Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
She frowns. “But you just said you’d get somebody to cover your shift?”
“I do need to get someone to cover my shift…because I’m… I’m having dinner with some friends.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe I forgot. Laney!”
Laney hustles toward me. “Yeah, Brendan?”
“Can you cover the bar tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow’s my night off,” Laney says.
“I know. And I’m sorry, but I totally forgot I made plans with some friends who are coming into town.”
She shrugs. “It’s okay. I could use the extra cash.”
“Perfect. You’re the best, and sorry again for the short notice.”
“No problem.” Laney sets her pad of paper in front of me. “I need a couple martinis, a margarita, and a Tom Collins.” She rips the piece of paper off and hands it to me.
“Coming right up.”
“So which friends are you going out with tomorrow night?” Sadie asks.
“Some guys from high school are coming into town.” I smile, trying to ease the tension that’s making my neck stiff.
I don’t like lying. But I also just don’t think it’s fair to Sadie to lead her on. I’m not at all interested in her.
I’ve never been one to go out with a woman to just go out. I’m not one of the Rake-a-teers, as Donny, Brock, and Dave used to be called.
That old term is fading away, now that Donny and Brock are spoken for.
“Oh? Who?”
Man, she’s really going to make me work for this, isn’t she? She just moved here. She didn’t go to high school here. She won’t even know who I’m talking about.
“Some old friends. You wouldn’t know them.”
“Oh.” She takes a drink of her pink squirrel. “I see.”
Okay, now I feel like a piece of shit.
“We could go out another time,” I say.
Her eyes light up at that one. “Sure, I suppose so.”
“What if I give you a call?” I say.
“It’s okay, Brendan.” She drops her gaze to her nearly empty martini glass. “You and I both know you’re not going to call me.”
Now I feel like shit times two. Make that times two thousand.
“That’s not true.”
“You haven’t taken your eyes off Ava all night.”
“Sadie—”
“It’s okay.” Sadie attempts a smile. “She’s cute. The pink hair and lip ring work for her. Even those awful baggy jeans work on her. She has her own style, and I appreciate that. Plus, she makes amazing sandwiches.”
“She does. But I’m not interested in her in that way.”
What an acidic lie.
“Then you might want to stop staring at her.” Sadie turns to her companions. “If it’s okay with you guys, I’m going to take off.”
“Okay,” Nora says. “See you tomorrow at work.”
Sadie opens her purse and pulls out her wallet.
I place my hand over hers. “No charge tonight. It’s on me.”
“Is that a brush-off? I don’t want to go out with you, but I’ll pay for your drinks?”
“It’s just something I do for friends sometimes,” I say.
“Okay.” She shoves her wallet back into her purse. “See you around, Brendan.” She hops off her stool and leaves the bar.
And now I feel like complete crap. Times two million.
Though I still can’t take my eyes off Ava’s ass as she bends over to make a shot. Even in those baggy boyfriend jeans, it’s amazing.
“What a fine ass,” I say under my breath.
I don’t even realize I’ve spoken aloud until Nora meets my gaze. “So you do like Sadie, then?”
“Oh? Sure, Sadie’s a nice girl.”
“I mean you like her ass.” Nora laughs.
Great. She thought I was watching Sadie go out the door.
“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” I say.
“I didn’t think that,” Nora says. “Sadie will be thrilled. She really likes you, Brendan.”
“I like her too.”
I look around for a minute to make sure I’m still thirty-five and still tending bar. For a moment, I felt like I was at a locker in middle school with a girl asking me who I like. Or like like.
This has to stop.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I say to Nora as I set my towel down and step out from behind the bar.
I walk to Ava.
Enough is enough is enough.
Yes, she’s young.
Yes, she’s shown no interest in me at all.
But damn it. I’m going to ask her out.
Because this has gone on long enough. Dave is in the middle of a shot, so I tap Ava on the shoulder.
She jerks around. “Oh, hi, Brendan.”
“Ava, I was wondering if you…would like another pink squirrel.”
God, I’m such a fucking coward.
She widens her eyes just a touch. “Oh, no, thank you. I started to feel that last one.”
Dave attempts the shot. Misses.
“You need anything, Dave?” I ask.
“Yeah, another beer would be great.” He laughs. “I actually play better when I’m a little drunk. Thanks, Brendan.”
I head back to the bar. “Chicken shit,” I say under my breath.
Then I turn around quickly.
Back to Ava.
She’s getting ready to make her shot, so I stay quiet until she’s done. She misses.