Page 38 of Trust Me

“There’s a question.” He moved to the side to take an order, then returned to stand across the bar from me. “Yeah, Oli’s great when it comes to taking stock of someone, but he’s also idealistic. Sometimes, he wants it so bad that he’ll blind himself to reality.”

“And what’s reality?”

“People are shit. Absolute dog shit. Even the best of them do bad things, and if there’s no personal stakes involved, what’s to stop them from doing it?”

“Individual morality?” I offered. “Empathy?”

He scoffed. “Empathy crumbles when challenged, or it’s weaponized.”

“You know, you’re a joy to be around.”

To my shock, he chuckled. “I am. But not to people I don’t trust.”

“You can trust me.”

“With my best friend, I don’t trust anyone.”

With that, he marched out from behind the counter and started picking up empty glasses. I wanted to tell him where he could stick his horrible attitude, but it wouldn’t do any good. Besides, the last thing I should do was make a real enemy out of my new roommate’s best friend. They clearly had a bond that was unbreakable, and I didn’t want to get in the middle of things anyway.

“God, I just want a drink,” a girl whined from the other side of the counter. She stood on her toes, trying to peer into the back room.

I glanced toward where Remi was still gathering cups. He was chatting along the way, looking like a completely different person, less reminiscent of a disgruntled dog.

It might get me thrown out, but screw it.

I came around the other side of the counter and grabbed one of the clean rags so I looked official. “What are you up for?” I asked.

The woman eyed me for a second. “Just a tequila.”

“I’ve got you.”

I scanned the drinks, realizing there were a few different tequilas. The girl wasn’t so far gone that she should be cut off, but I thought she wouldn’t really care about the price. Then again, I couldn’t afford to piss off Remi.

“You want bottom shelf or the good stuff?” I asked. When she hesitated, I swiped the higher-end bottle and displayed it for her. “It goes down a lot smoother.” I didn’t know the first thing about tequila or how it went down. “Less likely to trigger a—” I made a gagging gesture, which drew a laugh from her.

“Screw it. Let’s do that one.”

With a grin, I tossed it above me, then caught it with my other hand. If they made one in the shape of a football, I’d probably be able to learn some cool tricks with it.

She giggled, leaning her hip against the bar as she fished her money out of her pocket. “Keep the change, cutie.”

Before she walked away with her drink, she booped me on the nose. I folded the twenty, feeling like I’d taken advantage of her or something.

“Seriously?” Remi looked angry, but he kept his voice controlled.

I held the bill out to him. He snatched it, then eyed the bottle in my hand. When he blinked a few times, I smirked.

“Upselling,” I said. “A good asset to have, right?”

He scoffed. “Upselling. Twenty for a thirty-dollar shot, huh?”

My eyes bugged out of my head. “Thirty dollars? That’s highway robbery.”

“This isn’t top-shelf dive bar liquor. It’s premium, for the tenured crowd. Like I said, you’re not a good fit.”

With my pride squashed, I nodded. I tried to keep my shoulders straight as I rounded the counter, but I could feel the way they sagged.

“You’re good with people.”