyone? It’s been forever.”
“It really has,” Mason said. “Bee and I have been so busy. How is Club Onyx going under new management?”
“Don’t worry,” Tanner said. “It’s still running as efficiently as ever. You’ll have to stop by sometime. It’s been far too long. And I’ve made some very interesting changes. But no business talk tonight. What about you, James? How are you?”
“Good,” James said. “Penny and I have been busy too, but not with work. Liam isn’t sleeping through the night. But at least he doesn’t pee in my face.”
“Like a boss,” Rob said. “My son is going to go pro. In something. But we’re more interested in what you’re up to, Tanner. Especially on Tuesday nights.”
“Hm?” Tanner laughed. “What about Tuesday nights?”
Rob leaned forward. “Don’t play dumb with me. I saw you rocking a man bun and a leopard printed tux last Tuesday outside of One57. And a few Tuesdays before that…a maroon tux with black paint splatters all over it.”
“A man bun?” Tanner laughed again and ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think I could pull that off.”
“It was you.”
Tanner shook his head. “I promise you, young sir, it wasn’t.”
Young sir? Rob was older than him.
“But it looked just like you,” Rob said. “Except without the glasses. And obviously, your clothes and hair were more…extra.”
“Maybe I have a very extra twin running around town then?”
“But…”
“Rob, come on,” I said. “Stop interrogating him. Besides, Tanner was with me on Tuesday night.” Wait, was he? Or was that Monday? Actually, Tanner usually was busy on Tuesday nights. And Thursdays too, now that I thought about it. But I doubted he was gallivanting around the city in weird suits. He owned like a million businesses. He was just a busy guy.
“Enough about me,” Tanner said. “And more about…Georgia.” He said “Georgia” like he was the host of a game show.
“The state or the country?” James asked.
“The woman.”
A girl I hadn’t seen a few seconds ago melted into Tanner’s side. “Sorry I’m late. I had a meeting.”
On a Saturday? What was she…a stripper? She was certainly dressed like it.
“You must be Matthew,” she said and stuck her hand out for me. “Tanner has been telling me all about you.”
I didn’t take her hand, because at the same time another girl walked up to our table.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Tanner, am I early? I’m always early.” She laughed awkwardly. “You must be Matt. I’m Stacy.” She gave me a huge smile.
I turned to Tanner. “Tanner, a word?” I didn’t wait for his response. I just walked over to the bar to get another drink. Since he’d stolen mine.
“What’s up?” Tanner said when he joined me.
“What’s up? What the hell are you doing?”
“Hanging out with the guys…”
“I don’t mean that. Why do random women keep showing up saying they’ve heard all about me?”
“Oh, those are potential love interests. Sorry Abigail was a bust. But if you don’t like Georgia or Stacy, Beatrix is coming by in ten minutes. Give Georgia a go though. She has great ratings.”
“Ratings?”
“Yeah. In my binder…”
“Stop it with the binder!” I realized I’d just yelled and swallowed hard. “Man, I told you. I’m just hanging out with Penny for the sake of hanging out with her.”
“Yeah, but you’re going to have to start going on dates or she’ll catch on to your scheme. And it’s of vital importance that I’m the one that finds your match.”
“I’m not finding a match.”
“But…”
“Tanner, get rid of Georgia and Stacy. And call off Beatrix and whoever else is going to walk into the bar having heard all about me. I don’t want to be set up tonight. I just want to drink.” I lifted up my glass. “In peace. And catch up with the guys.”
“Right. But there’s a Jennifer due here at 10:15 that I think would really…”
I ignored him as I downed half my drink. “I don’t want to be set up. Not now. Not ever.”
Tanner sighed. “Very well.” He pulled out his phone to shoot off a few texts. “But if you change your mind, I’ve got you covered.”
With a whole binder full of women. Yeah, I knew that. “I’m not going to change my mind.” It didn’t matter that I had a stupid crush on Penny. Or if I slept with half the women in New York. I wasn’t going to find someone to replace Brooklyn. I just wasn’t. She wasn’t replaceable. She was everything.