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“Sorry, dude. I didn’t mean to bring it up like that,” I offer as our beers are set down in front of us.
“No, I’m sorry. You know I never meant to hurt you.” He laces his fingers and sets his hands on top of the bar top and lowers his chin to them, almost like he’s praying.
“I know. And honestly, it was a blessing in disguise. I knew Jessica was not my end all be all,” I admit.
I’ve never really admitted that out loud before. I never wanted anyone to know that I married because I thought I had to. But the truth is, I thought I loved Jessica. I did. But not the way you love a soulmate or a forever partner. I loved her because she was there when I needed someone, not because I saw myself spending the rest of my life with her.
“Hey guys, don’t mean to interrupt but my shift is over so I gotta head out. Did you want me to close out your tab or transfer it over to the next server?” The scrawny boy with shaggy brown hair who’s been serving our beers reaches over for his billfold.
“I think we’re good to go,” I say, drinking up the last of my Coors.
“No.” Mitch puts his hand out to stop the kid—who almost looks too young to be bartending—from handing us our check. “We’ve only been here twenty minutes. Let’s stick it out a little longer?” He looks as if he’s almost pleading. Which is understandable given the amount of time we’d spent apart these past few months. And honestly, being here is keeping my mind off the red-haired, green-eyed beauty who’s been flooding my mind.
I check my watch for the time. It’s almost seven pm. But I don’t have anything better to do.
“Fuck it,” I say. “We’ll stick around.”
“Alright, sounds good. I’ll pass this over. Your new server, Red, will be out in a few minutes. Need me to put in another round before I head out?” He cleans up our empty cups and waits for our response.
“Just keep ‘em coming.” Mitch nods.
Mitch and I go back into conversation about work, his marriage with Carrie and how they’re still in marriage counseling but it seems to be getting better. We talk about Aria and an old memory of our grandmother comes up.
It’s nice to fall back into this groove with him. We grew up so close with each other. Especially after Mom died, we were pretty much all that we had left.
“Here you guys go.” A set of beers is set out in front of us, but we don’t break from our conversation, talking about the time we took our uncle’s go-kart out for a drive and totally wrecked into a ditch.
But before I can add on to the story, Mitch in full laughter, I’m interrupted by a sweet voice. One that I’d recognize anywhere.
“Nolan?” I turn to see Dakota.
She’s wearing the tiniest pair of shorts I’d ever seen on a girl, leaving her pale legs bare for men to stare at.For me to stare at. And her uniform shirt has the lowest cut cleavage, the curve of her breasts plump over. I’m such an asshole for staring at her the way that I am, checking her out as her emerald eyes look at me in confusion.
God, she’s beautiful and sexy and so fucking attractive. Her red hair is dimmed from the bar lighting, but the glow of her freckles scattered across her face still illuminate brilliantly.
As I take in her uniform, I look around to notice that all the girls are wearing the same thing. It just never bothered me until I noticed it on her. And then I notice that every air-breathing man with a dick and balls is eyeing her. Just her. And it makes me feel protective.
But I don’t know her that well, so why am I acting this way?
“Dude, you know this chick?” Mitch breaks my silence as he looks between Dakota and me, noticing that I went into deep thought.
“Umm, yeah. This is DJ,” I introduce her and she smiles at him, leaning over to offer him her hand to shake.
“Dakota.” She corrects me, but really I didn’t want him to know her real name. It’s a silly thing to want to keep.
I can’t help but notice the way her boobs spill out of her shirt slightly as she leans over the counter. So much for distracting myselffromher.
Mitch shakes her hand then turns to me, and I know what he’s thinking.This is her. And he’s right.She’s too young.
“This is my older brother, Mitch.” I rub the beard on my jaw. I haven’t shaved it in a couple of days so it’s starting to grow fuller.
“What are you doing here?” Her raspy voice directs the question at me as she busies herself wiping down the black countertop.
“I can ask you the same thing,” I redirect.
“This is my new job. Just started Friday. I was supposed to be off today, but I had to come in to cover for one of the girls who couldn’t make it in tonight, so here I am.” She waves her hands around in the air.
Her confidence is showing. I knew her timidness was a front of some sort.
