Chapter Text
Beth Marks was a planner. She was responsible. Beth Marks was dependable and reliable and always there for you in a pinch. Beth Marks could be counted on. Beth Marks was smart and cautious and predictable.
Beth Marks was over it.
At twenty-six, Beth was tired of being the adult she was forced to be for as far back as she could remember. And when did this epiphany hit her? About an hour ago when her boyfriend of ten - yes, ten - years decided to propose.
What kind of person did it make her that she hadn't even expected it? When Dean had told her to dress up for their date that evening she had done so without question. Sure, it was slightly out of the ordinary but he'd been doing well at Boland Motors and she had just recently quit her boring, corporate job in Human Resources to focus on her own small business. She had started an Etsy shop a few years ago with handmade quilts and it had grown exponentially. With the popularity of Facebook and Instagram over the last few years business was booming. People would send her memorabilia, photos, and drawings and she would use those cherished items to make extravagant quilts, pillows, and clothing - really, whatever the client requested. She almost found it hard to believe that she had been able to turn her passion of sewing into a job that made her money but, here she was.
The point was, they sort of had something to celebrate so while in hind sight the instruction to dress up was suspicious at the time it hadn’t been.
If you had asked her this morning she would have said that life was near perfect. Sure, sometimes she got the feeling that something was missing but who didn't? She had a doting boyfriend, a close relationship with her sister, the same best friend from high school and a career she loved that also paid the bills. Things were good.
And then Dean had gone and proposed in a crowded, public, French restaurant no less and suddenly things did not seem so great. In an instant, as a nervous, babbling Dean removed a ring box from his pocket and moved to get down on one knee, her entire world tilted on it's axis. Everything she thought she knew - every feeling she thought she felt - evaporated and suddenly she just could.not.breathe.
She had looked at Dean as though she was listening but in reality she hadn't heard a word he'd said. He had to prompt her back to reality after he'd made his proposal - and when she saw those puppy dog eyes and that big, goofy grin she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She pushed her chair back so quickly that it had knocked the one behind her but she couldn't find it in her to care. She'd rushed to the bathroom and although she'd never experienced a panic attack before she was pretty certain it had to feel something like this.
Sure, they'd talked about marriage. For some reason though it had never seemed within reach. Marriage had always felt so distant, but maybe that was because they had been together for so long and once upon a time it had been far off. One second your graduating from high school the next you're in your late 20's and marriage is a thing you should be considering.
It should have been on her radar, she realized now, but she'd been content with the way things were. She and Dean rented a small, two bedroom house in the Ferndale area of Detroit. Annie was in her last year of nursing school at Wayne State and Ruby and Stan lived ten minutes away, newly pregnant with their first child. She'd never known her father and her relationship with her mother was strained on a good day but she was used to that. Life was on track and settled and she should have been waiting for the other shoe to drop but she hadn't been prepared.
Why hadn't she considered the fact that Dean might be ready to take that next step? Why hadn't they discussed the future more? Had it just been assumed? Had Dean even considered the fact that she might say no ? How had responsible, dependable Beth let it get to this point?
It had taken her longer than probably appropriate to pull herself together in the tiny, single stall bathroom and it wasn't until she heard Dean knocking on the door, calling her name, that she looked into the mirror. Her eyes were red, face blotchy and the black of her mascara had begun to rub off under her eyes. Her stomach was in knots and she dreaded having to open the door and face the man she knew better than anyone. This was the man that had supported her and cared for her and loved her without question for years. This was the man she shared a home with, a life with, and she had to go out there and tell him that she couldn't marry him and worse - she didn’t want to marry him.
She knew he'd be surprised. She knew he was probably confused. She didn't blame him - why shouldn't he be completely thrown off by her reaction? There had been nothing in their life, in their relationship, that might indicate she wasn't completely committed to him forever. But - when she'd seen that ring box, when she'd seen him go down to his knee she had just suddenly known.
A decade spent together down the drain because of a gut feeling. He had been her first everything. First kiss, first boyfriend, first date, first time, first love. Could she really go through life having kissed only one guy? She supposed she could. She supposed she wouldn't be the first to do it nor the last but...shouldn't she be more sure?
At the moment, she wished she could call her best friend Ruby to get her opinion. She'd weigh the pros and cons with her. She'd even take Annie's opinion at this point although she knew exactly what her sister would say - "no fucking way do you marry that turd."
"Bethie?" She heard come from behind the door again and he sounded so resigned, so unsure, so pathetic and her heart broke.
