Page 4 of Falling

“Enough about me. Tell me about cute girls at the gym or whatever.”

Evie laughed, but launched into a story about a newcomer who’d caught her eye, not least of all because they’d knocked one of the punching bags clear off the hook and then put it back on by themself without even pausing to look for help.

I listened as she told me about her day, her plans for the week, all the normal things we always talked about, and smiled at the thought that it was just like before. Before everything.

At some point I must’ve fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew I was waking to sunlight streaming through the still-open window, the sound of birdsong, a good night text from Evie, and…

The dawning realization that I was over an hour late.

2

BOOKER

“I’m not going on a blind date and your puppy eyes don’t work on me,” I said, pointing a glass I’d been polishing for three full minutes at Seth. “I’m immune.”

“No one’s immune,” Seth said, twirling around on his bar stool. “Besides, it’s Mark trying to set it up. You love him and you wouldn’t want to disappoint your brother, would you?”

“Not. Interested,” I said, putting the glass away behind the bar and flipping the towel over my shoulder. Mondays were supposed to be peaceful. The bar was closed all day, I had time to deep-clean and try not to cry over my accounting, work on my knitting, or experiment in the kitchen while Andre wasn’t shooing me out of it.

He was a good kid. I was glad I’d hired him.

But he did not like it when I played with his kitchen during prep hours, and I was banned outright during service. On Mondays, I had it all to myself.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love being surrounded by people I cared about like they were my own children. It was just nice to have one day of quiet.

“I feel like you haven’t been on a date since last century,” Seth said.

I dated. I’d definitely dated this century. I wasn’t that old.

I just… hadn’t dated in a while. Was that a crime?

“C’mon, Book,” Seth wheedled. “I hate seeing you all alone. You’ve got so much to give.”

“I’m not alone,” I said. “I’ve got you, and Mark, and…” I gestured around the empty bar. “All of this. Everyone who comes here. The biggest family in town.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Seth sighed. “And we all love our adopted Uncle Booker with all our hearts and frankly if you made it clear you were at all available there’d be a line all the way to the beach of people who wanted to jump on that ride, but⁠—”

“What possible but could come after that?” I interrupted, glad it was dark enough in here to hide the fact that the tips of my ears were on fire.

“But you deserve to have someone who stays after the bar closes,” Seth said.

I snorted.

“What? You of all people deserve it.”

“Well, you’re here right now, and the bar’s closed,” I pointed out. “Besides, like you came in here to remind me, I’m too old for a boyfriend.”

“I came in here to remind you that I’m booking the bar for your fortieth and I’m not taking no for an answer. We’re celebrating. Forty isn’t dead. You’re just barely an adult.”

“You’re thirty-two.”

“Exactly,” Seth said, grinning.

I raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t clarify what I had exactly right. Other than his age, which I knew I was right about, closely guarded secret that it was.

I didn’t see why. He could’ve passed for a decade younger.

Maybe that was why. I always found Seth hard to read. Mark seemed to be able to see right through to his soul, though.