Utterly Forgettable: A Whisky's Novel, #1

By RB Hilliard

When Cathryn Haines finds herself in a financial bind, her stepbrother has the perfect solution: move to Charlotte and work for his best friend.

Zane Mitchell is a wealthy playboy—a never love them, so he doesn't have to leave them kind of guy.

From the minute they meet, sparks fly.

Although she thinks he's an egotistical narcissist and he thinks she's a stuck-up prude, they can't keep their hands off each other.

Neither is looking for a relationship, but in the end, love wins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RB Hilliard
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223422129

Book preview

Chapter Two

Zane

My eyes swam with exhaustion as I tried to focus on the document before me. It was no use. With a growl of frustration, I dropped it onto my desk. Seven days, and I was already falling apart. If this was karma teaching me a lesson, it could stop now. I got it loud and clear. I was an intelligent man with a good head on my shoulders. I made a point to never, and I mean never, be led around by my dick. I hated being manipulated, and I sure as shit wasn’t going to allow some annoying as hell bitch to blackmail me. A loud noise from the bar caught my attention. Pushing back from my desk, I opened my bottom drawer and slid the document inside. Then I went to see what the commotion was about.

Don’t you people understand how gross it is to drink from a glass with someone else’s lip prints on it? How many times do we have to have this discussion? Blake held the glass up to the light so everyone could see the lipstick marks. This is some industrial strength, nasty-as-hell, bacteria-ridden shit. How hard is it to wipe a damn glass off before placing it in the dishwasher? Any other day, Blake’s exasperated tone would humor me. Today, however, I was not in the mood. Today, I was barely treading water. One wrong move, and I would drown in my stupidity. Nodding to a few of the staff, I stepped behind the bar.

Blake Moreno was not only one of my best friends but also co-manager of Whisky’s, the bar I owned. Blake and I served in the Army together. Four years ago, we became tight when we spent time in Belgium.

Don’t let me find this shit again, people. Now get back to whatever you were doing—and could someone please change the music! Blake turned to me and let out a growl of disgust. Is it just me, or do we have a bunch of fucktards working for us?

Both, I agreed and followed it with, I like Eric Church.

I did, too, until I heard this song a million times. Mr. Misunderstood was quickly replaced by JT’s Drink You Away, and Blake sighed, Much better. Now, other than you being a complete moron, what’s got you so riled up? Wait, let me guess. Does it start with the letter B and end with an h?

I gave him a scathing look. I swear you all gossip around here like little schoolgirls. Who told you?

Blake shrugged nonchalantly. Does it matter? What I want to know is why you didn’t tell me. Yes, I would have busted your balls, but I also would have lent you a hand. This happened what, last Friday?

I felt a pang of guilt. He was right. I should have told him. This has been the longest week of my life. I could use some help right now, I confessed. If I have to deal with one more tenant complaint, I’m going to hurt someone.

Who is it this time, Mr. Burnes or Miss Weston?

Miss Weston. The lady has bionic hearing. Whenever I open my front door, she’s standing there. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was stalking me. Blake patted me on the back again, and I felt a pang of guilt. Sighing in frustration, I dropped my elbows to the bar and ran my hands back and forth over my head. I fucked up, Blake.

You more than fucked up, he corrected.

I glared up at him. Thanks for the support, dick. You and Hunter both know how I get when tequila is involved.

Oh, no. You are not blaming this on me. This is all on you. What happened to being professional and keeping it in your pants? Let me guess. Beth just happened to be there when you got home, and oopsie, she accidentally tripped and landed on your dick?

I didn’t blame Blake one bit for being disgusted with me. I deserved it. In a pathetic attempt, I tried to explain. "No, she cornered me at my place after I’d had way too much to drink with you guys and started talking about adjusting her schedule or some shit like that. You know Beth. She’s always playing an angle. I told her it was a bad time to talk. When she wouldn’t shut up, I stumbled into the office to get a piece of paper. I asked her to write down what she wanted, and the next thing I knew, her tongue was in my mouth.

Blake’s eyebrow shot up. Did you consider saying no?

At first, but once she was naked and standing in front of me, all I could think about was getting inside her. I warned her it was a one-time deal, though.

Before or after? he smirked.

I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching. This was not a laughing matter. Both, I answered.

I don’t get it. If she knew the score, why’d she quit?

She wanted to stay the night, and I told her no. She started whining about how used she felt, and I told her she was more than welcome to leave. She then called me names and told me I was emotionally stunted. When I laughed, she told me she was going to sue me for sexual harassment. I told her to fuck off and pointed out the fact that she was the one who jumped me. Then I explained for the thousandth time that I wasn’t interested in a relationship.

Blake snorted. Sounds like extortion to me. I would say you got what you deserved, but I’m not sure that would be true in this case. An upbeat pop song blasted through the speakers, and Blake yelled, Change that shit now! Light from the front door spilled across the bar floor, and we both turned to see who it was.

Hey, hey, don’t be dissing on Stitches. Shawn’s the man, Hunter said as he approached the bar. He caught the unamused look on our faces, and his smile faded. Who died?

Zane slept with Beth the other night, and she quit, Blake blurted. I shot him a dirty look, and he smiled. Dick.

Hunter’s eyes shot to me, and once again, I felt bad. Even though Beth was a pain in my ass, Hunter really liked her. When I explained what happened, he shook his head slowly back and forth and let out a deep sigh, What did I tell you? he asked.

