Hot Bartender: City Complications Series, #3

By Tara Kennedy

Louise's fast fingers and social media savvy have her spreading the story of a first date gone weird on social media.  But every story needs a good ending.  And Louise just told the world that she's dating the bartender now.
Except Louise doesn't really remember doing that. Oops. But he is nice. And hot.
Zane has been watching Louise have a series of first dates that all end with her chatting with him at the bar. Can he convince her he's just the change of pace she needs?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Talkapedia Press
• Release date: Sep 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393902928

Book preview

Chapter 1

Nate Schultz didn’t sound like the name of a serial killer. However, forty minutes into the twelfth date of Louise Daniels’ at least one date a month resolution, Louise Daniels knew two things. The staff at Circle Tavern where she’d scheduled all these dates were friendly and they made a great whiskey sour. This Nate, sitting across the table from her, checking his phone yet again, he was not going to be the one to help her achieve her second goal, get to a fourth date with someone.

Louise sipped her drink and decided to make one last attempt to create some conversation. As a communications and social media manager, this was supposed to be her forte. But crafting client communications was so much easier than figuring out dating communication.

Nate scanned the Friday night crowd.

Louise waited for him to look back at her. So what do you do for fun?

Huh? Oh fun. Well, I watch TV, I play video games, and I like dogs. He nodded looking down at his food.

Louise nodded. All of those things had been in his profile. Do you have a dog?

No, not right now. My parents got a dog when I was in high school, but he died last year.

Oh, I’m sorry, Louise said. This had gotten dark fast.

He was old. Nate shrugged. He checked his phone.

Louise wondered where the glimmers of personality had gone. Early on he had smiled, and she had, for a few moments, been sure she had some skill in picking dates for herself.

He looked at her and his expression had Louise shifting back in her chair, feeling like a new turn lay ahead. That wasn’t an appreciative date vibe in his eyes at all.

Louise, I’ve enjoyed chatting with you, Nate said seriously, but I think we’re going to work better as friends.

Oh. Okay. Louise was confused. She agreed. But she thought it was at least customary to wait for the check before making such declarations. She tried to catch the waitress’s attention.

It was very nice to meet you. Nate held out his hand, and Louise shook it.

Nate kept looking at her, like he was confused she was still sitting there. His phone buzzed and he looked down at it.

Louise signaled the waitress Jayla. Hey, Jayla, she said, Can you wrap us up? I’m going to go over to the bar. The date was a dud, but at least Louise and the bartender Zane could catch up on hockey so that this night wasn’t a total bust. And she had definitely earned another whiskey sour.

Jayla placed the check on the table.

A blonde woman with bright pink lipstick stopped in front of their table. You’re Nate, right?

He nodded. Oh, are you Eva? You’re, he checked his phone, a little early. He glanced over at Louise. This is my friend Louise. We were just finishing up. He made a sound that may have been intended as a chuckle.

Okay then. Louise glanced over at the waitress Jayla and was relieved to see a similar WTF expression in her eyes. No chemistry boring date was one thing, but no chemistry boring date had a plan B booked for the same evening, was next level ridiculous.

Louise smiled at Eva, stuffed some cash in the billfold on the table, and got up. Nice to meet you, Eva.

Louise moved to the bar and raised an eyebrow at the bartender Zane who tipped his head back and held up a whiskey bottle. She nodded. Who needed a boyfriend when you could work on a relationship with your bartender instead? The people at Circle Tavern had been more reliable than any of the folks she’d dated this year.

Zane placed her drink in front of her, put his forearms on the bar, and leaned close enough for her to hear him over the Friday noise. So, clearly that was a dud like last night’s goalie, but what’s with the substitution?

Louise shrugged. Her name’s Eva, and yeah, he friendzoned me and then told her she was early, so not sure.

He friendzoned you? Zane said.

Louise was ridiculously gratified to hear the way Zane leaned on the words he and you, indicating he felt the reverse should have been the case. Louise wanted to be above such petty things, but she would need to work on herself more. She glanced over at Eva and Nate. There weren’t any signs that the chemistry was going better for them. Mentally shrugging it off, she turned back to Zane. The goalie was good enough to stuff your precious Domes.

Minor setback, Zane said. Besides we play the Piranhas tonight.

Stupid Piranhas. Louise lived in DC, but she wasn’t giving up her North Carolina loyalties, so she was a Panthers fan. Zane on the other hand had grown up here in the DC area, so he was a Domes fan. But they were united in their dislike of the Pennsylvania teams.

I’ll be back, Zane said. Signal me when you need another. He tapped her glass and started filling drink orders.

Louise should go home after this drink. She could get up early and make more plans tomorrow. Lists, plans, and spreadsheets were how she kept track of everything both job related and personal. You couldn’t achieve a balanced life if you didn’t track it. But going back to the tiny apartment she shared with her roommate Darsana did not appeal.

