Don't Let Me Go Tonight
If he was being completely honest, he didn't much attention to anyone else when he walked through the door. As soon as he'd stepped foot inside, he'd set his sights on the unoccupied stool at the bar.
He walked over to the wooden counter, slapping his hands down roughly as he shifted himself onto the stool. "Can I get a beer?" he asked out, eyeing the back of the barman's head.
The other man turned, a bottle of vodka in his hand. He observed the guy's face and raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, "You sure you don't want anything stronger?"
"What you got?"
The bartender smirked, holding up a finger as is to tell him to be patient for a moment. He swiftly moved his way around the bar and started pouring various drinks into a glass, with red food colouring, and salt. He pushed it across the bar with the smirk still plastered on his lips.
He turned his nose, "What is this?" he asked him, smelling the substance.
The barman shook his head, his ratty mohawk moving, "Don't ask," and he rubbed his hands together before serving the next person.
Finn pulled a face before taking a huge sip of the drink, what the heck. He swallowed with a sour face, his eyes squinting at the bitter taste.
After a few seconds, the flavour passed, "Dude, that's amazing!" he called, and the other guy turned back around with a smile.
"I know, man."
He heard a small giggle from beside him and turned his head to see a girl twirling the straw in her drink with one finger. She flicked her brown hair behind her shoulder while casting a glance at him with a small smile.
She then turned her attention back to the man next to her, whose hand was creeping dangerously up her thigh.
She fake laughed at something he said, clearly bored of the conversation, and cast her gaze down at the bar. The black paint of her nails wearing off as she scratched the surface.
"So, bad day?"
He turned his attention to back behind the bar, "That's an understatement."
The man nodded, leaning forward on his elbows and folding his arms together against the counter, "Girlfriend in bed with best friend? Saw your granny naked in the shower?" he asked, the smirk reappearring on his face.
"Eh, no."
"You're lucky, I got to see my Grandma Ethel taking a bath. What a treat." he shared.
Finn chuckled, "Oh, nice." he joked, "But, no. I, um- my fiancée's just been driving me crazy lately. I just can't do it anymore." he explained, resting his head down in the palms of his hands.
"What? You ditched her?"
He shook his head, "I'm close, thank God she'd back home in Ohio. I'd probably strangle her."
"You live in Ohio?"
"Yeah, but we're moving here in the fall. I just came earlier to get everything sorted out and for my work."
He nodded, "Right."
A comfortable silence passed between the two.
"I'm Puck, by the way."
"Finn."
The silence broke when they heard the wood of a stool squeak on the floor.
"I'll be back in a minute." the guy spoke, patting a hand against her shoulder.
The girl nodded, not even looking at him. She groaned when he was out of sight, slamming her head down repeatedly on the bar.
"Bad day?"
She looked up, realizing she'd been spoken to.
"Bad date." she corrected, sending him a smile. "I'm never going on a blind date, again. I swear." She watched the man beside her, and tapped him on the arm, "Hi. Listen, do you think you could, like, pretend to know me to get me away from that guy, please. I know it sounds weird, but he's such a bore and I'm this close to stabbing his eye with my heel." she showed, raising her hand at eye level.
Finn sent her a confused look. She was gorgeous, beautiful. Her brown hair was half straight and half wavvy, and stopped mid-length. Her chocolate brown eyes dug into his own as he contemplated his decision. Why not?
"What's your name?"
She smiled, holding up her hand for him to shake, "Rachel. Rachel Berry."
"I'm Finn," he started, shaking her hand.
"I know, I heard you tell my guy Puck over here." she told him, tilting her head over towards her cousin. "Ok, here he comes." She spun back around in her seat as the man sat back down in his own.
"So, where were we?" he asked, trying to grab her hand that rested on the bar.
She pulled her face, faking a smile. "Uhuh."
"Rachel? Rach?" Finn called her out, resting a hand on her back. She didn't know why but she felt shivers.