Look, man, I was drunk as hell. Regardless, Beth knew the score. I don’t do relationships. What made her think she was the exception to the rule?

Hunter defensively crossed his arms over his chest. If she knew the score, then why did she quit?

She tried to extort a relationship from him, and he shut her down. When she threatened to sue him, he laughed and told her to fuck off, Blake answered.

I shot him a dirty look. I’m perfectly capable of answering for myself, dickhead.

Beth has been trying to get into your pants since high school. Why now? I could tell by Hunter’s tone he was pissed. This is precisely why I didn’t tell him the second it happened. And what happened to staying professional and keeping it in your pants? he asked. Blake laughed, and I let out another loud sigh. Like a dog with a bone, Hunter was not letting go. Are you sure she really quit? Maybe she’s just taking a break to lick her wounds? His hopeful expression was too much.

Hunter Lake, my other best friend, was third in command at Whisky’s. I hated disappointing him.

I’m sorry, man. She slid the resignation letter under my door and was gone by the time I woke the next morning, I told him.

Damn, that was fast, Blake commented.

I told you I fucked up, I repeated.

When I purchased Riverbend, I clearly had no idea how much shit there was to handle in managing an apartment complex. Loy, the manager, kept everything nice and tidy for me. When he suddenly quit, it went downhill fast. Tenants were a pain in the ass. They found the stupidest things to bitch and moan about. Loy wasn’t even gone a day before I received a visit from my across-the-hall neighbor, Miss Weston. I discovered the hard way that her request for help to find her missing glasses was really code for, I want to touch your package. After four months of moonlighting as apartment manager by day and bar owner by night, I was fucking done. That’s when Bethany Ellis swept in and saved the day.

Bethany, or Beth as we once knew her, appeared at Whisky’s one night with some friends.

Would you look at what the cat dragged in? Hunter nodded at the group of people who had just stepped onto the rooftop patio. I glanced over and immediately spotted Beth in the crowd. Two years our senior, Beth had brains, beauty, and boyfriends—a lot of boyfriends. She looks the same, Hunter murmured. He wasn’t wrong. Her hair was longer, but Beth had managed to maintain her classically beautiful high cheekbones and perfect lips. I couldn’t see her eyes from where I stood, but I didn’t need to. I already knew they were the same gorgeous sapphire blue that had held me captive during my freshman and sophomore years in high school. Did you know she married Brian Shelton?

Gee, why am I not surprised? Hunter chuckled at my sarcastic tone.

Brian Shelton was the king of our high school. He was the jock of all jocks and a complete douche. It figured a girl like Beth would end up with a guy like Brian. We watched Beth scooch her perfect little ass into a booth with her friends.

Rumor has it they just divorced, he said. This was also no surprise. Hunter nudged me with his elbow. Man, I still can’t believe you turned that down.

I watched Beth flirt with the guy sitting next to her and thought back to our senior year and the last time I’d seen her. After years of keeping silent, I finally confessed to Hunter why I refused to sleep with Beth the night before graduation. You remember the rumor that Beth and two of her sorority sisters were tag-teamed by half the football team at Mark Blane’s house the night before graduation? I asked.

I remember high school being one big rumor, Hunter scoffed. He was not wrong. High school was rife with shit and misery. I couldn’t wait to get out and leave it all behind me. Hunter nodded his head toward Beth. There’s no way Beth Ellis allowed that shit to happen.

She not only allowed it, she invited it, I told him.

Bullshit, he huffed.

I would have thought the same thing had I not seen the video with my own damn eyes.

His head jerked in surprise. No shit?

No shit, I confirmed. She brought two friends to town with one thing in mind.

Wow, he mouthed.

Wow was right. As it turned out, my fantasy girl had zero self-respect. I decided long ago I wanted no part of that. I still didn’t. I left Hunter upstairs, staring at Beth and her friends, and returned to The Dungeon.

I didn’t see Beth again that night and had forgotten about our conversation until Hunter brought it up after work. Apparently, Beth had spotted Hunter behind the bar. Over several drinks, she confirmed she was recently divorced and desperately needed a job. When asked what qualifications she had, she explained how she had been a personal assistant to the wife of one of her husband’s colleagues. Unfortunately, the divorce ended the working relationship as well as the friendship.

At Hunter’s insistence, as well as my sheer desperation, I called Beth later that week and told her I was looking for a personal assistant. Halfway through the phone interview, I hired her. She waffled when I told her I also wanted her to manage the apartment complex, so I sweetened the deal by tossing in a rent-free apartment. It was a win-win situation and one she’d be crazy to turn down. She didn’t.

It didn’t take long to realize that hiring Beth was a huge mistake. She was both high maintenance and unmotivated, but she got the job done, and I was desperate. The handful of times she tried to get in my pants, I managed to shut her down successfully. That is, until that fateful tequila night. The worst part about the whole thing? She was a lazy lay. Even in my drunken state, I did all the work. Lesson learned the hard way. Never sleep with the hired help.

Please, at least tell me she was worth the hassle, Blake said. His hopeful expression made me laugh.

Do you see us together? No, you do not. There is a reason for that. Fuck! I pounded my fists on the bar in frustration. I can’t manage the complex by myself again. You have no idea how bad that shit was. I tried not to sound like a whiney bitch but