Darsana had just gotten back from a trip, so there would be a whirlwind of dirty dishes and random crap piled up on the living room floor. And she’d be having sex with her boyfriend Farad and they’d have the whole apartment smelling like a pungent mix of weed, sex, and leftover food.

Here Louise could talk hockey and try very hard to not mention boy bands with Zane. She’d discovered hockey talk made him smile and bring her more drinks quickly. Boy band talk got her the fake just-any-old-customer smile. His dark brown eyes glinted when it was a real smile. She liked that smile. So maybe she’d stay for one more drink and then some water before she went home. It was still happy hour.

So, hey. The waitress Jayla slid into the space between Louise and the messenger bag sitting in the next barstool. So your guy-

Not mine. Louise shook her head.

Has got another date waiting at the door.

Louise tipped her head. Wait, so me, then Eva and... she looked over towards the front but there were too many people for her to see more than the tops of people’s heads.

And date number three, Jayla said. You want to warn her off?

Oh hell yeah. Louise tossed back the last of her drink, made her way through the bar and spotted the hostess Cady talking earnestly to a woman with dark shiny hair.

What to say to your date’s date? Straightforward seemed the way to go. I’m Louise, are you here to see Nate?

Yes, I’m May.

Hi, May. So, this is weird, but I was also on a date with Nate tonight, and he’s now with his second date, so, yeah. That was far less eloquent and a little more rhymey than she expected of herself, but it would have to do.

So, wait, you’re dating him too? May asked.

Well, I was on a first date with him tonight from, Louise checked her phone, about six to six forty-five. Then he friendzoned me when Eva showed up. That’s who he’s with now.

Oh, May nodded, I see. I was scheduled for just drinks at 7:30. I guess I put on these cute shoes for nothing.

Louise looked down at May’s low-heeled boots. They are great shoes. But, if you want, the bartender here is nice, you can come hang with me.

That sounds great, May said.

Oh, Louise said, Cady, if there’s a date number four?

The hostess rolled her eyes. Gimme your number. I’ll text you directly.

May checked her phone. Date number four is probably scheduled for 8:15. If he’s sticking to forty-five minute blocks.

Louise led May over to her seat at the bar. The two dudes seated next to her had shifted down a seat, but the bag was still there. Do you mind if we move this so my friend can sit? Louise asked.

Sure thing, The short-haired scruffy dude slid the bag into the hook underneath the bar and May smiled and took the stool.

So where is he? May asked.

Louise pointed to Nate. Date number 2 Eva stood, and Louise just went with her gut and walked over. Hey, Eva, I’m sitting at the bar with Nate’s other date if you want to join us.

Eva looked confused but she followed Louise to the bar. Eva, this is May, she was supposed to be Nate’s third date tonight. I’m Louise. I know we met earlier, but I was date one.

Oh, May said, I should probably text him that I’m not coming. May tapped on her phone then glanced back at Nate. He picked up his phone, frowned at it, looked over in their direction and frowned again.

Zane slid another drink to Louise. What can I get you ladies?

House cider, May said.

Oh, could I just get a water? Eva said.

Zane nodded.

The two dudes slid down one more seat and presented Eva with a barstool. Oh, thank you, Eva smiled and nodded in appreciation before sliding carefully onto the stool.

Eva’s voice had a tinge of the Carolinas, reminding Louise of where she’d grown up.

So, Eva angled herself towards May and Louise, did you say you were both here to have a date with Nate?

Yeah, Louise nodded.

May nodded and then shook her head. Men suck.

Zane slid the cider across the bar to May, face impassive. Louise smiled at him.

I mean you seem nice, May said to Zane, picking up her cider. At least not like you’re trying to set a record for the most first dates in a single night.

So, this was all y’all‘s first date with him too? Eva asked.

Louise nodded. May did too.

I met him on Scoop, Louise added.

Me too, May said.

Yeah, my mom read an article that all the best millennials were falling in love there, so she made me sign up, Eva said. Do we think maybe he’s really a reporter doing a story on dating in DC or something?

Nate still sat, hovering over his phone. Louise sipped her drink and played back what Eva had said. Eva, you’re a genius. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Louise pulled out her phone and made sure she had her personal social media account up, and not the work account. I need a hashtag.

Nate the serial dater, May said.

Lol. Too long. No date Nate? That’s still long, but we’ll go with it.

She started typing. Normally she would compose the whole thread in one document and carefully break it out for maximum effect. Maybe it was the whiskey sours, but she wasn’t bothering with any of that crap tonight.

"So, I went on a first date tonight. It was dull. Until his second date showed up.

He told her I was his friend and I moved to the bar. #NoDateNate

45 minutes later, date 3 showed up. Hostess told me instead of him.

