I put Ash back on his feet and looked over at Harvey, wondering what his reaction would be.
“Oh, hi. I didn’t know Killian was here with someone.” He stuck his hand in Harvey’s direction. “Hi, I’m Ash. I work behind the bar.”
Harvey took it, but his eyes never left Ash. “Harvey. We’re not together. Just…”
“Friends, Ash. We’re just friends.” I ushered him towards the bar.
“Girl, I know you and your friends.” He sashayed away, his hips swinging. Thank God he wasn’t wearing the same trousers as last week. I’d had nightmares about them.
He grabbed a whiskey bottle and lifted it, his eyebrow raised in question.
“Just a lime and soda for me. Harvey, what will you have?” I leant on the bar, then lifted my arm, the sleeve sticking to the tacky wood.
He shook his head. “Anything as long as it’s not alcoholic.”
“Boys, you’re no fun.” Ash poured my drink and grabbed another glass, his hand on his hip. “Come on, Harvey. What’ll it be?”
“Orange juice? Apple? I really don’t mind.”
Ash poured him a glass of orange juice, handed it over, and winked at him. “You weren’t this boring last week, Killian. Infact, I remember you being quite the opposite. You were very attentive. I struggled to walk the next day.”
Ash had no fucking filter. Not that what we did was anything to be ashamed of, but maybe I was trying to protect Harvey from Ash. Where Ash was confident and loud, Harvey was quiet and reserved, and although Ash was always up for a good time, I found Harvey infinitely more interesting. He hid everything away. I wanted to know more about him, if only he’d let me. What made him tick? I’d never met a guy so closed off before.
“I didn’t think you were working today.” I ignored his last comment and changed the subject.
“Greg wanted me in early today. I don’t know why, but I’m not about to turn down easy cash. I’ve got rent and bills to pay.”
I knew all about that.
“I’ll let you get on.” I tried to walk away, but he kept talking.
“Will you be around later?” He wound a lock of hair around his finger, biting his bottom lip.
“I’m here every Thursday, Ash.”
“You know what I mean. I could do with a bit more Killian love.”
“Not tonight. I’ll catch you some other time.”
“I can’t wait.” He walked to the other end of the bar to talk to another of the regulars.
“Sorry about that.” I sat at a faraway table with Harvey, rethinking my decision to bring him here. If I’d known Ash was going to be in, I wouldn’t have bothered.
“He’s an interesting character.”
“He’s definitely that.” I followed Harvey’s eyes as he watched Ash flirt with another of the customers.
“Does he do that with everyone?”
“What? Flirt? Fuck, yeah. He’s insatiable, that one. I’d even call him a nymphomaniac.”
“And you had sex with him?” He didn’t sound mad, but curious.
Did those words just come out of Harvey’s mouth? I looked at him, slightly aghast, but I wasn’t going to lie.
“Yeah, a few times.”
He nodded, his brow furrowed.