Untitled by Unknown Author

Smirnoff to give myself something to do. "What have I done?"
          "Nothing." He laughed, and I swear he laughed with an accent. "I assumed you came in alone to wait for a friend, so I figured I'd..."
          Lifting my eyebrows, I lowered the bottle and started to lick my lips. Realizing what I was doing, I paused, felt my cheeks heat up and looked down again while I finished wetting my lips. "Figured you'd...?" I prompted.
          "Figured I'd come and ask for your number before anyone else came and nabbed you."
          Surprise made me cough.
          "Unless you're here to meet a bloke already in which case, I'll be off—"
          "No, no, I'm not here to meet anyone as a matter of fact."
          "A woman who loves alcohol so much she's willing to party solo. I think I've died and gone to heaven."
          Unable to smother a laugh, I explained, "No, no, I was supposed to be meeting someone tonight but I just got a text message. They're not coming."
          "What sorta bloke would bin you?" He shrugged. "Ah well, his loss."
          "Her. Her loss. I was supposed to be going out with a female friend tonight and..." Why I felt the need to clarify this I didn't know. "She got sick, apparently. So I'm just gonna finish this and go."
          "Why don't you come and finish your drink with us? No, on second thought, introducing you to my mates, really bad way of getting your number."
          "Are you always like this?"
          "What, Irish, devilishly handsome and in a pub?" He
    shrugged. "Mostly, yeah. Oh, Leo, by the way."
    "What?"
          "My name. It's Leo." He held out his hand. "So you know what to put in your mobile." It came out mow-boil and made me want to lick my lips again.
          "You're very forceful." I switched the bottle to my left hand and took his. Warm. And... I wanted him to touch me more.
          "But you're not offended."
          "How do you know?"
          "You haven't kicked me in the nuts. That's always a good sign."
          I couldn't help it; his shameless flirting, overt chat-up lines and cocky confidence made me laugh. Or maybe that was the nerves.
          He ran his thumb over the back of my hand before letting it go and my fingers flinched. Touch me again.
          "Can I be honest with you?" He frowned momentarily, bit his lip.
          "Sure. Go ahead."
          "I think you're very attractive and I didn't want to let you leave without asking for your number, that's all. I didn't think to ask if you were with someone or even if you were single. If you're not, then fair enough, but you can't blame a guy for trying."
          Amusing and flattering. A stomach-churning combination. I took a deep breath. Don't do this, Piper. This is such a bad idea. You're in a mess, and— "Yes I am." I really shouldn't have said that.
          "What the hell is wrong with the guys in this town?"
          "I finished with someone a few weeks back." Or that.
          "I always did have excellent timing." He winked. "It's a cliché, but the luck of the Irish really does exist."
          "And I met you in a pub. You're a walking, talking caricature, aren't you?"
          He dug into his trouser pocket, pulled out a mobile phone. "Well before you go, then..."
          Heart pounding, I had to look away for a few seconds. This felt like a bad move and an exciting one all at the same time. But what was I supposed to say to him? You're gorgeous but don't fall in love with me; I'll only break your heart? We'd only just met. Then again, he was a fast mover, so the rules of appropriate social behavior probably didn't apply with Leo whatever-his-surname-was.
          "I've just realized, I don't even know your name."
          "Do you often ask for women's numbers without finding that out?"
          "Only the best-looking ones."
          I choked on my drink, and he laughed