John felt a bead of sweat trace down his spine. He was positive that every person in the bar was watching him turn the back of his shirt transparent while he drank out of this beautiful woman’s glass.

The flavor burst over his tongue, and he was surprised that he actually liked it. “Wow. That’s pretty good.”

“I know. Not too sweet.” She offered a sip to Richie, who smiled and shook his head.

“Not a fan of shandies,” he told her with a wink.

John had never even heard that word before. He made a note to look it up at home.

“So,” John said in a gruff voice. “You two made plans to hang out tonight?”

Richie studiously avoided John’s eye contact. “Yup. I figured after a few weeks of getting my ass handed to me online, I should see if this girl can dish it out in person as well.”

She blushed and laughed. “I don’t make a practice of talking smack in real life. Just on that one app.” She paused. “And sometimes in the bathroom mirror if I need to pump myself up before a big date.”

John burst out laughing. He couldn’t help himself. Just picturing Mary rude-talking some confidence into herself, 8 Mile–style, was too much for him. She looked up at him in surprise, her eyes on his mouth, almost as if his laughter had startled her.

“Who’s your friend, Richie?” a low, familiar voice asked from behind John, and for a moment, he considered not moving to one side and just boxing Hogan Trencher out until he got the picture and left.

“Hulk,” Richie said, a blush on his cheeks and a miserable look in his eye. “Meet Mary Trace. Mary, meet Detective Hogan Trencher.”

John stepped aside, wanting to stand with one shoulder behind Mary, but going to stand beside Richie instead. Hogan slid into place effortlessly, one hand wrapped around Mary’s and already saying something that made her chuckle.

John and Richie made eye contact again. This time it was John’s eyes that said, Sorry, dude.

“Serves me right for inviting her without telling you,” Richie muttered so only John could hear. “Karma is a bitch.”

Richie and John both tried not to watch their crushes flirt with each other. Five minutes passed and Hogan and Mary were still chatting. John and Richie started up a conversation with Beth Herari, the one cop John actually considered a friend. Beth was Marissa’s sister-in-law and occasionally found her way into Fellow’s. Currently, she and Hogan were the only two cops with the stones to spend the evening in a lawyers’ bar. She was just showing him pictures of her new puppy when John felt a sharp kick to his shin.