“No, he doesn’t.” I shake my head. There’s no way.
“Tell yourself whatever you need to but that man right there...” She points to him. He’s at the other end of the room talking to someone, but his eyes meet mine, and he gives me a little wave with his fingers. “...he’s definitely head over heels for you.”
I look back at her and then again at him. Blood rushes into my head, and all I can hear is the swooshing of my heartbeat.
“And if I didn’t know any better, I would say that you love him too.” I hear her but only barely over the overtaking thumping happening in my head. I look at her again, put my hand on her forearm.
“Thank you. Excuse me.”
I get up and go to the bathroom. Not rushing, so no one thinks anything of it.. But once I am in the stall, I finally let out my breath and the tension I had been holding in.
Love? Me? Do I love him? It’s only been a month. An amazing month, no doubt, but still. Does it happen that fast?Canit happen that fast? Love at first sight, which was something we learned about in fairy tales as children. It can’t…
I put my fingers to my lips, remembering every time he kissed me, every time he wrapped me in his arms, every time he wanted nothing more than to sit with me while I read to him and every time, we had sex. The mind-blowing, body-numbing sex.
I gasp.
“Sarah,thisisGraysonand his fiancée, Riley And this is Curtis and his wife, Claire.”
I shake each of their hands “It’s so nice to meet all of you. Chris has told me such amazing things about you.”
“Well, I would hope so,” Riley says. She and Grayson are working behind the bar tonight.
“Would you like something to drink? On the house.” This from Grayson.
“Sure, um, I will take a vodka soda.”
The two of them split from the counter and make the drink. They do it together, like they are dancing. One just knows what the other one is going to do, where they are going to turn, and what and how much they are going to pour.
“I see what you mean by those two. They make quite the pair,” I tell Chris.
“Yeah. They do,” he looks at me. There’s something different about it though. There is a sadness behind his eyes.
Riley slides the drink to me. “Let me know if you need anything else.” Then Grayson shows up behind her, puts a beer bottle in front of her, and she reaches up and pops the top off and Grayson sets it down. Then they walk away.
“It’s like they rehearsed it,” I say as I slide onto the bar stool.
“I know, but they have been like that since the first day she worked here. Their energy and connection is fascinating.”
We spent the rest of the night playing darts and pool. Talking to all the locals and looking at all the amazing things this bar has inside of it. I’m standing in front of a two-headed calf when strong arms wrap around my waist, and a chin rest on my shoulder. I’m going to miss this.
“Is it real?” I ask.
“Yup. Everything in here is real. Well, besides the jackalope, and that depends on who you talk to.”
I yawn and lean back into his hold.
“Tired my little Titmouse?”
My lips pull up on one side. “Yeah.”
“You have a long day of flying tomorrow. We should get you back to the hotel.”
I turn around to him, and the look on his face. The sweet but somber look creates a lump in my throat and tears threaten my eyes.
“Yeah.” It’s all I can say without letting the floodgates open.
We say our goodbyes and walk the couple of blocks to the hotel, hand in hand. I swallow the lump down that was in my throat and gather my courage. The courage I know I have now, thanks to Chris.