She attempted to compose herself. She brushed her hair with her fingers, wiped the smudged makeup from under her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened the door to do something she might very well regret.
***
An hour later, Beth found herself wandering the downtown section of Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit that she and Dean often frequented on the weekends. She had sent Dean home without her - she didn't know where she went from here, all she knew was that she had just done the hardest thing in her entire life and she needed to be alone. She could have - probably should have - called her best friend or sister but she wasn't ready. Her heart told her she had made the right decision but her head wasn't ready to make it official.
She came up to a bar, Flip, the massive sign read over her head. It was a bar she had passed a million times but never entered. It was a modern looking place, a place she most likely would not fit in and for that reason alone it was perfect. Besides, the one thing she was sure of was that she needed a drink.
The place was busy but not overly so and she easily found a seat at the bar. It was pushing ten o'clock on a Saturday night and she wondered where she'd sleep tonight.
"What can I get you?" Came a gritty voice from in front of her. She looked up and met the gaze of the bartender and her stomach flipped. He was...gorgeous. Her mouth went dry, her throat tightened and her hands shook. What the actual fuck?
She cleared her throat and ordered herself to get a grip. How was it possible for one night to completely change the entire course of your life? Her reaction to the man in front of her had to be an aftershock from the Hell she'd just experienced. Did she even know how to function as a person that was not connected to Dean?
She shook her head to clear her mind and opened her mouth to order her usual glass of Pinot Grigio. Before she could get the words out he interrupted.
"Let me guess - Rosé? Chardonnay?" He suggested throwing a paper coaster and napkin in front of her.
She glared but tilted her head to the side to study him. What must he think of her? She knew what she must have looked like to him. She looked younger than her age and to him she probably looked like an innocent, church-going good girl with her long, strawberry blond hair, basic makeup and dainty gold necklace. The little, black dress she wore in and of itself could have come across as slightly sexy, especially with the way it extenuated her curves, but the cardigan she wore over it ruined any sex appeal she had going for her. She'd always been happy with her body, if not slightly embarrassed by her larger than average breasts, but she'd never been one to show off what she had. She'd never cared to.
The bartender held her gaze, a smirk securely in place and she suddenly felt the need to be someone else - or maybe, as she'd soon come to discover - the need to be the Beth she'd been keeping tucked away.
"Bourbon." She ordered attempting to sound more confident than she felt before adding, "Please."
His eyebrows shot up at her request but his smirk only grew. She noticed, not for the first time, as she stared back at him in an attempt to look all-knowing and confident, that he was handsome. Not classically so - more than handsome he was just plain hot. She didn't often notice the opposite sex. She supposed it mostly had to do with the fact that she'd been in a relationship for years but she'd just never cared to ogle the male species, maybe because her younger sister did enough ogling for the both of them.
His hair was buzzed short, his eyes dark, his skin golden and tan. He was older than her but only by a few years if she had to guess. She moved her eyes downwards and stopped at the large, bird tattoo that covered the majority of his neck. She'd never cared for tattoos one way or the other but on him it just worked and she found herself wanting to get a closer look. He was tall and lean but muscular and if she had to conjure up the complete opposite person from Dean, this guy would be close.
"You ever even had bourbon?" His voice pulled her from her thoughts and she blushed when she realized he had been aware of her perusal. She could tell he was amused by her and that annoyed her.
"Yep."
"Got a preference?"
"The best you've got." Because, no, obviously she didn't have a preference. She'd literally never even uttered the word bourbon let alone drank it.
The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile but he turned to the lineup of bottles behind him. She chewed on her lip as she watched him grab a bottle and pour the amber liquid into a glass.
He turned back to her and placed the drink onto the coaster in front of her.
"Thanks." She mumbled, reaching out to take the glass from where he'd placed it. She touched her lips lightly to the tumbler and sipped. And she really tried not to grimace at the taste and she tried not to flinch at the burn in her throat as the liquid slid down but, holy shit, have you ever even tried bourbon? She had to assume it was an acquired taste because it was literally the most disgusting thing she had ever tasted.
She shivered, much to her chagrin, and placed the drink down in front of her. She lifted her eyes to meet his and the smug look staring back at her was enough to push her over the edge.
"I'm good here, thanks." She said, lacing her fingers together atop the bar, dismissing him.
"You waitin' on someone?" He asked, not taking the hint. There was an empty stool beside her but no she definitely was not waiting on anyone.
She shook her head and lowered her eyes to her hands.
