“Maybe ten or twelve people?” he summed.

“And would you mind if my four friends here attend this gathering?” I asked.

“Sure, they’re welcome. Absolutely,” Cal confirmed.

“You tell me what night, and I’ll grill steaks. How does that sound? Then everyone will be relaxed, happy, and well-fed.”

Ryan slid his foot under my leg. Our legs were touching now under the table and I was hyper-aware of his presence.

“We’ll check everyone’s schedule and get back to you. Is that all right?” Cal asked.

“Sure. Just so you know I have entertainment booked for Friday and Saturday, but we can do a weeknight or Sunday if that suites you. Just give me enough notice so I can get the steaks.”

We played for another hour; Marie started to yawn. “Are you ready? It’s getting late.” She grabbed Gary’s arm and started to pull him up out of his chair.

“Oh man, been sitting too long… my hip hurts,” Gary moaned. “Marie, you’re going to have to get on top tonight!” He grinned.

Ryan and I could not stop laughing.

Everyone started shaking hands and having those brief “it was nice to meet you – see you later” conversations. Cal used his cell phone to call for their driver. I was sad to see the night come to an end; it seemed to fly by so fast with Ryan here.

I walked my friends to the door and locked up behind them. Ryan and Cal would leave by the back door. Cal departed for the bathroom, leaving me all alone with Ryan. I started to clean up.

“I had a really great time tonight.” Ryan smiled and set a few empty glasses on the bar. “Your friends are great.”

“Thanks!” I smiled back. “I’m sorry about the questions though.”

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m glad everyone had fun,” I said, even though I truly meant I was glad that he had fun.

“I’ll call you when we figure out what night we can do this party gathering, okay? Um, so what number should I call?” Ryan asked.

I stopped in my tracks and smiled to myself.

“What number would you like to call?” I asked, knowing what he was truly getting at. I just wanted him to say it.

“I’d like the number that I asked for, but I’m not sure I’m going to get it,” he said. He grinned at me as he took a new Mitchell’s Pub napkin out of the holder and turned it over.

I took a deep breath and picked up the pen next to the register. I questioned my own actions as I wrote my cell phone number down. My friends were the only ones who had my cell number. I justified that he and I were becoming friends too.

Ryan’s smile was huge. “Thank you!” He quickly snatched up the napkin and shoved it in his pocket.

I walked both of them to the back door and Cal thanked me for an excellent evening. He gave me an awkward hug before putting his coat on.

Their car pulled up in the alley and Cal patted Ryan’s arm before heading out the door.

Ryan looked down at me and smiled as he took a step closer. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me in to give me a nice hug.S ensations, long suppressed, rocketed through me when our bodies touched. His body pressed into mine when he hugged me tighter. I allowed myself a moment to appreciate his warmth, his scent, the feel of his back muscles on my hands, the enjoyment this hug gave me.

Ryan’s hand gently cradled the back of my head, his fingers slipped into my hair. He kissed me softly on my forehead; his lips lingered for an extra second or two before he released our embrace.

“I’ll see you soon,” he whispered softly, took a few steps back, and slipped out the back door.

Chapter 5 – Connections

“So, did he try to kiss you last night?” Marie breathed in my ear.

“No.” I shook my head, annoyed that she even asked. “You promised!” I reminded her.

“Yeah, I know. I’m not pushing! I just wanted to know if that’s the reason you’re finally smiling. So he didn’t try to kiss you?”

I opened a new case of bottled beer. “No. He didn’t kiss me… on my lips.” I trailed the last part of my sentence hoping she wouldn’t catch it.

She started to jump up and down. “Come on! I’m dying here!”

“He gave me a hug, okay?” I quietly muttered. “And he sort of kissed my forehead.” I shrugged it off and continued to put more bottles into the cooler.

“Remember, you can’t say anything to anyone about them being here. I’m not going to have my pub and my friends involved in any media circus.