RR-CDA (3 page)

Bad day at the office?
Dude, the Leafs are actually winning a game!

Fight with a spouse?
Wow, I need the name of your personal trainer. You look amazing.

Money issues?
Hey, this one’s on the house. Frequent buyer bonus.

Rarely did he take on the problems of his patrons. He simply didn’t have the emotional reserves left for that, and wanted to offer everyone at least one place they could come and forget their troubles.

So when Cole had walked out of the bar two nights earlier, looking as though his heart had been ripped from his chest, it was more than a little surprising that Owen wanted to do something to make the other man happy. It wasn’t normally his
thing
to be the soothing type. But he
was
a fixer. Give him a problem and he’d tackle it head-on. Cole was a regular, a nice guy who was normally always looking out for the people around him. Owen had seen him pick up other customers’ tabs, slip cab money into pockets, and always generously tip the staff. Not that he was seeking anyone’s attention. If anything, he went to great lengths to avoid anyone knowing it was him.

Owen knew.

He’d been a bit surprised when he discovered Cole was gay. Not that it mattered to him. Hell, Owen had slept with guys as often as women. It was more that Cole had always been so buttoned-up, so reserved about all aspects of his life, let alone his sexuality. His out-of-the-blue announcement had thrown Owen for a loop.

And what kind of asshole left someone at Christmas?

The mere idea was a jab to his protective self. If he had anything to say about matters, he’d make sure Cole was in a better place by the time the twenty-fifth rolled around. The only problem was that he didn’t know much about Cole, where he lived or worked. The other man didn’t come into the bar on any sort of schedule, which would make it hard to nail him down.

Still, he wasn’t about to give up.

Saturday night rolled around, and the bar was back to its normal bustle. Owen flew behind the bar, filling orders and shamelessly flirting with anyone who looked him in the eyes. It was a terrible habit to have, but it helped with the tips and set up an atmosphere of fun. People knew that for whatever time they were there, they’d be welcomed and looked after. Not that he had a chance for any action with the patrons. Between making sure that everything was moving smoothly behind the scenes in the day, and keeping the bar tended at night, Owen barely had time to sleep let alone date.

Hell, he hadn’t even had sex in . . . shit, eight months.

Ouch, that was painful to even think about.

“Behind you.” Jane brushed against him on her way to the bar fridge. “We’re getting low on draft.”

“I’ll drag another keg out in the next lull.”

“Oh, that’s wishful thinking. And I think we might have a puker in the gents’.” She had the gall to grin as she returned to her side of the bar.

“Where’s Moe? It’s his turn to clean up.” His newest employee had a talent for being anywhere but where Owen wanted him.

“Not sure.” Jane twisted off three bottle caps in rapid succession before sliding the bottles across the bar to the man ogling her chest. “I’m sure he’ll turn up once everything’s back to normal.”

Fuck, what was the point of being the owner if you couldn’t shove the shit jobs off to the new guys? “I’ll get it. Hold the fort.”

“Will do.” He was so going to read Moe the riot act when he found the little bastard.

Grabbing the bucket and mop from the back room, he made his way down the hallway toward the restrooms. The ladies’ had a decent line as usual, but there was no one standing outside the men’s. Great, any chance that Jane was wrong went out the window. It explained the recent rush of guys going outside and coming right back in. The alley would smell like piss tomorrow. Owen braced himself for a second before pushing the door open to the one part of his job he hated.

The sound of vomit.

“How are we doing in here?” His normal routine of checking on the drunk was shattered when he looked up to see Cole standing beside a young man who’d had way too much to drink.

“Hi.” Cole quickly looked between Owen and the guy. “He’s not with me. I came in and found him on the floor. I didn’t want to leave him here and figured help would come eventually.”

“Yeah, I’d heard we had a puker.” Owen stepped farther into the room, shoving the bucket and mop to the side. “But this isn’t your job.”