"What's a girl like you doing here all by herself on a Saturday night?" He asked. He leaned down against the bar and the movement brought him closer to her. His hands were clasped in front of him and she'd never particularly noticed a person's hands but his seemed so...capable.
She wanted to ask him what kind of girl he thought she was exactly but stopped herself. Even though he annoyed her (that was mostly her own fault) and even though he seemed older than her and wiser and more experienced and so not her type she was intrigued by him. She'd been singled for a total of seventy three minutes at this point so why wouldn't she be attracted to the first guy she met? Especially a guy so not Dean.
She turned her head to the right and then the left. The place was crowded but not packed and there were two other people behind the bar also filling drinks. She supposed she was stuck with him for the moment because she wasn't rude, she wouldn't ask him to go away, and to be honest, she didn't want him to. Whether it was simply because she didn't want to be alone or because she wanted to spend more time being the center of his attention, she wasn't sure.
"You really don't want to know." She mumbled finally answering his question and she forced herself to take another sip of the drink in front of her. It wasn't quite as bad as the first time around but yeah, still not great.
"Boss!" Someone called from the other end of the bar and she turned her attention in the direction it came from. The man in front of her stood up and she realized that he was the boss.
He glanced at her before walking away and she sighed. Better that way, she thought. She needed to drown herself in her sorrows anyways. She reached for the cell phone she had placed in front of her earlier and noticed a text from Dean and a text from Ruby. She opened Ruby's first:
How was dinner? You guys still coming over tomorrow for brunch?
She bit her lip and contemplated how to respond. She'd rather tell Ruby what had happened in person. If she texted her she'd want the details now and Beth wasn't sure she was ready for that. She did, however, need a place to stay tonight (and probably the foreseeable future for that matter).
Not great. Mind if I come sleepover tonight?
She considered ignoring the text from Dean but she had been the one to break his heart - the least she could do was answer him.
Can you please just come home so we can talk?
She sighed and groaned. She placed the phone down onto the bar and dropped her head into her hands but not before taking a generous sip from her drink - practically draining the glass. It was getting easier to handle or maybe she was just getting desperate.
"Need a refill?" She heard from in front of her. Her head popped up and her eyes met his. She already felt a buzz in her head and a warmth in her belly from the alcohol. Smart, responsible Beth would say no to more but -
"Yes, please," She answered simultaneously pushing the glass towards him. Her phone buzzed and she saw Ruby's reply:
Of course. What happened?
Explain tomorrow. Don't wait up for me. I'll use my key.
She'd leave it at that for now. She also sent a response to Dean to let him know they'd talk tomorrow. She moved to put her phone into her purse, effectively cutting off all communication for the time being.
Hot bartender/boss returned with her refill and she was proud of herself for her non-reaction to the burn this time around as she sipped. His eyes gleamed and she smiled back at him for the first time since she'd arrived.
"Thanks, boss."
He chuckled and leaned onto the bar. "It's Rio, actually."
"Beth." She said quietly, pointing to herself.
"You going to answer my question, Beth?” He asked and why did she like the way he said her name so much?
She narrowed her eyes - what had been his question again?
"Whatchu doing here by yourself on a Saturday night?"
She nodded, remembering, and than groaned because she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about this to a total stranger or if she wanted to run far, far away. "I told you. You don't want to know."
"If I didn't wanna know I wouldn't have asked." And she did get that impression from him. The impression that he didn't do anything unless he wanted to.
By the looks of it, of him, he wasn't going to let this go and what was it they said about bartenders? That they were good listeners? Maybe talking to a complete and total stranger who was drop dead gorgeous and oozing sex appeal from every pore of his body would help make her feel better. "My boyfriend and I had dinner at Bistro 82 earlier." She finally said, referring to the restaurant just down the street. "He proposed."
He let out a whistle and a smile which she found inappropriate but also charming. "Guessin' you didn't say yes if you're here without him."
"Yep." She responded with a pop of her lips not bothering to elaborate.
"Must be a dumb-ass to propose without being sure you'd say yes." And he sounded so sure that she should have just agreed and moved on.
But she didn't. She groaned and rubbed her hands over her face as if she might be able to hide. "That's the thing - he probably was sure. I just - I shouldn't have been surprised but I was."
"You together long?"
"Ten years. Since high school."
"Damn, ma. That's cold."
She squinted her eyes at him trying to get a read on him. He was entertained by her and while she was glad she held his attention she didn't want to be some cute, little girl to him. Who was he to judge her, anyway? "Would you marry someone you weren't one hundred percent certain you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?"
