A Bar Tender Tale Read Online Free Page A

about?”

    A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 24

    “Um….” Nathan tried to think of the best response. If he said Gary was busy sleeping, this gorgeous creature might leave.
    “Um, he’s just upstairs,” Nathan said, which was the truth after all. “What can I get for you?” It was on the tip of his tongue to offer something more suggestive, but he decided against the flirty banter for now.
    If this man was asking for Gary then it was likely he was straight as a ruler, and there was no point scaring away the only decent bit of scenery Nathan was likely to get today.
    “All right….” Mr. Handsome frowned slightly in thought as he scanned the pumps at the bar. “Let’s have a John Smith’s.”
    “Sure,” Nathan answered, dying to add on a provocative line about pumps but thought better of it.
    He didn’t miss the opportunity, however, to drape himself against Mr. Handsome’s would-be pint glass and work that pump seductively. Pulling pints like this had always seemed amusingly suggestive to Nathan. He just hoped Mr. Handsome was appreciating his hard work; that pint barely had a bubble of foam on it.
    The smile he got when Mr. Handsome received his pint was worth the effort.
    “Very nice,” he commented.
    Nathan was sure he was only referring to his drink, but he smiled back all the same. He almost said “Have it on the house,” then remembered he wasn’t behind his own bar.
    Nathan rang it through the till and held his hand out for the A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 25
    money. He felt a spark of electricity when Mr. Handsome’s fingers touched his own.
    Wow, calm down, Nathan told himself, throwing the money in and slamming the till shut. He took a deep breath before turning back and busying himself at the bar, finding small jobs to do that would keep him close by. He was elated to see that Mr. Handsome had sat down on a bar stool almost directly opposite. He seemed relaxed and friendly, not to mention gorgeous….
    “So I haven’t seen you working here before?” Nathan was pleased that he'd kept the conversation open. Although the man might just feel sorry for him on his own. After all, the only other customer sitting at the bar was the grizzly old man at the far end. The other meager customers of the pub were sitting at the tables, muttering about how loud the music was today.
    “Yeah, I’m not really working,” Nathan said. “I mean I am, but I’m just doing Gaz a favor. I work in another bar.”
    “Oh right.” Mr. Handsome frowned. “I thought you said Gaz was upstairs?”
    “Yeah, he is…. He just had to do something,” Nathan thought fast. “He’ll be down soon.”
    “Ah, right.” Mr. Handsome nodded. “I’m Auryn, by the way.”
    “Sorry?”
    “Auryn,” he said again. “Like aw-rin, right? It’s Welsh.”
    “Yeah, I guessed that. I can hear your accent. Just a bit, I mean,” Nathan babbled. “It’s nice. Not as strong as Gaz’s….
    Not that his isn’t nice. Oh, you know what I mean.” A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 26

    “Do I?”
    Nathan tried to read his look, caught in those dark eyes.
    Auryn seemed perfectly calm, and the faint smile seemed genuine. Nathan decided the best he could do was to keep talking.
    “So are you from Denbigh as well?”
    “Ah yes,” Auryn smiled. “Good old Denbigh. I went to school with Gaz and his brother, you know.”
    “Really? Any stories?”
    “Oh, millions!”
    Nathan decided that he really liked looking at the man in front of him. When he caught himself staring at Auryn for slightly too long he tried to snap himself out of it. “Um, so any you’d care to dish? Dirt on Gaz is always good.” Auryn waved his hand as he took a sip of his pint.
    Placing the glass back on the bar he said, “Oh, I don’t want to talk about Gaz! I’d much rather talk about your amazing T-shirt.”
    Nathan glanced down to remind himself what he was wearing. Oh right, the Must Eat Brains one.
    “This?” he grinned like a