Unexpected Encounters

Chapter 18

When we got there, a decent crowd had started to form, and it seemed like they were all people from the conference.

We weaved through the crowd and found a place to sit at the bar, just as a man came up behind me.

"You're the one who had to leave that session earlier, aren't you?" He asked, "are you okay?"

He was clearly already somewhat drunk, but his concern was sweet, and funny considering that it had all been fake.

"Yes, everything is fine now," I said as I smiled at him, "thank you for asking."

Whitney grabbed on to my knee from under the bar and I saw her turn her head away as she tried not to laugh.

"Oh of course," the man politely said, "I'm glad everything turned out to be fine."

I smiled at him as he nodded and walked away, and Whitney covered her mouth with her hand and started to laugh.

"You're a little too good at that," she said.

"I've had lots of practice," I grinned.

"Yeah that's what I'm worried about," she responded.

"I have nothing to lie to you about," I said, "don't worry."

I flagged down the bartender when he walked by so I could order us our first round of drinks.

"We'll take two slippery nipples, and two of whatever your best cocktail is," I said.

"Sure," he nodded as he walked off to make the drinks.

"Interesting choice of shot there," Whitney said as she put her elbow up on the bar and leaned against it.

"Is it?" I asked, trying to act clueless, "I didn't notice."

"Mhm," she grinned, "sure you didn't."

The bartender brought our drinks back over a few minutes later and I handed him my credit card.

"You can go ahead and start a tab," I told him.

"Sure, what's the name?" He asked.

"Bailey Dawson," I said.

He nodded and went to put my card into the system before bringing it back.

Whitney gave me a suspicious look as we both picked up the small shot glasses.

"You're not paying for all of the drinks tonight," she said.

"I was just giving him my card to make it easier, relax," I grinned, "I'll let you pay me back in a normal way if you really want to."

Whitney shook her head and held up her shot glass to me.

"Cheers," she said, "to..."

"To slippery nipples," I chimed in.

Whitney put her hand in front of her face and stifled a laugh, but she looked back up and clinked her glass with mine.

"To slippery nipples, sure why not?" She said.

We both tossed the drink back and slid our glasses back on the bar before grabbing the cocktails that were in front of us.

"Okay, that was pretty good, I'll admit it," Whitney said.

"I know, I told you it was just an innocent drink choice," I said as I sipped on the one in front of me.

"I don't think anything is ever innocent with you," she said as she slowly took her straw in her mouth.

My eyes were drawn to her lips and I had to peel them away before I could respond.

"Are you saying that's a bad thing?" I asked.