His answer was in the shake of his head. He pursed his lips - his very full, red, extremely enticing lips - before he spoke. "I also wouldn't stay with someone for ten years if I wasn't sure 'bout them."
Beth rolled her eyes because yes, that was the easy answer. The answer that made the most sense but she'd be willing to bet he'd never been with someone like Dean. She'd fallen for him in high school - she'd been sixteen and he'd been a year old. She'd been dazzled by him and had jumped at the opportunity to date him. At that point her mom had not been much of a parent and Beth had practically raised Annie, six years her junior. She'd had acquaintances but Ruby was really her only true friend. The thought of dating the cool and popular Dean Boland was attractive to her for so many reasons.
She'd fallen for him hard and he had seemed equally smitten. When he'd gone to the University of Michigan she'd stayed with him and followed a year later. They just fell into a life together so easily. They were comfortable together, they cared about each other and they respected one another but the more she thought about it the more she realized that there had never really been any passion between them. She’d never just wanted him. She’d never felt any overwhelming desire to be with him. He was her friend, her best friend, but she was starting to think that wasn't even close to enough.
She wasn't really sure what had kept them together so long. Comfort? Fear? For years she had liked the idea of having someone to take care of her but really, had Dean ever actually taken care of her? She'd always been independent and she'd never relied on him for much - just to be there, really, and he always was. For the millionth time tonight she wondered why she was just thinking of these things. Had it really taken a marriage proposal to put things into perspective?
"You shouldn't be so quick to judge something you know nothing about." And it was true, he shouldn't, but also her head was hurting from thinking so much.
"You don't gotta be so defensive. I just feel bad for the poor guy, is all. Can't be easy proposin' and gettin' turned down. Especially by you."
"You don't even know me."
"I know your type. And I know you definitely wife material. Poor guy probably don't know what hit him."
"Well, maybe I don't want to be wife material. Maybe I'm just realizing I don't know what the hell I want."
"Well, bourbon is a good place to start." He said softly, tipping his chin towards her empty glass. Her eyes met his and they held each other's gaze for a moment. He was impossible to read - what did he think about her? Did he find her attractive or did he just think she was some naive girl who didn't have a clue?
He stood up straight after a minute and rubbed his chin with his hand. She followed his movement finding herself completely mesmerized by him. He seemed so sure of himself. She liked that she couldn't read him, liked that she didn't know what he thought of her. She thought she might like the challenge of figuring him out.
“I gotta get back to work.” He said as she noticed a couple sit down a few seats away from her. He noticed her frown and continued. “You good? Want any food? The kitchen's about to close but I can get you something quick.”
She turned down his offer but appreciated it nonetheless. She glanced at the clock on the wall in front of him and was surprised to see it was after 11. She should call an Uber and get to Ruby's before it got any later. She was sure that her friend was in bed by now - pregnancy had been rough on her so far and - especially lately - she had been exhausted. Beth was desperate to talk to her friend about what had gone down tonight but also, in some ways, not. Ruby wouldn't be able to understand or relate. Her relationship with Stan had been going on just as long as Beth and Dean's but it was just so different - so strying. Beth had been comparing the two relationships for years and she'd never matched up. She’d never exactly cared that Ruby and Stan seemed better suited than her and Dean but maybe she should have. Maybe she should have realized that she had never looked at Dean the way Ruby looked at Stan. Maybe if she would have paid more attention they wouldn't have gotten to this point.
She sighed and searched for any sign of Rio so that she could pay her tab. She grabbed her wallet from her bag and placed it on the bar in front of her before finishing the rest of the bourbon in her glass. She didn’t hate it so much anymore.
A person sat down in the empty seat beside her and caught her attention. She turned to see Rio occupying the stool to her right. She smiled and turned so that her entire body faced him.
“I was just looking for you. I wanted to pay my tab.” She said, gesturing to her wallet.
“Nah. On the house. Let me buy you one more - I’ll join you this time.” He said it so casually but it surprised her that he wanted to share a drink with her. He didn’t give her a chance to say no, just waved down the other bartender and ordered two drinks - she assumed the same bourbon she’d been drinking - she’d have to ask him what it was so she knew for next time.
"Don't you have to work?"
"Naw." He said, tilting his head to the bartender in thanks as he placed drinks in front of them. "Perks of being the boss."
She grinned and picked up her glass. He lifted his as if to cheers and she mirrored his action. They clinked their glasses together and neither's stare wavered as they sipped.
