Maddy: Not for more than two hours at a time
Me: Hang in there. It’ll get better. Have her daddies take the night shifts
Maddy: They do, don’t worry. Have fun tonight!
Next, I try Bianca.
Me: Want to go out tonight?
Bianca: Can’t. I have plans already
Me: With Olivia?
Bianca: No
Me: Who are you going out with?
Bianca: No one you know. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye
There is definitely something going on with her. I wonder if she’s dating someone and doesn’t want me to know about it. She shouldn’t bother to try to hide something from me, because I will find out.
In the meantime, I guess I’m drinking alone. Hopefully, Christine is on tonight. She’ll keep me company, and she mixes a really good dirty screw.
Going straight from the office, I get a big head start on the crowd at Rusty’s and I have my pick of barstools.
“Long time, no see,” Christine says, pausing from her task of cutting up limes and stacking them in a small glass.
I take a seat right in front of her. “I guess it has been.”
She looks me up and down, scanning as much of me as she can see from behind the counter. “Want your usual? Or a virgin drink?”
“Why would I want a drink without alcohol?”
“Last I saw you, you were leaving with not one, but two strapping lads. And a while back, I heard you were dating David Byers. I thought maybe you were knocked up.”
“Nope, not knocked up yet. Give me the hard stuff.” I wish she hadn’t brought up that night with Nathan and Ash. Of course, it was on my mind as soon as I walked in here, which is ironic since I’m here tonight to have enough drinks so that I can forget about those men and their two gorgeous friends.
Because I’m at the bar way too early in the evening, I drink slowly. I want to forget my troubles, but I don’t want to be skunk-drunk before there’s even a crowd here.
Since she’s not busy, Christine and I shoot the breeze for a while, and I take the opportunity to question her about Bianca. “Hey, have you seen my sister in here lately.”
The bartender appears to search her memory before she answers in the negative.
“Heard any gossip about her?”
Again she takes a thoughtful pause. “No, can’t say that I have. Why? What’s up?”
“I’m not sure. Something’s up, though.”
Christine laughs. “You usually know everything that’s going on.”
“I guess I’ve been a little out of touch lately.”
I finally finish my first drink and am starting on my second dirty screw when Christine looks toward the door. “You didn’t tell me your friends were coming.”
I turn, my first random thought being that Maddy somehow made it out tonight, but instead I see four very familiar figures entering the bar. Four ridiculously handsome men who have been haunting my dreams and consuming my thoughts. Four men who look angry.
22
Once again surrounded
They stride directly over to me, and though Christine hovers at first, prepared to take their drink orders, she seems to quickly sense that they’re not here for drinks, and she makes herself scarce.
“We got your note,” Nathan says.
Up close, the four of them don’t look angry so much as concerned and confused. There’s definitely some irritation in their expressions, too, though.
“Okay.” I take a swig from my glass, wishing I was further along in my drinking plans for the night and feeling numb to the situation.
The bar is starting to get more crowded, but Nathan, Ash, Landon, and Derek form a semicircle around me, effectively cutting off my view of anyone else. “Want to tell us what’s going on?”
“I need to quit. I’m giving notice. But I’ll stay until you have someone to replace me.”
Nathan closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, as if trying to summon patience. “We read that much. Why are you quitting?”
“Did you get another job?” Landon asks.
“No, I don’t have another job yet.”
“Then what is this about? Is it something we did?” Derek asks.
Nathan, arms folded over his chest, adds, “Does this have something to do with last weekend?”
I feel ganged-up on. Before, with these men, that had always been a good thing, when they joined forces to make my body feel good. Now their collective efforts are compelling me to tell them things I’d hoped to keep to myself.
“Let’s go outside. I don’t want to talk about this in here.”
When I reach for my wallet to settle my tab, Ash is quicker. “I got it.” He tosses some bills on the bar and the men move back, giving me room to stand.
Christine reappears behind the counter, her eyes concerned. “Everything okay, Lacy?”
I smile at her, grateful to know she has my back. “Everything’s fine. We’re just going outside to talk.”
She gives me a nod and I follow the men out. Nathan, leading the group, turns toward the side of the building and my heart sinks. This conversation will be harder still at the site of our first encounter. But, no matter what, I tell myself, there will not be a repeat performance tonight. I need to stay strong, with my head in command.