Tanner stared a little. It was way more pleasant than thinking. The guy looked a little like a Viking or something. Plunder-ho!

A plate of wings was plonked down in front of the man. He nodded his thanks and dug in, eating like it was the first food he'd had all day.

Mmm. Tanner's belly rumbled, and he grinned. "Did the boss leave enough money for me to get fried cheese, man?" he asked the bartender.

"Yep. Of course, the more you have, the more it eats into my tip."

"Shit, man. I'll do my best, but I'm starving." Tanner tried for a smile.

The bartender chuckled. "I'll warn you before I'm aiming to cut you off."

"Thanks." He wasn't really going to drink all that much, but an open tab meant he could sit as long as he wanted and watch pretty blond dude.

It looked like the guy was pretty hungry. The wings were stripped clean in short order, followed by a plate of loaded potato skins and then a bowl of onion rings.

That sounded good, too. Onion rings. Maybe he'd grab a few of those.

Blondie caught him staring at one point and nodded at him, saluted him with a ring.

He nodded back, trying to decide if that was just politeness because he was staring, or if the guy was showing interest. He couldn't tell anymore, really.

The half-smile he was given tipped him toward "showing interest."

"Gimme a basket of onion rings and you can keep the rest, man." He nodded at the bartender before moving down to stand in front of the hot guy. "So, if I get the next basket of rings, will you share?"

Blondie looked at him for a moment, then passed the basket over with a smile.

"Thanks." He sat, grabbing an onion ring. Maybe he wasn't the only fucked-up loner in the place tonight.

A hand was held out to him, lean and callused. "Win."

"Tanner." He shook, and something jolted right up his arm into his chest. His nipples tightened, almost like he'd stepped out into a cold night with no shirt on.

"Nice to meet you." The way Win said it, it felt real.

"You, too." He guessed it was, anyway. This could be dangerous, as hot as this guy was.

"The guy you were with...?" The unfinished question hung there.

"Huh? Oh, that was business. He's like my manager, I guess." Tanner smiled a little at the thought that he had some kind of talent. It was a damned curse, really, and Ray wasn't exactly watching out for Tanner's interests.

Win relaxed a little, smiled. "Cool. What're you drinking?"