Read Boston Avant-Garde: Impetuous for Free Online Page A

nuptials?”
    “Not particularly.” She had to bite back a laugh at the sight of her height-challenged date actually climbing up onto the bar stool. Once settled, he rested his arm on the chrome-and-glass bar and did his level best to look suave.
    “I thought most women loved weddings.”
    “Women like their own weddings.”
    She wanted to curse when his eyes lit up. He probably thought she was fishing for a proposal. Damn. Thankfully the bartender chose that moment to deliver their toxic green drinks. Desiree picked hers up and took a sip just to give her mouth something to do.
    “Every woman deserves a magical wedding day.” Harmon reached out and touched her hand where it sat on the bar.
    “I’m sure you understand that more than most men.”
    He stiffened at the not-so-subtle reminder of his three failed marriages.
    “Actually I’ve been thinking that I’d like to forgo marriage altogether.”
    “What?”
    Desiree had gone out on this conversational limb to rebuff his unwanted advances, but she suddenly found herself facing an epiphany of sorts. “No, really. Marriage just doesn’t seem to work out very well for my family. I don’t even have to mention my mother’s disastrous marital experiences.”
    He sucked down half his drink in one agitated swallow. “But your brother seems happy enough.”
    “He is. But that whole thing would never have worked had they tried to do it through the regular social channels. I’m thinking unconventional is the only good answer.”
    “What do you mean?”
    What did she mean? She almost blushed as a mental image of her straddling Nicolai’s muscular body flashed through her mind. Give up marriage? Yes. Give up sex? Not if it included time spent with Nicolai.
    Thinking of Nicolai made her think of Jack’s. It was difficult to believe this martini bar and Jack’s were both the same type of establishment. Nicolai kept his bar low-key and friendly. The customers were there to have a good time and let off some steam. This place looked like a hunting ground.
    It was dim, and everything was tinted purple by freaky overhead lighting. The chrome-accented glass bar looked like something from a cheap sci-fi movie, and all the bartenders were well-endowed females with no hips and perfect little butts. Headache-inducing techno music was piped in from somewhere in the vaulted, industrial-looking ceiling. Wherever you looked, the patrons wore expensive, tailored clothing. There were no jeans, no T-shirts, and definitely no pool tables.
    “I like this place.” Harmon relaxed back into his pod-shaped bar stool. “I come here at least twice a week.”
    “For what?” It slipped out before she could stop it.
    The shifty look in his eyes was not confidence inspiring. “I usually meet some friends for drinks after work.”
    “Uh-huh.” Meaning this was where he auditioned all his dates. Nice. She hopped down off the bar stool and picked up her purse. “I should really be going, Harmon. There’s still a lot of wedding stuff to do in the morning, and I should get to bed.”
    “Are you sure? It’s so early!”
    “No, really, thanks for the drink. I’m sure I’ll see you at the reception.”
    She didn’t wait for his response. It didn’t matter what he said anyway. She didn’t belong there, and she didn’t belong with him. There was only one place she wanted to be, and that was Jack’s. Even though Nicolai had made it perfectly clear there was no future for the two of them, she couldn’t believe there was no possibility for at least one more round. After that, who knew what could happen?
    The contemporary doors gave way a little too easily, spilling her out onto the street and banging back into place as though they’d spit her out. Striding to the curb, she raised a hand and whistled to bring a cab screeching to a halt in the street.
    She yanked the door open and scooted across the seat, slamming the door closed with a satisfying thud. No more Harmon. No more dating men