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“Right, shower first. Then, grovel.”
Luke chuckled as I turned on the water. “Glad to see you’re back, big brother.”
I turned to hug him, but he stepped back. “Not until you’ve got some clothes on.”
I laughed with him and pushed him out of the way.
25
Laura
Music blared from the speakers and there was a good crowd on the dance floor. A row of people surrounded the bar, but Sam and I had no trouble handling the orders. We worked side by side and slid drinks along the bar faster than we ever had before. Sam leaned across the bar toward a tall man. Her breasts nearly hit the counter, but he kept smiling down at her face. She grinned and he winked as she passed him a piece of paper.
“He’s cute,” I said when I grabbed a lemon slice next to her elbow.
She nodded and shook her martini, staring after the man. “He’s got a friend. Want to join us after work?”
“No thanks,” I said and stuck the lemon onto the glass rim.
“He hasn’t come in more than a week, Laura. Not since before you were arrested. I think it’s time to move on.”
“I know. But I really need to focus on my exams. I don’t have time for anything else. I mean it this time, too.”
“Ha,” she snorted. “I know you do. And that’s what I’m worried about. You finally meet someone and he turns out to be a flake. I’m sorry, Laura.”
“I’m not. It was incredible and even the bad parts were good. My dad and I are in a good place right now. I guess everything happens for a reason.”
Sam groaned with exaggeration.
“I know,” I said. “I hate that kind of fatalistic talk, too. I—”
“No. It’s not that. It’s just… as soon as I say it, well, look who just walked into the bar.” She nodded toward the front door.
He moved in slow motion. His suit jacket flapped open as he walked through the doors. His white button shirt was a beacon in a sea of darkness. And his face. Oh, that chiseled, hard—I shook my head. Ryan Crawford had made his choice. I had asked the officer to call him and let him know I’d been released. But he didn’t show up or call me. Or… anything. Well, I didn’t care.
I didn’t.
Two other men joined him.
See. He’s not here for you.
They sat at one of the booths and while Ryan chose the sofa facing me, he never once looked my way.
I ignored him for the rest of my shift.
The woman in front of me ordered six shots and I lined them up in front of her as five other women joined her at the bar. “To new beginnings,” she said, and they all raised their glasses and whooped as they downed their shots of tequila.
“One more round,” another shouted and I cleared those glasses and lined up six more.
I envied these women. Their carefree attitude. Their friendship. Their smiles. I could have them too. I just needed to finish this next week. Then I’d be happy. Or maybe after graduate school. Maybe I would be happy then.
Damn it, why wasn’t I happy now? Why did I always put a timeline on my happiness?
“Laura… Laura!”
“What!” I shouted back at Sam.
“There’s a customer waiting for a drink,” she said through gritted teeth and jutted her chin forward.
