Chapter 3 03

The men all catcalled and Thea quickly moved away. She'd been waiting for Josh to ask her out for the last few weeks. She thought he liked her but she couldn't be too sure. Thea was too afraid to ask him either in case he said no. Better to have a one-sided love than to be rejected.

She liked the idea of a slow-burn romance, of waiting until the moment was right. But every time she was near him, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered, and every time he smiled at her, her heart did a little flip. Still, the uncertainty gnawed at her, and she couldn't bring herself to take that leap.

Walking back to the bar, the front door opened, and two men walked in. They appeared to be in their early thirties and could only be brothers. She guessed they were European, dark brown hair hanging to their shoulders, their brown eyes scanning the room. Their skin had a slight olive tinge. They were striking, commanding attention even in a place as lively as this.

Shae grabbed Thea's arm. "I claim them. Don't even think about smiling at them."

Thea raised an eyebrow, casting a glance at Shae, who wore an eager smirk. "I wasn't."

She could feel the strange sensation bubbling in her chest as she continued to observe the men. There was something unsettling about them-something she couldn't quite place. It wasn't just their looks, which were undeniably handsome, but something deeper. A dark energy that seemed to cling to them.

"I think you should stay away from them, Shae," Thea warned, her voice quieter than usual. "I don't like them."

Shae scoffed, rolling her eyes as she leaned closer to Thea. "Just because you don't like them doesn't mean I have to. Go ahead, hate them," she teased, "More hunky men for me."

Thea's gaze lingered on the two brothers as they settled at the bar, their eyes sweeping across the room before locking onto Shae with intense curiosity. The sensation in her chest tightened, but she forced herself to look away. "Please be careful then," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Shae pouted dramatically, clearly unimpressed. "You're no fun."

Thea chuckled, trying to brush off the strange feeling. "Maybe not, but I'm still looking out for you."

The night passed by in a blur of drinks and friendly conversation. The usual hum of chatter mixed with the occasional laughter, creating an atmosphere of relaxed joy. Everyone was in a celebratory mood since Brazil had passed through to the semi-finals, and Thea found herself joining in the cheers with the rest of the bar-goers. Matt, who had been eagerly talking to customers about the game all night, finally handed Thea her winnings from their bet, but not without a small amount of reluctance.

"Do you really have to rub it in, Thea?" Matt grumbled, though his smile gave away the fact he was more amused than annoyed.

"I won, didn't I?" she teased, slipping the cash into her pocket. "And no one told you to bet against Brazil. That's on you, my friend."

Josh, the charming bartender who made Thea's heart race with every interaction, gave her a smile before heading toward the door. The last few customers, drunk on the excitement of Brazil's victory, stumbled out after him, still cheering and laughing. Thea caught Josh's eye, and he smiled at her once more, a lingering look that made her pulse skip.

He said his goodbyes to the rest of the group and was shoved out the door by two of the rowdy men who were still in high spirits. The smile he had given her was enough to make Thea's heart flutter, but the disappointment in her chest was palpable when no date offer followed. She had been waiting for weeks, but it seemed she would have to wait a little longer.

Shae closed the door on the final customers and twisted the lock. "Never mind, Thea. There's always tomorrow to try and get in his pants."

Thea rolled her eyes and gave her friend a pointed look. "Shut up, Shae."

Shae shrugged casually, trying to look innocent. "What? I mean, in a normal situation, it's the guy trying to get into our pants, but I guess we are living in modern times. You have to be more aggressive if you want to succeed."

Thea's face flushed at Shae's bluntness. "Shae!"

Shae giggled, poking her tongue out. "Lighten up! You know I'm cheering for you."

"I know, in your own weird way."

As the girls finished up their closing duties, Matt walked over, jingling his keys in his hand. "Do you girls mind closing up tonight? I have to pick up Sharon from work."

"Sure, say hi for us," Thea replied with a smile, holding out her hand for the keys.

Matt tossed them to her. "Will do. Good night. Be safe."

"Yeah, yeah, 'dad,'" both girls called out in unison, teasing their boss.

Matt chuckled as he waved over his shoulder, walking out the door and locking it behind him. The girls quickly collected the stray bottles and wiped down the chairs and tables, preparing to leave the bar.

The night had been long, and though they had earned their tips, Thea's mind was still preoccupied with Josh, the men who had arrived earlier, and the odd feeling that had settled in her stomach. She wasn't sure what it was, but she had an instinct that something wasn't right about those brothers. There was a darkness lurking just beneath their handsome exteriors that made her uneasy.

"Did you have any luck with the two guys who came in?" Thea asked Shae, watching her friend as she stacked the last of the chairs. The unease she felt about the men only grew as she thought about them.

"No," Shae sighed, not even noticing Thea's relief. "They seemed more interested in you than me. Just my luck."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, girl. It's not your fault the hotties are all attracted to you," Shae replied with a dramatic shrug, a teasing grin tugging at her lips. "Just lend me some of what you're throwing out and I'll forgive you."

Thea laughed, shaking her head. "When I figure out what it is, I'll give you all of it."

"Deal."

Shae tilted her head, giving Thea a mischievous look. "Smouldering hottie left early, not long after those guys arrived." Her grin widened. "Maybe he was threatened by the competition?"

Thea shook her head in amusement. "Or perhaps he had other plans and had to leave?"

"Your reason sounds more logical," Shae conceded, but she remained unconvinced. "But mine sounds more fun. I'm going to stick with mine."

Once all the tables were cleared and cleaned, the girls set the alarms, and with a final glance around the bar, walked out the back door, putting on their jackets. The night was cold, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the bar. The sky was clear, but the streets felt eerily quiet as they stepped outside, the sounds of the city muffled by the chill.

"See you tomorrow, Thea," Shae said with a yawn, pulling her collar up against the wind.

Thea nodded, pulling her own jacket tighter around her. "Yeah, tomorrow," she murmured, her thoughts still swirling with the strange feeling that something was off. She couldn't quite shake the unease about those men, but she knew one thing for sure: tomorrow would bring new challenges-and perhaps new answers.