In Your Corner | ✓

Five

MJ hands in a big paper that she's been stressing out about on Tuesday evening, so Anandi and I accompany her to Smith's, accompanying her in her mission to blow off some of the steam that's been piling up.

Honestly, both Anandi and I would take any excuse to have a drink, so we join her without complaint.

I'm spending all of my spare time in the library so that I can finish my maths assignment and it's driving me insane, so a quick break on Tuesday evening for a quiet couple of drinks is exactly what I need.

During the week, when Smith's is a little quieter than it is on the weekends, it's actually a really nice atmosphere.

Some indie band I've never heard of is playing on the speakers in the background and there's actually space to breathe, unlike a Saturday night.

Still, there are quite a lot of students around, but Anandi spots a free both and dashes off to nab it before we lose out.

MJ, for some reason, didn't go to the bathroom before we left our apartment, so she slips off, leaving me to order the first round of drinks.

Of course, we end up here on a night when Joshua Zaki is working.

He looks as handsome as ever, the black Smith's top tight around his biceps and across his broad chest. He's not as jacked as some football or hockey players tend to be, but he's still got a beautiful amount of muscle.

Of course, he's also got that gorgeous smile of his, with the dimple on his left cheek.

I lean against the bar as he approaches me, his face bright. "Hey, Josh."

Given that it's a little quieter tonight, he's actually got time to pause for a second. Leaning his elbows on the bar, he cups his face in his palms and smiles at me. "Hey, Nat. How are you doing?"

The counter between us is relatively big, so he's not uncomfortably close to me, but I can see the handful of blemishes across his skin and the spark lighting his hazel eyes.

I smile, trying not to show that the close proximity is making my brain a little fuzzy, despite the fact I've consumed literally no alcohol tonight. "Just a pint of your house beer and two ciders, please. No fancy mixers tonight."

The hangover I woke up with on Sunday morning after he'd fixed me that special drink Saturday night wasn't pretty. Not that he needs to know that.

He does that thing Anandi can, lifting just one eyebrow. "Ah, yes, of course. You're a bit of a beer buff, aren't you?"

I crinkle my nose at the expression. "I wouldn't say buff. I just like it."

He shrugs, still not moving away from me. "More than some. Have you ever been to Thirty Taps?"

I look away from him, racking my brain, trying to think if I've ever even heard of the place he's talking about, but I come up blank. "No, I haven't."

His eyes widen a fraction. "You haven't? It's this great bar downtown that literally has thirty different types of beer on tap. It's honestly to die for. You definitely have to go."

That does actually sound exactly up my street. Both Jonny and I love tap beer, so the minute I turned nineteen, he took me out to a nice place downtown that did tap beer for my first ever legal pint, but I've never heard of Thirty Taps.

"That sounds great," I agree eagerly, deciding that I'll have to let my best friend know about this place. "Thanks. I'll definitely check that out."

Josh flashes me that charming grin again, nodding. "Good. You'll have to let me know what you think of it."

Then, he drops his hands and pushes away from the bar. "Tonight's house beer is pretty bitter, are you into that?"