Geena’s eyes widen as she stares at me, her features screwing up before she puffs out a breath. “I can’t believe this, you’re just trying to upset me. I’ve been at work all day and all I wanted was a nice quiet meal before I go home and sleep.”
“Geena,” I whisper, laying my hand on her arm to stop her from exiting the car as she pushes the door open. “This car means a lot to me, I don’t want to risk it being stolen.”
“Anyone would be stupid to try and steal it. I mean, it’s not very inconspicuous, Evan.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shake my head and let her arm go, pulling my keys from the ignition and pushing my own door
open before I step out of the car, effectively ending the argument.
She whizzes past me, opening the door to Barney’s, not bothering to wait for me as she does.
I step inside after her, the loud chatter and the smell of the wood, ribs, and beer permeating the air bringing a smile to my face. I’ve been coming to Barney’s since I was a kid. Dad and Pop used to bring me here when it was family hours. I love how the place caters to all kinds of people. Between the hours of four and seven anyone is welcome, but as soon as the clock strikes seven, it’s a strict over-twenty-one-only policy.
“Evan!” Barney Junior calls. “Long time no see!”
I shake my head and chuckle as I walk up to the pine wooden bar that he stands behind—a bar that his dad, Barney Senior, made with his bare hands. “I was here three days ago.”
“Like I said.” He smirks. “Long time no see. You eating or just drinking?”
I search the place for Geena, finally catching sight of her in a booth toward the back. “Eating,” I reply, tilting my head to Geena. “I better get over there.”
He holds his fist out and I bump mine against his before spinning around and making my way over to Geena.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, clutching the napkin in her hands. “It’s just you know how much I hate your car and it feels like you do it on purpose sometimes.”
“I don’t,” I say, sitting down on the dark red, leather-covered booth seat. “I honestly didn’t think about it.”
“You don’t ever think,” she whispers, but it’s not a soft whisper, it’s a “you know exactly what you’re doing” whisper.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” She smiles, but it’s too late, I heard what she said loud and clear. I feel like I have a giant ball in my stomach, the atmosphere around us becoming tenser with every second that passes.
I lean back in the booth, fiddling with my own napkin until Barney’s wife, Mel, comes over and asks what we want to order. I tell her I’ll take the burger special and Geena orders the same.
“I’ll take a beer and he’ll have water.”
Mel raises her brows at her and then turns toward me. “What do you want to drink, hon?”
“I’ll take a water,” I say, forcing a smile on my face. She hesitates before nodding and spinning around, leaving the silence between me and Geena.
“So, Pop’s having a birthday meal.”
“Okay.”
“Will you be able to get the time off?”
She shrugs. “You’ll have to give me the date, Evan. How am I meant to ask for it off if I don’t know when it is, huh?”
“Right.” I clear my throat and pull my cell out to give me something to focus on, clicking on my calendar even though I already know the date. “It’s the twenty-second of next month, so just over a month. That should be enough time for you to get it off, right?”
She pulls her own cell out, presumably checking her own calendar so I wait, but when she starts to giggle like a schoolgirl, I frown.
“Geena?” I ask.
“Wait a sec,” she gasps, holding her finger up in the air to silence me. “This is just hilarious!”
I look off to the side, scanning the entire place as I wait for her to acknowledge me. The blue cloth-covered pool table that sits over on the left side of the bar has a crowd of guys surrounding it, almost all of the booths and chairs are taken by people drinking, eating, and laughing at the conversations that they’re having.