Free Turnaround by Cassandra Carr

Turnaround
(Red Hot Valentine #6)
     
    James hung another bunch of black balloons where
they wouldn’t be constantly in his way while he mixed drinks at The Ale House’s
annual “We Hate Valentine’s Day” party. The irony of having to work this particular
gig when he actually loved this holiday made him shake his head, but work was
work.
    Nice to have a day where it’s actually
encouraged to tell your loved ones you care. Not enough of that in today’s
world.
    He knew he sounded like a stodgy old codger, but
simply because he was thirty-three and still single didn’t mean he thought love
sucked. It was more a matter of finding the right girl. James didn’t want to
marry just anybody. His parents had been a great example to him and his sister
and James refused to settle, even if that meant he stayed single. Doing the
whole flowers-and-chocolate thing was often derided by other men, but he loved
doing all that stuff. His friends sometimes made fun of him for it but, hey,
most of them were still single too, so he ignored them.
    “Hey, James,” the bar manager, Mick, said. “You
got a copy of the drink specials?”
    James held up the black sheet of paper with the
annoying white script font. His graphic designer sensibilities wanted to beg
those around him to stop using that particular eye-bleeding combination, but
this wasn’t his primary job, where people might care what he thought of a
design, and he needed this second job–for now–so he kept his mouth shut. Why
can’t everyone else see how hard it is to read? Ugh.
    “Yep. All set.” The specials, in keeping with
the theme, were called things like Broken Heart and Love Hurts. Since they were
expecting a crowd predominantly made up of women, most of the ingredients were
geared toward them too–a lot of fruit juices and frozen drinks.
    Mick called out, “Opening doors,” and
immediately a stream of people burst into the cavernous space. Here in Austin,
Texas, the temperature was in the 70s during the day and a little cooler at
night so waiting outside wasn’t a big deal, but people sure seemed excited to
get started on their own bitter version of “celebrating.”
    They kept James hopping for the first half-hour
or so. He was turning back toward the bar after using the blender when he
spotted her . The slippery glass nearly fell from his hand and strawberry
daiquiri dripped down the side and slithered over his fingers. She watched it
and licked her lips.
    Oh mercy.
    He handed the drink, still thankfully mostly
full, to the woman who’d ordered it and then grabbed a towel. Focusing his attention
on the lovely vision before him, James asked, “What can I get for you?” Brilliant
opening salvo, dude. Sure, it was his job, but he could’ve thought of
something more witty than that if his brains hadn’t been scrambled by her
sudden appearance.
    She was clad all in black, so likely an
enthusiastic attendee of this party, but there was something in her eyes that
said maybe she wasn’t a lost cause. Bright red hair tumbled to her shoulders
and was set off by her black, satiny top. Her skin was pale; her face dotted
with freckles. His gut told him, despite her apparent distaste for Valentine’s
Day, he needed to know this woman better.
    She tilted her head at the drink specials menu
on the bar in front of her. “I’m not much for these fancy drinks. How about a
Stoli and cranberry?”
    “A girl after my own heart.” Shit, I wonder
if she won’t like me saying that? But a small smile appeared and he set
about making her drink. “I’m James. You know, in case you need anything else.”
    “Becca.”
    “Well, Becca, I hope to see you again.”
    Dropping a ten on the bar, she smiled. “When I
get thirsty, I’m sure you will.” She turned away. James was unsure if his
no-doubt lame attempt at flirting had annoyed her, considering the reason she’d
come to The Ale House. He didn’t have time to reflect on that though, as the
bar got busier, as more