After hours

Chapter One

I noticed him enter the bar and cursed, turning back to my drink and praying he wouldn't notice me. I really didn't need my boss to see me here, especially since I was drinking because of him. This job was hell.

He walked with a group of well-dressed and equally dickish looking men. I dipped my head as close to my drink as I could as he passed behind me. They made it past us and sat. I was actually fairly surprised when I saw him come to the bar to order his own drinks. He never did anything himself, I did everything! I guess that's what an assistant was for. This must be a business meeting of some sort, he had to impress them.

He placed his order and glanced around the room as he waited. I chewed my cheek, he was only a few stools away. I could feel his eyes when they reached me, they held their gaze. He was no doubt wondering where he knew me from.

"Ryan, right?"

I glanced up to see him just beside me.

"Yep." I muttered. I glanced back to the men. "Guys night out?"

He sighed loudly. "Oh God I wish." He helped himself to the stool beside me. His body hunched instinctively over the bar, he drank here often. "Business, the most boring group of guys I've ever met. I swear, if I have to hear one more time about their damn golf stroke I'm going to lose it." He shook his head.

I raised an eyebrow.

He glanced back at me. "I'm sorry. Here I am, being rude again. You're probably here trying to drink off your work week, not drink with your boss." He turned to face the men.

I spun on the stool to do the same.

He ran his hand through his hair. "This case is going to kill me." He muttered. "This is the third night this week we've gone out. I swear, I'm going to spend more money on dinner and drinks then we're going to make if we sign them. We've gone over the figures so many times I have them memorized and they're still lollygagging."

I studied them for a few moments. "He has a tan line from where he used to wear a wedding ring, probably just got divorced and doesn't want to go home to an empty house." I motioned to the one in the middle with the slicked back hair.

"He's always getting divorced. He just wants to sit and talk to all the pretty ladies around here. Keeps complaining everyone on our team is a man." He turned and thanked the waitress as she sat several drinks in front of him. "Hey, I know you're off the clock but would you mind giving me a hand?"

As if I could say no? "Sure." I grabbed two of the drinks and he picked up the other two. When we approached the table they appeared to be in a deep argument.

"Hashing out details?" Daniel asked with a grin as he set the drinks down.

One with slicked back black hair turned to him, glanced briefly at me, and then back to Daniel. "I'm telling you, it would absolutely destroy her. The girl would be history." He said heatedly into the conversation.

"It would not. He's a powerful man, he could handle this. I mean, look at everything else he's done?" Another older looking gentleman with freckles running up his hands replied.

"Exactly, he has more control than you're giving him credit for. He knows what he's doing." The last suit argued.

The black haired one smacked his hands off the table. "That's precisely the point I'm trying to make! He does not know what he's doing! He's never done this before, he's totally clueless!"

"I know what I'm doing." Daniel said sounding annoyed.

The older man waved his hand around. "No, not you. Yeesh."