Page 87 of Ruin

He stood and stretched his hand out, meeting mine as we shook, eyes locked.

“This isn’t what I expected from this meeting, ya know. Two old friends grabbing a drink. And now—” He stopped.

I cut in, my whisper doused with a shrillness that made Byron pull his hand back from my grasp. “And now you have asked me to endure the unimaginable, so you must excuse my dissatisfaction at present.”

Byron nodded, his eyes turning back to her once again as he zipped his coat. “I’ve got to get back to Boston tonight…but I’ll be back next week.”

My jaw clenched as I watched him down the last of his beer.

“Arik, she will be fine. I have friends—practically family—here in New York. They’ll keep an eye on her in between my visits. She’s kind of a shut-in. It won’t be hard. Apartment, school, here, parents’ house…” Byron rattled off quickly, as if he was trying to both catch his train in time and appease me.

I nodded. A part of me felt sick leaving her in the hands of strangers, while the other part of me knew that my reputation preceded me, and heads would roll if anything were to happen to her.

Nothing motivates better than fear.

“You ready to get out of here? I…I think it’s time,” Byron asked, his brow low.

I turned toward the bar where she stood, raising my chin as I answered, “You can leave. I need to say goodbye…” My eyes shot to him. “For now.”

Byron’s head hung low as he exited the bar, the frigid winter air brushing the back of my neck as I made my way to the bar. She was rushing between patrons, sliding cocktails and beers across the waxy counter as I took my seat.

I sat quietly, my collar high as my eyes locked onto her.

Finally, she stood before me, a smile across her face as she took a deep breath, as if it were the first time she had breathed all night.

“I like wine, what do you recommend?” I asked, my gaze locking into her as she brushed her sweat-laced hair behind her ear.

“I recommend the merlot,” she quipped as her hand wrapped around the base of a large wine glass that sat stacked on the bar top to her right.

“Merlot it is.” I smiled, keeping my chin low in my collar.

I let my hair fall forward in my face, the waving tendrils still damp from snow. She took a step back and bent forward, disappearing from my gaze momentarily. I found myself leaning forward only to find her under the bar top where the wines were stored.

“Here we go,” she said with a smile as she gripped the cork with her hands and freed it from the grasp of the dark bottle. “Merlot.” She poured, her eyes watching the dark red liquid as it filled the glass between us.

I took the glass in my hand and swirled the liquid, watching the legs elongate as it settled. My eyes met hers as the golden flakes danced just beyond the honey brown that stared back at me.

“Cheers.” I nodded to her before bringing the glass to my lips. She stood silently, glowing under the bar lights as she awaited my reaction to her recommendation.

I licked my lips, looking down at the glass as the flavor consumed me. “Italian…” I raised my eyebrows.

Her lips parted, chin dropping as she spoke. “How did you know?”

“Well,” I said, my tone rising as I leaned into the back of the heavy barstool, “I know my wines.”

I winked as I pressed the glass to my lips again, my eyes studying her. “You know,” I continued as I set the glass between us, “you really know your wine. You should think about getting into the wine business.”

She looked down, a smile creeping across her face before she rested her hands on her hips with amusement. “Oh yeah?”

I felt the corners of my lips turn upward as I contained myself. “Oh, yes. Certainly,” I said with a chuckle.

Her eyes dropped to the counter as she began to wipe the surface with a dish towel, cleaning the spots and spills of the evening as she replied, “Well, I’m studying to be a teacher, so I don’t know about that.”

I finished the last of my wine and set the glass down between us. My hands reached inside the warmth of my coat for my wallet before taking it out and setting a hundred-dollar bill between us.

Her eyes flicked to the large bill before wrapping her fingers around it. “I’ll get your change.”

I held my hand out. “No. No change.”