She turned back around, faking a gasp and smiling at him, "Oh my God, Finn!" she shrieked, jumping from her seat and wrapping her arms around him. "It's been so long!"
"I know, how've you been?" he asked her, holding onto her shoulder.
"I've been good, really good. What about you, how's your mom? I know how much she loved me."
He grinned; they were playing fake exes.
"She's been OK, you know, since her... bird died." he tried, unsure of his answer.
She held back a laugh, "Oh, that was such a blast to everyone."
Within a few moments, her date all forgotten, he'd up and left.
"Thank you, thank you so, so much." she thanked, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Finn smiled, sitting back down, "You're welcome. It was pretty fun, actually." he admitted.
Rachel bit her bottom lip, and crossed her arms. She nodded with agreement, "Well, I better go get ready." she told him, downing the last sip of her drink.
Spinning around on her heel, she made her way behind the bar and into the back.
"Where's she going?"
Puck smirked again, "Oh, you'll see."
xx
The next noise he heard was the sound of Sia's Breathe Me.
Rachel.
"She's the singer, here?" Finn asked, surprised.
Puck nodded, "Every thursday and friday." He wiped the dishcloth across the dirty bar.
She was amazing, and Finn had never actually heard anyone sing like her.
He watched her, the way she stood on the stage with her eyes closed lightly. They flickered open and he caught her attention. She didn't leave his eyes for the rest of the song.
Puck chuckled when he noticed the connection, shaking his head.
After a few songs, she'd ended her performance, "Thank you!"
The small group of men cheered and whistled.
Making her way off the stage, she walked over to where Puck and Finn were still talking.
"You still here?"
Finn grinned, "Couldn't keep away."
She smiled, licking her bottom lip. "Good, then you can buy me dinner." she told him. Puck passed over her purse from behind the counter and she grabbed it before tugging on Finn's hand.
"What-?" He was confused to say the least. He looked over at Puck as he left, who only shook his head with a small laugh.
They made their way outside, and she pulled her red coat on, zipping it up to her cleavage. "So, McDonald's?" she asked, looking up at his face.
The tall guy raised an eyebrow and pulled the hood of his sweater over his head as he felt a speck of rain land on his cheek. "Sure."
He'd only known this girl for about, an hour and a half, and she was already inviting herself out to dinner.
xx
"For a girl, you've got quite an appetite." he remarked, observing the amounts of food on the table.
She stuffed a few fries into her mouth, "My family's Italian." As though that would settle for an argument.
He nodded, taking a bite of his burger.
She giggled when she looked over at him. Leaning over the messy table, she ran her finger along his bottom lip to wipe off some ketchup that had dripped. They seemed to stare into each other's eyes for forever as she licked the sauce off of her finger.
"You ready to go?"
They both stood, "Where?"
"My place." she told him as though it was obvious.
He gulped. At any other time, he would throw her over his shoulder and have his way with her, but he couldn't. Because he was engaged. Fuck.
"You do know I have a fiancée, right?" He was making sure that she didn't get the wrong idea. Because he didn't know if he'd be able to stop himself if she did.
"Yeah, and? We're only going to watch a movie, Finny." she elaborated, smirking at the thought of what he was thinking. "Not like that would stop me anyway," she reasoned, before spinning around and resting a hand on his chest, "Or you, for that matter."
xx
He didn't know how it happened, but they'd somehow managed to curl up on her couch while watching some stupid romantic comedy.
Of course, he'd let her choose.
Mistake #1.
He didn't know how it happened, but he'd somehow managed to smell the coconut shampoo in her hair.
Of course, she'd leaned her head on his shoulder, so it was her fault. Of course.
Mistake #2.
He didn't know how it happened, but he'd somehow managed to kiss her before he left the following morning. On the lips.
Of course, she'd been the one to initiate the kiss, so it was her fault. Of course.
Mistake #3.
He knew that at Mistake #6, he'd cheat on his fiancée.