"Can I get two long islands, one chardonnay and one Sam Adams Oktoberfest." I did my best to recite the drink order as I remembered it, for the most part it never seemed to change much and it always helped that Laura and Becca appeared to like the same drinks.
Yet another work week had slowly come and gone reuniting the girls and I in our usual bar of choice, Beantown Pub. Not only was the service great but the food was to die for which made it a no brainer whenever we decided where we wanted to meet up.
"Did you want that Adams bottled or on tap?" The bartender never looked up at me as he proceeded to steadily work on the drink order I had given him.
"Bottled." I didn't even have a chance to speak before the question had been answered for me by a seemingly familiar voice.
I turned to my left to see the man I had spent the past week trying to thank for buying a round for the girls and I. He hasn't been in to pick up Mia and sometimes I found myself wondering if that was his choice or if it was Sheila's, as if it was any of my business.
"Bottled then?" The bartender looked up to verify that I was in agreement with the answer Rob had given and I nodded my head giving him permission to carry on with his bartending duties.
"Should I be concerned?" Rob gestured to the beer bottle that had just been placed in front of me.
"Concerned?" I questioned, handing the bartender my credit card before looking back at Rob.
"Well, yeah." He nodded, a smirk quickly crawling across his lips as he brought his eyes up to mine, "This is the second time in what... a week... that I've seen my daughter's preschool teacher at the bar. Believe it or not Mia is half Gronkowski... is she driving you to drink? There's help for this kinda thing you know..."
"I appreciate your concerns." I giggled at his playful humor and it actually surprised me that I found myself enjoying this moment with him, "But I guess it would make you my enabler then, huh? I mean you did provide me with some alcohol last week. Which I didn't get to thank you for so... thank you."
"You're welcome." Rob laughed and I mentally noted to myself how adorable his dimples were, "Can I help you carry those drinks?"
"Only if you want to be attacked by a couple mid twen--." I stopped my thoughts as I looked up at him and giggled. This was Rob Gronkowski we're talking about here, he defined the term ladies man. He was not going to care about Becca and Mel contributing to his ego, "Who am I kidding? Yes, your help would be appreciated."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He chuckled and his brows furrowed in confusion like he was trying to understand if I had just insulted him.
"Two of my girlfriends are Patriot fans. That's all..." I smiled at him, shrugging my shoulders and grabbing Mel's glass of wine in my empty hand.
"And you're not?" He asked, his large hands grabbing the two glasses that remained on the bar before following me.
I dropped my head back in laughter and decided to ignore that question. This friendly conversation could possibly take a turn for the worse if we started getting into football talk and I certainly wasn't looking for any drama.
"Ouch." Rob playfully winced in pain as if I had hurt him, in actuality the only thing he was suffering from was a bruised ego.
We had arrived at the table I had left behind nearly fifteen minutes ago, the girls were busy laughing and chatting and I could only imagine the conversations I had missed out on. Something told me that Laura was discussing her rejuvenated love life and she was not one to spare the details.
"I come bearing gifts." I announced, their laughter slowing and their attention turning towards me.
"Oh my God..." Becca gasped at the appearance of Rob, her reaction quickly grabbing the attention of Mel and Laura who had their backs to us.
"This is Mel, Laura and the girl with her jaw on the floor is Becca." I introduced the girls to Rob, pointing out each one as I went around the table, "And I would introduce him but I know it's not necessary."
"Nice to meet you." Rob flashed his cheesy grin yet again then held up the two glasses in his hands, "I have two drinks here, don't know where they're goin."
"One to Laura and one to the fly catcher." I teased Becca and the girls laughed as Rob placed their drinks in front of them and I looked up at him flashing him a friendly smile, "Thanks for the help."
"No problem." His large hand fell to the small of my back and he removed it just as quickly. I felt the goosebumps crawl up my skin, I knew it was just a friendly gesture but it caught me off guard.
"Can I be all fan girl right now and get a pic with you?" Becca spoke up shyly, if she had been a turtle I was quite sure she would've crawled back into her shell.
"Yeah, sure." Rob shrugged as he walked towards Becca who stood up from her seat.
"Av, will you take a pic?" Becca handed me her cell and I placed my clutch on the table before snapping a picture.
"Did you guys want to get in one?" I looked at Mel and Laura who had been watching, I know the two of them enough to know they had too much pride to ask.
"Yeah, come on guys." Becca encouraged them to join her and they quickly rose to their feet taking their places next to Rob who had extended his large arms around the girls.
"Now this looks like the Gronk pictures I'm used to seeing." I laughed looking at the picture I had just taken on Becca's phone before handing it back over.
"Well ladies it was a pleasure to meet all of you." Rob smiled at my girlfriends who all looked like they had just met the world's most eligible bachelor.
"Thanks!" Their reply was somewhat in unison as they gave him a wave.
"Maybe if I'm lucky I can find you here next week..." He looked at me with a smirk on his face and I knew I was blushing even through my nervous laughter, I just wasn't sure why. Gronk was far from what I ever looked for in a man, "Besides I need to convert you to a Patriots fan."
"Oh I will never join the dark side... so don't waste your breath." I joked with him and he grabbed his heart at my playful insult.
"Not gonna lie, that stings a little." He shook his head as he began to back up, making his way towards his exit route and he called out to me one last time, "But I'm not giving up!"
I laughed as I watched him walk away, attention returning to the girls who were all staring at me. I knew they were going to ask me a million questions the second I sat down judging by the looks on their faces.
"Oh... my God Ava." Mel leaned towards me, both of her elbows resting on the wooden table top, "What was that?"
"That was Rob Gronkowski." I smirked avoiding her attempts of making something out of nothing because that's what Mel tended to do sometimes.
"He was flirting with you big time." Laura chimed in, her eyes on me as I neglected her stares, "I mean big time Av. You're crazy if you didn't notice."
I busted into laughter shaking my head at their attempts. The only thing Rob was doing was being Rob in my opinion. Not that I knew anything about him really but I always imagined him to be quite a flirt and an even bigger ladies man. He was always hanging on girls and partying and behaving like a hormone crazed teenage boy.
"All I will add to this is that I'm pretty much jealous of the way he was looking at you. Not gonna lie. That's all." Becca shrugged her shoulders as she sipped on her long island iced tea from the straw that rested in the cup.
"You guys are so ridiculous that I'm not even going to entertain your ludicrous thoughts." I grabbed the menu that laid on the table and began to look it over, "I'm starving. What are we having?"
