anything more than that on Tinder is a longshot from what
I’ve heard. What’s your profile say?’
Danny brought his profile up on the screen and
handed Joe the iPad.
‘Why no mention of the celibacy thing?’ Joe
frowned.
‘I didn’t think it’d do me any favours admitting to
that.’
‘Are you crazy? They’d lap it up: I’ve been
celibate for three years and now I want to settle down .’ He
mimicked Danny’s accent. ‘You’re missing a trick.’
‘Maybe, but I don’t think they’d appreciate the I
was celibate because I almost became a sex addict part.’
‘That’s true. You could at least mention this
place,’ Joe replied, handing him the iPad. ‘You’re selling yourself
short by saying you’re a barman.’
‘It doesn’t say I’m a barman, it says I can be found
behind a bar. I don’t want someone to be interested in me just
because I own this place.’
The cliché of customers coming onto bar staff was
something he and his team witnessed almost every night of the week.
When some of the women worked out that he was the owner, they went
all out. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d been handed
knickers or had to turn away some of the bolder ones who managed to
slip past the bar and make their way up to his office.
‘So are you gonna message that girl or what?’
Danny went back to Claire’s profile again and
flicked through her other photos. There was one of her standing in
front of the Sydney Opera House and another in an airport, dressed
in her flight attendant’s uniform. In each one, her smile was big,
warm and welcoming, as if she was inviting him personally to send
her a message and make the first move.
‘Yeah, maybe.’
‘Why not. It’s not like you’ve got anything to
lose.’
Danny got up from his desk and opened the small
cabinet in the corner of the office, taking out a bottle of
eighteen year old Japanese whiskey. ‘Drink?’
‘Let me just get this first,’ Joe replied, looking
at his phone. ‘It’s Tasha.’
Danny nodded as Joe stepped outside. A blast of
music and the sound of clinking glasses and laughter shot into the
office from the bar downstairs. Danny sat back at his desk and
poured a shot of whiskey.
He looked back at Claire’s profile. For the first
time since he’d joined Tinder, he’d seen a profile that had given
him an instant, physical and almost chemical reaction and he wasn’t
afraid to admit it sparked a jolt of anxiety. A sex addiction and
Tinder. It sounded like a recipe for disaster but it had been so
long now, surely he had it under control? It felt like he had.
Wasn’t that why he’d gone celibate in the first place?
His dark hair, blue eyes and soft, Irish accent had
always made him successful with women but combined with working in
the hospitality industry, it made pulling almost too easy. Tasha
would have been right to be wary of him had they met a few years
ago. These days, things were very different. He’d refocused his
energy on setting up his own bar after working in pubs for years
and it was doing well. Extremely well. He had a year old, top of
the range Audi A3, he’d bought a one bedroom flat in a new gated
development in West London and he even had a cat. He’d come a long
way but he couldn’t live the celibate life forever and he didn’t
want to.
He knocked back the whiskey, letting the after-burn
warm his insides as it glided down his throat and picked up the
iPad just as a message notification popped up at the top of the
screen.
- Well, well. Now you look like a whole lot of
trouble
Danny grinned as he read Claire’s message. It wasn’t
the first time he’d been told as much, but her greeting was a
marked improvement on the dull, robotic hey most girls seemed
intent on sending.
- Ha! Thanks ;-) You don’t look so innocent
yourself. Always mile high...now that sounds fun
He re-read the message. It sounded light-hearted and
playful, easily matching hers. He pressed send and a minute
I’ve heard. What’s your profile say?’
Danny brought his profile up on the screen and
handed Joe the iPad.
‘Why no mention of the celibacy thing?’ Joe
frowned.
‘I didn’t think it’d do me any favours admitting to
that.’
‘Are you crazy? They’d lap it up: I’ve been
celibate for three years and now I want to settle down .’ He
mimicked Danny’s accent. ‘You’re missing a trick.’
‘Maybe, but I don’t think they’d appreciate the I
was celibate because I almost became a sex addict part.’
‘That’s true. You could at least mention this
place,’ Joe replied, handing him the iPad. ‘You’re selling yourself
short by saying you’re a barman.’
‘It doesn’t say I’m a barman, it says I can be found
behind a bar. I don’t want someone to be interested in me just
because I own this place.’
The cliché of customers coming onto bar staff was
something he and his team witnessed almost every night of the week.
When some of the women worked out that he was the owner, they went
all out. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d been handed
knickers or had to turn away some of the bolder ones who managed to
slip past the bar and make their way up to his office.
‘So are you gonna message that girl or what?’
Danny went back to Claire’s profile again and
flicked through her other photos. There was one of her standing in
front of the Sydney Opera House and another in an airport, dressed
in her flight attendant’s uniform. In each one, her smile was big,
warm and welcoming, as if she was inviting him personally to send
her a message and make the first move.
‘Yeah, maybe.’
‘Why not. It’s not like you’ve got anything to
lose.’
Danny got up from his desk and opened the small
cabinet in the corner of the office, taking out a bottle of
eighteen year old Japanese whiskey. ‘Drink?’
‘Let me just get this first,’ Joe replied, looking
at his phone. ‘It’s Tasha.’
Danny nodded as Joe stepped outside. A blast of
music and the sound of clinking glasses and laughter shot into the
office from the bar downstairs. Danny sat back at his desk and
poured a shot of whiskey.
He looked back at Claire’s profile. For the first
time since he’d joined Tinder, he’d seen a profile that had given
him an instant, physical and almost chemical reaction and he wasn’t
afraid to admit it sparked a jolt of anxiety. A sex addiction and
Tinder. It sounded like a recipe for disaster but it had been so
long now, surely he had it under control? It felt like he had.
Wasn’t that why he’d gone celibate in the first place?
His dark hair, blue eyes and soft, Irish accent had
always made him successful with women but combined with working in
the hospitality industry, it made pulling almost too easy. Tasha
would have been right to be wary of him had they met a few years
ago. These days, things were very different. He’d refocused his
energy on setting up his own bar after working in pubs for years
and it was doing well. Extremely well. He had a year old, top of
the range Audi A3, he’d bought a one bedroom flat in a new gated
development in West London and he even had a cat. He’d come a long
way but he couldn’t live the celibate life forever and he didn’t
want to.
He knocked back the whiskey, letting the after-burn
warm his insides as it glided down his throat and picked up the
iPad just as a message notification popped up at the top of the
screen.
- Well, well. Now you look like a whole lot of
trouble
Danny grinned as he read Claire’s message. It wasn’t
the first time he’d been told as much, but her greeting was a
marked improvement on the dull, robotic hey most girls seemed
intent on sending.
- Ha! Thanks ;-) You don’t look so innocent
yourself. Always mile high...now that sounds fun
He re-read the message. It sounded light-hearted and
playful, easily matching hers. He pressed send and a minute
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