A Bar Tender Tale (18 page)

“Hello,” Auryn said.

Nathan smiled wickedly as he sidled up next to Auryn, standing close enough to brush his hip at the man’s side.

When Auryn returned his smile, Nathan would have liked to leap onto his lap and smother him with kisses, but that wouldn’t have been the wisest idea amongst a crowd of straight, beered-up punk fans. He would just have to save it until later tonight.

“Hel-loo,” Nathan replied teasingly. “Come here often?”

“Not much. It looks a bit scary,” Auryn joked. “You’d better hold my hand.”

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“Wouldn’t risk it here, mate,” Jimmy muttered.

“I agree.” Nathan was unfazed. “Or I may get carried away.”

“Don’t let me stop you.” Auryn’s eyes danced as they gazed at each other.

Gary made a face into his pint glass while he mumbled,

“Are you two going to be insufferably soppy from now on?” After glancing at Gary, Nathan looked to Auryn to search for his answer to that. The man still had a smile on his lips and that flirtatious look in his eyes. Nathan was thrilled to see him nod in answer.

He grinned back, feeling like the cat who’d got the cream.

“Come on, you lazy gits!” Tazz called out as he stood at the beer garden steps. “We’re going on!”

“I can hear perfectly well from here,” Gary said.

“Now, Gaz,” Auryn chided him. “Come on.” Everyone else stood, ready to make their way inside.

“All right, all right,” Gary relented. “I needed a piss anyway.”

They joined the throng of people squeezing back inside the pub. Gary and Auryn found a safer spot near the back wall while Nathan and Jimmy braved the front of the stage to watch.

The band tore into their set with boundless energy.

Even though it was stifling hot and the people crammed in around him were bouncing excitedly, Nathan attempted to A Bar Tender Tale |
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behave himself. He felt a little self-conscious with Auryn at the back of the room.

When the band got onto their third song, with a lot of fist-in-the-air chants, the singer jumped amongst the crowd and joined in the scrum. Tazz was at the edge of the stage, holding up his guitar and shouting into the microphone.

Nathan got caught up in the energy, and before he knew it he’d whipped off his T-shirt and was leaping around with the rest of the crowd.

It was a little embarrassing during the next changeover when Nathan discovered he’d lost his T-shirt. He stood there sweaty and shirtless, trying to catch his breath.

“That looked like fun,” Auryn teased, as he came to stand next to him. He very subtly touched Nathan’s hip in a gesture that was both possessive and reassuring. Nathan was so distracted he was a little slow at answering.

Gary, of course, decided to cut in. “Yeah, Nathan likes nothing better than rubbing up against sweaty men. Right, Nath?”

“Yeah, sweaty
straight
men,” Nathan joked. “Shut up and help me look for my shirt.”

“Is this it?” Jimmy picked up a sodden bundle from the floor.

Nathan took the wet shirt. He sniffed it then opened it up to look at the print. “Oh, bloody hell. Yeah, that’s mine. I can’t wear this.”

“Aha!” Tazz overheard them and brandished a rolled up piece of black material. “Sounds like you need to buy one of our new band shirts!”

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“Ohhh, it does, huh?”

Jimmy smirked. “Maybe you’d be better off going shirtless, Nath.”

“Oi!” Tazz nudged Jimmy then turned back to Nathan.

“Go on, bro! Only a fiver.”

“God, all right,” Nathan dug in his pocket. “Get me over a barrel.”

Tazz laughed. “Now, now! Can’t come onto me any more with your boyfriend standing right behind you.” Nathan shot a mildly embarrassed glance up at Auryn.

“Um, you know we’re only joking, right?”

“I know.” Auryn smiled. “Let me get you a drink. I’m going to the bar, get a round in.”

“Now that’s a man with a plan,” Gary perked up. “I’ll come with you. See how they’re coping at this bar without me….”

Nathan’s eyes followed the two men as they left for the bar, his mind in a blissful state of cloud nine. Tazz shoved the T-shirt at him again to get his attention. “Come
on
, Nath!

I’m gagging for a cigarette, hurry up.” Nathan relented and bought the T-shirt. He hung the wet one over his belt and pulled the clean, new one over his sweaty body. Standing outside in the evening air soon had them both cooling down.

“Good set, mate,” Nathan told Tazz, as they sat on a bench smoking.

“Cheers, bro. I’m trying to tempt Gaz into the band, stop him moping about.”

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“Sound idea,” Nathan nodded. “Although he seems chipper tonight. For Gaz, anyway.”

“Yeah, he’s got another date with Susie!”

“Bless. Hope he doesn’t make a drama out of it.”

“Yeah, right. Speaking of melodrama, we heard about Danny nearly causing a riot at your bar.”

“God,” Nathan made a face. “It was a proper nightmare, but it’s all sorted now.”

“Do you know what’s gonna happen to him?” Nathan shrugged. “The police might charge him. We don’t know. But I did ask my boss not to press charges if we could help it.”

“What?
Why
?”

“Well….” Nathan flicked the ash from his cigarette.

“Danny’s barred for life from the venue. He can’t come back in now. He’ll have enough to deal with from the police; I didn’t want him to get a record over a stupid mistake. He’s only young. Hopefully it’ll teach him a valuable lesson.” Tazz stared at him. “You’ve changed your tune.”

“I’m trying to be magnanimous.”

“That’s a big word! And what would this new influence be, I wonder?” Tazz smirked. “Anything to do with a certain Welsh man?”

“Gaz,” Nathan teased.

“Not him,” Tazz said seriously. “You and Auryn. So, you’re together now?”

“Yeah.” Nathan looked down shyly, trying to mask it by stubbing out his cigarette.

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“Are you blushing?”

“Fuck off,” Nathan said without conviction.

“He’s a good guy,” Tazz mused. “Well, anyone’s better than the last moron you were with. But still, he’s a good guy.”

Nathan couldn’t help a smile. “Yeah, he is. He’s just like… I dunno, normal I guess. But nice. And very cool.

We’re totally on the same wavelength. I think we’re pretty good together, actually.”

“Mm-hmm. Nathan?”

“What?”

Tazz slapped him across the cheek suddenly. Not really hard, but it still stung.

“Ow! Tazz! What the fuck—”

“You told me,” Tazz wagged a finger at him. “If you started gushing about anyone to slap some sense into you.”

“Oh right.” Nathan rolled his eyes and playfully shoved his friend away. “Well, not this time!” About the Author

Melanie Tushmore wrote her first novel with pen and paper when she was fourteen and sometimes digs it out to read again if she fancies a good chuckle! She continued to write on and off over the years but purely for her own pleasure.

For the first time in… ahem, some years, Melanie wanted to share her writing with others and is delighted when anyone reads and enjoys her work.

They say write about what you know, which is why Melanie’s work usually centers around characters from alternative subcultures. She enjoys giving cameos to her real-life friends and reliving the glory days when she had a lot more energy to go out partying!

Visit: http://www.melanietushmore.co.uk

Blog: http://cocktalesandhotsauce.blogspot.com

T
witter: http://twitter.com/melanietushmore

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/melanietushmore

Romance from DREAMSPINNER PRESS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Copyright

A Bar Tender Tale ©Copyright Melanie Tushmore, 2012

Published by

Dreamspinner Press

382 NE 191st Street #88329

Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by Ria Chantler

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 382 NE 191st Street