“Merry Christmas.” Cole gave him a small smile. “I don’t mind. I couldn’t leave him on the floor.”

That tiny twitch of lips did something strange to his stomach. It churned in a way that had nothing to do with the awful smell, and everything to do with the way Cole’s eyes lit up.

Damn. He really didn’t have time for a crush. Especially with a man who was nursing a broken heart.

“Umm, let’s get this kid up before he causes us more problems.” He came around to the drunk’s other side and draped the guy’s arm around his neck. “Mind helping me get him up and out to a cab? I’ll give you a free drink for your trouble.”

“Sure, though the drink isn’t necessary.” Cole mirrored his action, resulting in their arms brushing against one another along the kid’s back. “Think he has anyone here with him?”

“Probably. Though he might have been orphaned by them. I think he’s part of a hockey team who came in earlier, and they all left about thirty minutes ago. Probably assumed he’d wandered home.”

They struggled to get the moaning kid up and out of the bathroom. This wasn’t exactly how Owen had wanted his next meeting with Cole to go. Nothing cheery, sexy, or fun about dealing with a drunk. Especially one who weighed as much as this one did. The kid started to moan and struggle against them, forcing Owen to tighten his grip. “Settle down.”

Ignoring several shouts and taunts from the slightly less drunk patrons, they managed to get the kid outside where Owen could flag a cab. “Want to check his pocket for a wallet? We need to find his address.”

Cole patted the kid down. “Yup. Here.”

The next thing that happened was something Owen should have expected. As he stepped away to check for a driver’s license, leaving Cole to hold the kid upright, the taxi pulled up. Owen gave the guy the address and his corporate number to charge the cab to, while Cole tried to get the kid into the backseat. It was at that exact moment the kid woke up long enough to realize a stranger was manhandling him and decided to defend himself. He roared and took a swing at Cole. The sound of fist meeting face was followed by Cole landing in a heap on the ground, moaning.

Cole shook his head as he sat in a pile of slush and snow.

“Fuck!” Owen lunged for the kid and managed to push him into the taxi before he could take another punch at Cole. “Get this asshole home. And put a twenty-dollar tip on there for yourself.”

The driver looked less than impressed. “There’ll be a cleanup charge if he pukes back there.”

“Fine. You have my corporate number.” He couldn’t worry about that now.

Cole was still splayed out on the ground looking more than a little shocked by the turn of events. If Owen had been thinking straight, he would have warned him that drunks are rarely happy to be moved.

Holding out his hand to Cole, he gave him a smile. “I think you’ve earned yourself free drinks for life.”

“Wow, that hurt.” Cole adjusted his jaw with his hand before reaching up for Owen’s. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Good.” If that was all it took to make the other man happy, then Owen was getting off easy. “Let’s get you inside and get some ice on that.”

Jane and Moe were running the bar when they came back in. Moe cringed when he looked at Cole. He’d been on the receiving end of a drunk punch on his first night, so he knew what Cole was feeling. Owen would have to have a long chat with his young bartender about disappearing during a shift.

“I’m getting some ice,” he called to Jane as they walked past. “You two good?”

“All set. I’ll make Moe restock.” She gave him a shove. “Draft keg. Go.”

Cole was surprisingly quiet as they moved through the bar and stepped into the back room. Owen wasn’t normally one for silence. His natural gift of the gab served him well in his adopted profession. People didn’t come to his bar to be alone. It was a place for music, lively conversation, and cheer. Especially during the holidays.

“I have an ice pack in the freezer. Let me grab it, and you take a seat.”

The scrape of the chair being pulled away from the table was the only acknowledgment Cole gave him.

“I’m sorry about the punch. It’s a pretty common thing. I used to be a bouncer here when I was working my way through university. You learn to bob and weave pretty quickly.”

He turned around to see Cole rubbing his hand along his cheek. A red mark was already rising on his skin, making him look as though he were blushing. It would only be a matter of minutes before the red deepened into purple, marring his handsome face.