"Do you own this place?" She asked, interested in how exactly he was the boss.
He nodded and she watched as he trailed his finger along the rim of his glass.
"I do." And he left it at that.
She wanted to push but he clearly didn't want to answer so she left it alone. They sat in silence for a moment, quietly sipping on their drinks. He watched the bartender work behind his bar and she glanced around at the restaurant which had gone from busy to almost empty in the time she'd been sitting here.
She looked back at him and took advantage of the fact that he wasn't facing her. His elbows and forearms sat on the bar top, his fingers linked together. He was currently watching whatever sporting event was on the television above the bar. Her reaction to him surprised her. She couldn't figure out why she was feeling this way - would she have felt the same if she'd run into him yesterday? Did he feel the same pull towards her? Was that why he was having a drink with her or did he just feel sorry for her?
Was this why she'd chosen to stay in a relationship for ten years? Just the thought of dating and figuring out the opposite sex and the anxiety it brought was enough to send her back into the arms of Dean.
"You're starin'." He pointed out, turning his head in her direction. He didn't seem mad about it, just curious.
"I think you're really hot." Her hand flew to cover her mouth the second the words left her mouth. Her entire body flushed red. He let out a laugh, loud and surprised, before he turned to her. The smile on his face was enough to make her want to simultaneously crawl into a hole and jump into his lap.
"Sorry." She said immediately, willing the flush in her cheeks to go down. "I can't be held responsible for what I say tonight I'm drunk on bourbon and the single life."
He laughed again and shook his head, clearly charmed by her. His eyes settled on her as if he was trying to figure out what to say next. His body still faced away from her but his head was turned in her direction and his eyes were dark. She fidgeted with her fingers in her lap and chewed on her lower lip as she waited for him to respond. Her knees pressed against the stool he sat in and if she pushed forward just an inch she would almost be able to feel the rough fabric of his jeans against her skin.
"So you don't think I'm hot, it's just the booze?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't quite meet his gaze. She was mortified but also excited at the prospect of telling this stranger exactly how she felt. "No, I definitely think you're hot I just would never normally tell you that."
"Why not?"
"Um, because it's not appropriate."
"Fuck bein' appropriate. How's that been workin' out for you for the last ten years?"
And he made an excellent point. She flushed again, from the booze or the conversation she wasn't sure, and finally moved that inch forward so that the skin of her knee pressed ever so slightly against him. He looked down to eye her legs and she felt herself burning up under his scrutiny. She wanted him to touch her and it was such a sudden, unfamiliar feeling.
"What was your first impression of me?" She asked because she really wanted to know.
He shrugged and finished off his drink before he answered. "Thought for sure you'd order a glass of wine."
She smiled slightly but it wasn't what she was looking for. "Yeah but what about me?”
"Didn't think too much 'til you ordered the bourbon. Figured you was waiting on a date." He perched his elbow on to the bar, leaned his head into his hand and looked at her.
His honesty was refreshing but she deflated because he really hadn't thought much of her at all. He hadn't seen her walk into the bar, looked at her and stopped dead in his tracks. She had looked at him and felt like she had been punched in the stomach. He looked at her and saw white wine. "I'm so boring."
He continued to watch her, his head in his hand and she could tell he was really examining her. She loved the way he was really looking at her. "Nah, don't do that. You're sexy as fuck when you ain't doubtin' yourself."
She perked up and he smiled when he noticed her sit up straighter. "So guys like that? Confidence?"
He arched an eyebrow at her in question.
"I'm doing research." She explained as though it were obvious. No time like the night of a life altering breakup to start taking notes for the future
He let out a breath as if he were asking himself how he'd gotten here but to her surprise he humored her. "Can't speak for all guys but I like a girl that knows what she wants. That don't play games."
"Which is not me."
He pushed his head off his hand and turned towards her. He had to move around her legs so that his knees spread apart around her her, one on either side. They sat facing each other now and it took everything in her not to look away from him. "You want me to like you?”
Her cheeks flushed bright red because yeah, she’d walked right into that one. She opened and closed her mouth unsure how to answer. Did she want him to like her? Yes but why?
He let her off the hook which she was grateful for and responded to her comment about being a girl who didn’t know what she wanted. “Sounds to me like saying no to a marriage proposal is a good first step to figurin' it out. That's a fucking ballsy thing to do."
And she agreed it was a ballsy thing to do. Saying yes would have been easier and probably smarter but that didn't make it right.
"You gotta figure out who you are without a boyfriend. You probably a badass, boss bitch and you don't even know it."
