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minute, it was obvious no one was coming to show her to a table.
    The music was louder now. It pumped out of the speakers, occupying the crowd until the live band started. The beat called to her, trying to lure her to the dance floor.
    Mindy glanced around the bar. The place was packed and exactly like Celina described it. There were at least ten men for every woman in the bar, and most were exceedingly good-looking, especially the dark-haired, tattooed Adonis behind the bar. He was so gorgeous that he bordered on being pretty.
    He smiled at Mindy and her knees went weak. She’d never be able to handle a man like him. Not in her wildest dreams, but flirting with the bartender never hurt.
    She took a step forward and several heads turned in her direction. Mindy looked behind her, but there was no one there. The men sniffed in unison. She resisted the urge to do the same. She’d showered after work and put on a little perfume, but not too much. Or at least she’d thought so until she came in here.
    Two guys broke away from the pack. Mindy giggled nervously at the metaphor, though it was fitting given the large group. They quickly approached her.
    “Hello,” the brown-haired one said. “My name’s Marco. Marco Faretti. This here is Emmett.”
    “Hi. I’m Mindy.” Every eye in the place was focused on them.
    “You look like you could use a drink,” Marco said.
    Her hands trembled as she smoothed her dress. “Yes, I could.” Mindy let them drag her to the bar. She had no intention of staying there long. Not with the music calling to her.
    They passed a man with sandy brown hair and haunting dark blue eyes that she hadn’t noticed when she’d first walked in. Though how she could’ve missed him was a mystery. He leaned against the bar casually watching everyone around him, including her.
    Like the doorman and bartender, the man was big and unusually tall. His rugged good looks were understated, but striking.
    The man smiled at her. The act transformed his face and stole the breath from her lungs. Marco and Emmett faded away, along with the rest of the bar. Mindy smiled back, hoping her nerves didn’t show.
    Outwardly the man appeared to be having a good time, but Mindy recognized lonely when she saw it. After all, it stared back at her every time she looked in the mirror.
    His gaze stole across her, leaving heat in its wake.
    Mindy’s heart raced. It had been a long time since she’d experienced that kind of attraction to a man.
    Emmett put his arm around her.
    The move shocked Mindy, breaking the spell between them. She casually shifted until his arm dropped. Maybe he wouldn’t notice.
    Undeterred, Emmett did it again.
    This time Mindy looked at him before lifting his hand and removing his arm from around her shoulders. She didn’t want the man at the end of the bar to get the wrong impression, and she didn’t want to encourage Emmett.
    Just because he and Marco had approached her first didn’t mean that they had dibs on her. No one had dibs on her. Mindy wanted to make that clear upfront. She was grateful that they’d been so nice, but her gratitude only went so far.
    The man at the end of the bar continued to watch her. Without warning, he suddenly came to his feet and rounded the bar. His gaze never wavered as he made his way toward her.
    Mindy took a deep breath to calm her nerves. In her mind, she ran through a dozen ways of how to say hello. Before she could put any of them into practice, his footsteps faltered and he stopped. His disarming smile slowly faded and he returned to his spot at the end of the bar.
    What just happened? Had I inadvertently done something? Had Emmett’s clumsy attempt to hit on me dissuaded the man?
    The disappointment swirling inside surprised Mindy. She glanced at her clothes and wished once more that she’d worn something casual. This wouldn’t have happened to Celina or Isabel. They both had the ability to wrap men around their fingers.
    Game playing of any kind gave