So now we’re all drinking together at the bar. Waiting to see if there’s a date 4. #NoDateNate"

We need a selfie. Louise held up her phone and they squished together. She added the picture to the thread.

Her phone buzzed before she could put it down with a text.

Cady at Circle: Number four is here.

There is a number four! Louise said a little too loudly. We should get her.

Maybe just me, May said. Don’t want to overwhelm her. May patted Louise’s shoulder, slid off the barstool, and made her way to the front.

Wait, there’s really another? Eva asked. She turned back and looked over at Nate. Are we sure he’s not a reporter?

Did he tell you he was a reporter? Louise asked. Right now she kind of couldn’t remember what Nate had said he did. But she would have remembered reporter.

No, but if he was doing a story, he wouldn’t say that anyway, right?

I think he has to if he wants to use us in a story, Louise said.

I guess so. Eva frowned.

Wait, this is you right? the scruffy blonde dude asked sliding his phone across the bar at her. He had her tweet thread up.

Yep, Louise said.

So which one is Nate? The blonde and his friend both turned their heads to look where she pointed. That dude? The one with the blue shirt?

Louise nodded.

He seemed nice, Eva said.

May snorted. Next to her was a girl with brown skin and long cascading curls. This is Brianna, she also met Nate through Scoop. Brianna, Louise was date 1, Eva was date 2, and I was 3. And if you must know, Nate is that guy over there.

Brianna shook her long curls back, gave a cursory glance in the direction of Nate. I knew I should have stuck to dating girls.

Some men are delightful, the blonde dude said pushing his barstool over to her. Here, you guys have had a night.

Thanks, Brianna said.

Zane came over. Are you lucky lady four, or are you all adopting all the pretty ladies that come through the door now?

I am number four, Brianna smiled. Not sure about lucky though. Unless you mean lucky escape. Can I get a vodka cranberry?

Zane nodded.

Oh, Louise said, I need to update the thread. And we need another selfie. They squished together and took another picture. Louise glanced over and Nate was still hunched over his phone. Does he know you’re not coming?

Fuck him, Brianna said.

Or don’t, really, May said.

Zane handed Brianna her drink. She clinked May’s cider before she took a sip. Cheers to that. But fine, I’ll officially ditch him. Brianna grabbed her phone and fired off some emphatic words if the sound of furious tapping was any indication.

Louise leaned back to watch Nate at his table. The crowd in the bar had picked up, so her angle on him wasn’t as clear. But he was still there, hanging onto the table even as others hovered in the aisle with their drinks.

What time is it? Louise realized she had a phone that told time. Duh. He couldn’t have a 9:15 date, right? No one would agree to that time?

Unless they had another date tonight also, May said.

Do people do that a lot here? Eva asked.

Not really, Louise said. She didn’t have the data on that. But no one else had been suggesting odd date times to her. And if her replies were any indication, the internet agreed this was weird.

It’s a first for me, May said. She held her cider up in salute before taking a sip.

Zane came back, leaned towards Eva, Still sticking with water?

Yeah, I have an early morning tomorrow. But thank you. Eva smiled.

If ever a night called for alcohol, May said.

Hey, don’t peer pressure her, Brianna said.

I’m just saying. May held up her hands in surrender.

Brianna looked over at Louise. So, you’re taking point on the social media with this?

I guess, yeah, I tweeted it.

Brianna nodded. Good. Did you get a picture of him?

No. Louise wondered why that hadn’t occurred to her.

No, May said, we are not giving him the satisfaction of being able to be all, I got four girls to agree to go out with me, I’m such a man.

Oh, Eva said, I’m sure he was just trying to be... she trailed off, unable to complete that sentence.

Nate got up, threw money down on the table, and hurried out.

I guess four was it. Louise’s phone buzzed. Her fingers were slick enough that it took a few tries to unlock the screen. She read the DM and chuckled. Number five is outside. My tweet got RT’d into her feed and she realized her date for tonight was named Nate too.

Tell her it’s safe to come inside now, Brianna said.

Louise DM’d back.

Hi, a blue-haired girl said, you’re Louise?

Yes! Louise could tell she was a bit loud even for a bar on Friday night, so she lowered her voice. I was girl number one. This is Eva, May, and Brianna.

May and Brianna raised their drinks in salute. Eva smiled.

So, I guess I’m glad you like twitter because, yeah, I would not have wanted to find out tomorrow that I was part of some mad social experiment. Blue-haired girl put a hand on her forehead. Although, wow, foot in mouth, I guess that’s what we’ve all discovered. Bartender please bring me your finest wine so I can stop making a fool of myself.

Louise looked back and saw Zane standing there again. This really was the best bar ever.

Red or white? he asked.

Red like the blood of my enemies, the new girl said.

"I like