I struggled to swallow, my mouth completely barren of moisture. “Hey,” I squeaked, my voice a bit too enthusiastic. I cleared my throat. “I mean…hi. Blaine, right?”
Blaine gave me a knowing smile, though it looked more like he was trying not to laugh. “Yeah, Kami. What brings you here today?” he asked, folding his arms in front of him and causing those biceps to flex. Once again, those lucky little sleeves hugged them tight.
“Oh, um, I…” I began, mentally scolding myself for being so easily distracted by the thin fabric.
“Here you are, young lady,” Mick announced, sliding the application over to me. I hadn’t even noticed he had come back.
I smiled and thanked him, then looked back to Blaine. He was frowning. It was a slight frown, just creasing the middle of his brows, but it looked like a frown nonetheless. “You want to work here?” he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
I shrugged and gave him a tight-lipped grin. “Yeah, why not?”
Blaine relaxed his features yet his expression still seemed a bit perturbed at the idea. I instantly regretted coming here. It was evident that he was still upset, if not confused, by what happened between us before. His mouth moved as if he was rolling his tongue, his brows still knitted together. Then I got a flash of silver, causing my stomach to clench once again. The reminder of that tongue ring had me doing an internal happy dance. Why? I have no idea. It wasn’t like I expected to feel that barbell sliding against my tongue… or other places.
He looked to Mick and nodded, snapping me out of my trance. “I’ll take care of her.” Then he took a step forward and grabbed my hand.
He grabbed my hand! And I yelped like a freakin’ puppy.
We both sputtered apologies at my outburst, and my face reddened instantly. Damn Asian flush. Not wanting to make me any more uncomfortable, Blaine tentatively placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me to the other side of the bar just as Angel approached and took a seat. I know my wide-eyed expression at his contact was evident to her.
“Good to see you again, Blaine!” she beamed, cutting her eyes at me.
He smiled warmly, one side of his mouth curled up farther than the other. “You too, Angel.” He then turned his head to me, placing his palms against the bar and leaning forward a bit, regarding me intently. “Ready?”
My eyes narrowed in confusion. “Ready for what?”
“Your audition,” he said, with that amused, trying-not-to-laugh look on his face. It was infuriating and adorable all at once.
I nodded stiffly and pursed my lips, frustrated with my betraying emotions. After washing my hands, I turned to him and waited for his first order. He was staring at me. Not just casually gazing, he was staring at me like he was appraising a rare piece of artwork. It was odd and intense, and that damn flush crept back up my neck and painted my cheeks.
Finally, he turned his body and pressed his backside against the bar, casually crossing his ankles, his head turned towards mine. He was close—very close. Close enough for me to get a whiff of his scent and feel the warmth of his body.
Standing side by side, I could tell Blaine was tall. He had to be at least six inches taller than my 5 ft. 6 in. frame. I liked tall men. I liked the way they could fold their bodies around mine and make me feel safe and secure, even just for a night. My mind began to drift to images of Blaine’s arms around me, those big hands sliding across hips, around my ass, up my bare back…
“It’s good to see you again, roadrunner,” he muttered for my ears only. It was enough to startle me from my insane daydream. Just as well. It would never, ever come to fruition.
I glanced at Angel, engaged in a conversation with Mick, then turned my head back to him and raised a brow. “Roadrunner?”
Blaine’s mouth twisted again, giving me another peek at that metallic barbell. He wasn’t doing it to be seductive. At least I didn’t think he was. It seemed more out of habit than anything else. “Yeah. The way you ran outta here last time, you would’ve thought a 50-ton anvil was about to come crashing down on you.”
“Is that right?” I smirked playfully. I couldn’t help flirting with him. It was harmless, after all. “So what does that make you? Wile E. Coyote?”
A question knit his brows. “Why would you think that? You think I’m chasing you?”
My eyes widened with embarrassment. “Oh, no, I wasn’t saying…”
“Because I’m not chasing you,” he cut me off. “Not yet, at least.”
I didn’t know how to respond. I was confused by his behavior, unsure if he was attracted to me…or not. Not that he should be. I just liked knowing where I stood.