bar.
“Nate man,” the barman exclaimed, giving Nate a powerful hug and slapping him on the back. “It’s good to see you. Where have you been hiding? Eh?”
“I’ve been in America for six months Ben. Don’t worry, I would never abandon you,” he winked.
America? What the hell would he be doing over there? His career must have really taken off.
Nate turned to introduce me. “Ben, this is Olivia. Liv, this is Benny. The namesake for this place.”
Taking my hand in a firm grasp, Benny lifted it to his lips. “It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman.” He beamed with a twinkle in his eye. “You need to keep this one Nate, such an exquisite smile.”
Nate took my hand back and with a wink and a grin, he asked Benny for a table. He led us over to a booth in the corner and I slid in as Nate wedged his large frame into the opposite bench. “Here’s the menu,” Benny smiled, passing us each a leather bound folder. “Would you like a drink while you choose?”
“A bottle of chardonnay, please Benny,” Nate acknowledged, raising his eyebrows at me in a query. Nodding desperately at Benny in confirmation to Nate’s choice, I silently wished the man would hurry up with the damn wine. I needed alcohol before my nerves gave way.
“Still enjoy the odd glass then, Liv?” Nate questioned with a smirk when Benny retreated to fetch our wine.
“Ha, of course,” I scoffed. “Wine and Haribos have always been a constant in my life.”
He picked up his menu and ran his fingers over the gold embossed lettering, tracing each letter with a stern expression. “What else is a constant in your life, Liv? Married? Partner? Kids?” he probed, searching my face.
“Divorced, no and yes,” I answered honestly and evasively to the three questions. “You?” I queried, quickly bringing the conversation round to him.
“No, no and no,” he answered frankly.
“Oh, I expected you to be married by now.”
“Nope,” he spoke bluntly with a pop of the ‘P,’ looking directly at me.
Benny came over with our wine and to take our order. Pouring the wine into my glass Nate continued with his interrogation. “So, how long have you been divorced?”
Gulping my wine, I glanced around the room for a distraction. “Ten years,” I answered with a shrug.
“Wow, that long? No current interests?” he probed further.
Sighing loudly I shook my head. “Nope,” I said with a pop of the ‘P.’ “So, how long have you been friends with Peterson?” I asked quickly to change the subject away from me.
He looked at me puzzled. “Friends?” he asked. “I’d hardly call us friends.” He tilted his head to one side. “He’s your boss. What do you make of him? Be honest,” he added with a laugh.
“Well, let’s see. He doesn’t like me. He’s rude, arrogant and very full of himself.”
“I find it hard to believe he doesn’t like you, Liv. How can he not?” He smiled lightly, his eyes sparkling.
Taking another large mouthful of wine, I sneered. “Because he told me to get drunk to help ‘loosen up my tight thighs,’ so I told him to ‘Go fuck himself’ but in more polite terms.”
Nate’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline as he pursed his lips. I noticed his finger twitch rapidly against the tablecloth. He nodded his head once. “Really?” he said, more of a statement than a question.
He went quiet for a while, his face tight with anger and fortunately our meal arrived.
As I picked at my salad Nate looked deep in thought so I remained quiet until he suddenly looked up and grinned at me. “You don’t fancy Simon then?” he teased. “Everybody else seems to. He’s good looking and wealthy.”
I gagged on my food and stared at him. “What sort of question is that?” I asked, perplexed. “No, I don’t fancy Peterson, Nate. Anyway, I’m off men completely.”
It was Nate’s turn to choke now. “You’ve never turned gay, Liv?”
Laughing full on at his wide eyes, I drained my glass and
“Nate man,” the barman exclaimed, giving Nate a powerful hug and slapping him on the back. “It’s good to see you. Where have you been hiding? Eh?”
“I’ve been in America for six months Ben. Don’t worry, I would never abandon you,” he winked.
America? What the hell would he be doing over there? His career must have really taken off.
Nate turned to introduce me. “Ben, this is Olivia. Liv, this is Benny. The namesake for this place.”
Taking my hand in a firm grasp, Benny lifted it to his lips. “It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman.” He beamed with a twinkle in his eye. “You need to keep this one Nate, such an exquisite smile.”
Nate took my hand back and with a wink and a grin, he asked Benny for a table. He led us over to a booth in the corner and I slid in as Nate wedged his large frame into the opposite bench. “Here’s the menu,” Benny smiled, passing us each a leather bound folder. “Would you like a drink while you choose?”
“A bottle of chardonnay, please Benny,” Nate acknowledged, raising his eyebrows at me in a query. Nodding desperately at Benny in confirmation to Nate’s choice, I silently wished the man would hurry up with the damn wine. I needed alcohol before my nerves gave way.
“Still enjoy the odd glass then, Liv?” Nate questioned with a smirk when Benny retreated to fetch our wine.
“Ha, of course,” I scoffed. “Wine and Haribos have always been a constant in my life.”
He picked up his menu and ran his fingers over the gold embossed lettering, tracing each letter with a stern expression. “What else is a constant in your life, Liv? Married? Partner? Kids?” he probed, searching my face.
“Divorced, no and yes,” I answered honestly and evasively to the three questions. “You?” I queried, quickly bringing the conversation round to him.
“No, no and no,” he answered frankly.
“Oh, I expected you to be married by now.”
“Nope,” he spoke bluntly with a pop of the ‘P,’ looking directly at me.
Benny came over with our wine and to take our order. Pouring the wine into my glass Nate continued with his interrogation. “So, how long have you been divorced?”
Gulping my wine, I glanced around the room for a distraction. “Ten years,” I answered with a shrug.
“Wow, that long? No current interests?” he probed further.
Sighing loudly I shook my head. “Nope,” I said with a pop of the ‘P.’ “So, how long have you been friends with Peterson?” I asked quickly to change the subject away from me.
He looked at me puzzled. “Friends?” he asked. “I’d hardly call us friends.” He tilted his head to one side. “He’s your boss. What do you make of him? Be honest,” he added with a laugh.
“Well, let’s see. He doesn’t like me. He’s rude, arrogant and very full of himself.”
“I find it hard to believe he doesn’t like you, Liv. How can he not?” He smiled lightly, his eyes sparkling.
Taking another large mouthful of wine, I sneered. “Because he told me to get drunk to help ‘loosen up my tight thighs,’ so I told him to ‘Go fuck himself’ but in more polite terms.”
Nate’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline as he pursed his lips. I noticed his finger twitch rapidly against the tablecloth. He nodded his head once. “Really?” he said, more of a statement than a question.
He went quiet for a while, his face tight with anger and fortunately our meal arrived.
As I picked at my salad Nate looked deep in thought so I remained quiet until he suddenly looked up and grinned at me. “You don’t fancy Simon then?” he teased. “Everybody else seems to. He’s good looking and wealthy.”
I gagged on my food and stared at him. “What sort of question is that?” I asked, perplexed. “No, I don’t fancy Peterson, Nate. Anyway, I’m off men completely.”
It was Nate’s turn to choke now. “You’ve never turned gay, Liv?”
Laughing full on at his wide eyes, I drained my glass and
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