She laughed loudly, surprised but she appreciated his confidence in her even though she wasn't so sure.
"You're very good at this."
"What's that?"
"Making me feel better. Making me feel like I did the right thing. I think I'm glad I came in here.”
He stared at her and she let him for a minute before she turned, nervous under his intense stare. She noticed, suddenly, that the restaurant was near empty. Waitstaff were left behind, one who currently stacked chairs onto tables.
"Oh my God, what time is it?" She asked, glancing at the clock. It was after midnight and she quickly made a move to pull her phone out of her purse. She had several texts from Dean which she ignored for the moment. She opened up the one from Ruby, sent ten minutes ago.
"Where are you? You okay?"
She quickly typed out a response and could feel Rio's eyes on her.
Sorry!!! I'm good. I'll be there soon.
She dropped her phone into her lap and looked up. "You could have told me the place was closing."
"No big deal."
"I should go."
He nodded but didn't make a move to get up.
"I'm just going to use the restroom..."
He pointed his chin towards the back of the room in the direction of the bathrooms. She grabbed her phone and her purse and scooted off the stool. She walked quickly and could feel his eyes on the back of her the entire time. She breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into the quiet of the bathroom. She used the toilet and washed her hands before looking up into the bathroom mirror. She sighed, suddenly exhausted.
Should she feel more sad? Had it just not hit her yet or was she taking this relatively well? Sure it had been her idea but shouldn't she feel some sort of loss? All she'd thought about since ending things with Dean was where she was going to live and if there was a possibility of kissing the man she'd been staring at for the last two hours. Was she some sort of psychopath for not being more upset or would it all hit her later?
She pushed herself off of the sink and pulled herself together. She'd order an Uber and head to Ruby's and put this long, awful day behind her. She pulled the door open and -
He leaned against the wall opposite her looking like a model straight out of a magazine. His dark clothing in the dim hallway made it difficult to see him completely but she knew he wore a smirk across his face.
"You good, sweetheart?" He asked, curiously glancing in her direction. His eyes trailed the length of her from top to bottom and back up and her body burned like it had been set on fire. It was truly the first indication that he was into her and not just entertained by her.
"I'm good." She answered with a swift nod of her head but the crack in her voice betrayed her.
"Figure out what you want yet?” His voice was rough and gritty and she'd never considered that she could be so attracted to someone's voice. She looked at him and contemplated how to answer. Her first instinct was to respond with a joke, maybe tell him she was tired so her bed would be nice. And while it would be true it was also not the answer she knew he was looking for.
She could turn it back around on him, ask him what he thought she wanted but while she didn't know him well she knew he wouldn't let that slide. He'd made it clear he didn't like games and she really didn't want to play them.
He waited and she watched and she could say her goodbyes, walk away and never see him again or she could just throw caution to the wind and not be smart, reliable, responsible, cautious Beth Marks for once. Tomorrow she would have to face the consequences of her 'no', talk to Dean, figure out her life but tonight -
"There is one thing I've been thinking about but -" She started and she forced her voice not to waver. She moved closer to him until she was standing only inches away. He continued to lean against the wall, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.
He made a sound in the back of his throat - an acknowledgment of her words, an encouragement to continue.
But she didn’t, not right away. She was too caught up in staring at his mouth. She had never felt this draw to someone before. She had never felt like this with Dean and it was scary and exciting all at one. Also, maybe it was all becoming too much for her to handle all in one night.
“Everything you’re thinking is written all over your face.” He said huskily. He reached his hand up to brush a stray piece of hair behind her ear and it madd her move impossibly closer.
“So then you don’t need me to tell you.” And it was a relief that maybe she wouldn’t have to say the words. She should have known better though. She had already established that he wasn’t like Dean - he wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily.
“Nah, ma. I want to hear you say it.” His voice was low and smooth.
She swallowed nervously and opened her mouth to answer. “I-“
“Hey, boss, we’re heading out.” Came a voice to their right.
She chuckled and dropped her head forward so that it practically leaned against his shoulder. He reached his hands out, gripped her waist, and squeezed.
“A’ight.” He called back and they heard footsteps turn and walk off.
Neither of them said anything, the moment ruined. She’d barely had the courage to tell him what she wanted before the interruption, any momentum was gone. His fingers squeezed again and she lifted her head to look into his eyes.
“You probably got some stuff to figure out, hm?” He asked quietly, so close she could feel his breath against her cheek.
She nodded because, yeah, she did.
“You know where to find me when you do.”