Whoa, where had that come from?

Owen cleared his throat. “Anyway. I’m sorry about that. You’re wet. You must be freezing.”

“It’s all good. I’ll have to head home and change my jeans.” Cole shook his head slightly before wincing. “It’s been a while since I’ve taken a hit like that.”

When he handed the ice pack over, Owen made sure to keep from brushing against Cole’s hand. “Don’t take this wrong, but you don’t seem like much of a fighter.”

“I’m into kickboxing. Been doing it for years.” He pressed the ice pack to his cheek and sighed. “Lot of good it did me tonight. I wasn’t expecting him to move like that.”

The image of Cole topless and sweaty flashed through Owen’s mind. He swallowed hard. “I’m glad your instincts didn’t kick in. I try not to pummel the drunks, even if they deserve it. The cops tend to frown upon assault.”

Cole held his gaze for a moment, and Owen saw the spark of light flicker, before it was snuffed out. God, what happened to make this man hurt that badly? It had to be more than a bad breakup, though given the time of year that was horrible enough. He didn’t know what it was, but he was determined to discover the truth.

“I want to take you to breakfast.” The words were out there before he realized he’d spoken. Not that it mattered. It was the perfect idea. “As a way to thank you for your help tonight.”

“That’s not necessary.” Cole was on his feet, the quick movement sending the chair skittering back. “I should probably head home and take some pain pills. I hope this doesn’t bruise too badly.”

Owen stepped into the other man’s personal space, ignoring the way Cole’s eyes flashed and his body stiffened. “I insist. I don’t make it a habit of letting my patrons get assaulted. And you look like you could use the company. Tomorrow morning. Meet me here at about ten and we’ll get something to eat. Or better yet I’ll bring something in. I’m a pretty decent cook.” When it looked as though Cole would refuse again, Owen lowered his chin and swayed in a bit closer. “Please?”

The smell of Cole’s cologne and the warmth of his body seemed to wrap around Owen’s cock, stroking it to life. While he’d been with men in the past, it had been many years since he’d had any interest in one sexually. Something about Cole tweaked that side of him, making him want to explore what could happen. It was crazy and completely unexpected. Cole wasn’t even the type of man he normally gravitated toward. Or maybe he was. It wasn’t like he’d had any opportunity to seriously date, certainly not since he’d walked away from everything to help his dad.

Was he even doing this for the right reason, or was this flare of attraction simply a case of
right place, hot guy
? If ever there was a reason to avoid getting into a relationship with someone, it was that. Cole didn’t deserve to be used that way, especially after whatever he’d gone through.

Cole’s gaze traveled from Owen’s to his lips and back. “I’m not good company these days.”

There it was again, that pang of want. He’d never been one to back down, even from his own doubts.

Fuck it.

“Not a requirement.” Owen grinned. Shit, it would be so nice to do this. To have someone with him without any expectations or demands. Someone he could talk to, to be a distraction from the pressures of his life. Someone to lean on. “Come on. It’ll make me feel better. And I get the impression it’ll do you some good to have a change of scenery.”

“We’ll see.” Cole stepped back and Owen instantly missed his warmth. “If I’m not here by ten thirty, then I’m not coming.”

“Fair enough.” He watched Cole set the ice pack on the table before heading for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

That half smile of Cole’s came back. “We’ll see.”

Owen had to adjust his hard-on before going back out to the bar.

Cole stood in front of McGregor’s, his feet having brought him there without his permission. This was a stupid idea. Sure, Owen was an attractive man, and he wasn’t put off by Cole’s sexuality, but this wasn’t what Cole needed in his life right now.

His jaw gave a little throb to remind him of the reason for this particular
bad idea
. He’d been stunned when the drunk had swung and sent him flying to the ground. As much as he wanted to tell Owen that it wasn’t his fault—that Cole was more than able to look after himself—the fact of the matter was that Owen was completely to blame for the punch.