Red’s was filled with colorful lights strung across the ceiling, in no particular order, and a Christmas tree had been added to the entrance. They even had an eggnog cocktail on their menu I wondered if anyone was ordering. Creed had ordered a large basket of fries and a grinder then left them for me. I hadn’t known what a grinder was until the sub sandwich arrived with the fries. I took a fry just as Creed looked in my direction and winked. Smiling, I took a bite and enjoyed having his attention.
Although Red’s didn’t have a fireplace, like Clarks did, they were on the water or the marsh. Creed had corrected me when I called it the lake. I didn’t know there was a difference. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked out at the lights from Red’s twinkling on the water. Boats were anchored outside, but no one was on them. It was too cold for boating I would assume, but then this was New England and these people wore shorts when it was forty-five degrees out.
Relaxing, I leaned back with my cocktail and considered taking a bite of the sandwich when I glanced up to see Chet enter the bar. I’d hoped this wouldn’t happen. I had almost convinced myself I was in the clear. Most college students were taking exams, so Chet and Griff should be studying. Creed had offered to call Chet and see if they were coming, but I’d felt bad asking him to do that. I would have to see Griff again, and if that was tonight, I would deal with it.
There was no Griff behind Chet though. I sighed in relief and decided I was taking a bite of the sandwich. If Chet was here and Griff wasn’t with him then I was in the clear. This wasn’t Griff’s kind of place. He had never loved going to bars, but he’d go with me to listen to music when we were in Nashville.
Chet was talking to a small group of people and a pretty brunette was with him. I wondered if that was Shelly and the idea made me grin. Moving my eyes back to Creed on stage he was watching me. I wondered if he’d seen Chet enter too and had waited to see if Griff followed. I held up my drink to him in a toast and he smirked.
They would hopefully be getting a break soon. I missed him.
“Hey, Sailor,” Chet said, and I had missed his walking over here toward me. He’d been at Thanksgiving, and after he made a joke about me switching boyfriends, we had all been comfortable.
“Hello, Chet,” I replied. “Y’all want to sit here? The place is packed.”
Chet motioned for the brunette to slide inside the booth before him. “Thanks, I was hoping you’d offer. If not, I was just going to be rude and sit. Sailor, this is Maegan, and Maegan, this is Sailor.”
Maegan’s eyes went wide and I was preparing myself for her to recognize me as Denver Copeland’s daughter when she said, “So you’re the Sailor?”
“Oh yeah, that’s her,” Chet replied grinning wickedly. “Griff was drinking too much this evening and went on a drunken rant about you. I wasn’t sharing your shit or anything,” he said to me.
I hated to think of Griff getting drunk. It wasn’t like him. Although I didn’t love Griff, I cared about him. He had been important to me for four years. Breaking up with him didn’t change that.
“I’m surprised he was drinking with exams,” I said.
“We are done. He’s heading back to Nashville tomorrow for the holiday break. Instead of going out tonight, he decided to have his own party with Jim Bean,” Chet said then reached for the fry basket. “Do you mind?” he asked, before taking a fry.
I shook my head. “Take all you want.”
“Is the grinder not good?” he asked me, nodding toward the sub.
“It’s okay.”
“Which one is Creed?” Maegan asked.
Chet smirked at me then looked at his date. “The wicked hot one,” he said.
Maegan didn’t have a hard time figuring that out. “Oh,” she replied, and I knew what she was thinking. Yes, Creed was beautiful and sexy but that hadn’t been why I chose him over Griff. I couldn’t exactly defend my choice though she wasn’t voicing her thoughts.
“Well damn,” Chet said, his attention on the door.
I followed his gaze. “Oh no,” I whispered.
Griff had decided to come out after all. Even if Chet hadn’t told me he was drunk, I’d have been able to tell. Especially when he looked our way and raised his hand to wave it back and forth in the air at us and shout. “HEY!”
Griff did not cause scenes. At least he didn’t sober. The amount of times I had witnessed Griff even tipsy I could count on one hand. His dad was a recovering alcoholic and Griff drank in moderation.