Bound(The Mastered Series)(23)

            “Great. Thanks.” He picked up the chair and carried it to his table of friends.

            So much for him offering to buy her a drink.

            But she’d suspected that’s how this hour-long social experiment would play out. She feigned interest in the TV in the corner, trying not to devour the bowl of snack mix placed in front of her.

            This was a cool bar. Why had she walked by the place dozens of times but hadn’t stopped in? The vibe here was relaxed despite the upbeat music. Great ambience with the brightly colored pendant lights hanging from the high ceiling. Like in so many old warehouses in Lodo, the rafters had been left exposed, as had the brick walls. She’d checked out the scarred wide-planked oak as she’d walked in, wondering if she’d find similar flooring beneath the carpet in her loft.

            As she’d prepped herself for a night at the meat market, she considered Ronin’s observation—maybe she hadn’t been looking in the right places to meet eligible men. She chatted with the same guys at the gym, but they’d never asked her out. No men attended her yoga classes. She’d smile at guys at the grocery store, or the bank, keeping it friendly, but it hadn’t made a difference. She went to the movies alone. She ate out by herself frequently and it didn’t bother her, but other patrons avoided making eye contact, pitying her as a single diner.

            Amery admitted she’d fallen into a rut—relying on Emmylou and Chaz to entertain her. Molly had pulled into her shell completely after the attack and they hadn’t done anything together outside of work for ages. In recent months if her pals were busy, she’d stay home and watch movies or TV or read.

            Nothing wrong with liking her own company . . . was there?

            A man sidled up next to her and smiled. “Hey. I haven’t seen you in here before.”

            “First time. I thought I’d swing in and have a drink.”

            “If you’re thirsty I could buy the next one.”

            “That’s sweet. Thank you, but I’m meeting a friend.”

            His eyes filled with regret. “Shame. Enjoy.” He took off.

            After that, Amery fended off advances from several other guys as she nursed her drink. If she hadn’t made plans with Ronin, she might’ve given her number to a couple of them.

            Where was Ronin anyway?

            Then she felt his eyes on her, even though she couldn’t see him. Calming her even as he assessed her. Thankfully this demonstration or whatever it was ended in ten minutes. She ordered another martini. As the clock wound down, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She faced the guy. He looked familiar.

            “Amery? It’s Will Aberle. Do you remember me? I’m friends with Chaz.”

            “Will! Of course I remember you. Chaz dragged us to that laser tag place last fall. We froze our butts off.”

            “I haven’t seen Chaz for a while. How is he?”

            “Good. He’s in a relationship now. Well, as much as Chaz can be in a relationship, which means—”

            “He’s still on the prowl,” Will finished.

            “God, don’t we sound like bitchy queens dissing on our friend?”

            “That’s the problem with always being the straight man.”

            She laughed. Will was funny and had the blond-haired, blue-eyed look Amery found so appealing. So why hadn’t she ever let him know she was available?

            Because no matter how nice he seems, he reminds you of your ex.

            “How’ve you been?” Will asked.