Chapter 5
The Second Friday
Idrove separately from Neil again but timed it a little later.
The parking lot wasn’t as empty closer to ten.
When I approached the entrance, there was a beautiful blonde woman laughing with Sean.
She wore tight, ripped jeans and a top with a scooped neck.
Her earrings swung when she brushed her hair over her shoulder, and I admired them before she disappeared inside.
Sean’s smile widened as I stepped closer to him. “Hey, honey. Glad to see you again.”
“Me too,” I admitted with a smile, feeling the urge to hug him like a friend, but I resisted.
“Your barstool’s free.” Sean waved me inside.
He was right, but the blonde I’d been admiring was sitting in the first seat on the adjacent side, where we would almost be looking at each other. I slid onto the stool anyway, smiling at her when she glanced my way.
“Hi. I like your earrings,” I blurted out. They really were nice—multiple dancing silver strands with stars dangling at the ends.
“Thanks! That’s such a pretty color.” She waved toward my shirt.
“Oh, thank you. It’s new.” I cringed at admitting that and tugged it down self-consciously, but her compliment soothed me.
I’d always thought maroon made my eyes and hair look darker.
I hadn’t been able to go low-cut, but it was more formfitting than I was used to, making me more aware of my breasts.
“Hey, Hailey,” Jack said. He was smiling at me, and the rest of my tension dissipated seeing him appear happy to see me. “Do you want the same as last time, or should I experiment?”
The idea of trying something new usually made me nervous, but I found his offer exciting instead. “Something new, maybe? Oh, but still a mocktail.”
“Of course,” Jack said. His gaze switched to the blonde. “What can I get you?”
“Vodka cranberry, please,” she ordered.
“Any particular vodka?” he asked, nodding as she named one. He turned to reach for one of the bottles behind him.
The woman smiled at me. “First name basis with the bartender? You must come here often.”
I blinked at her, caught off guard. “No, not really. This is only my second time here.” I looked up at the fairy lights, my shoulders loosening even more. “I’m still new to the whole bar scene, but I really liked it here last week.”
The blonde lifted an eyebrow. “Hmm. And he remembered your name?”
Jack turned back with the vodka, reaching for a small metal hourglass-shaped utensil. “Hailey was very memorable.” He winked at me, and my cheeks heated.
I was only memorable because of the drama, but I didn’t want to tell the woman that.
When he placed her drink in front of her, she tilted her head, her smile becoming wider. “Well, my name’s Natasha, if you want to remember it, too.”
He laughed, smiling back at her before turning to set up her bar tab.
They were flirting, I realized, envious. I wondered if I could smile like she had. I’d have to practice in the mirror later.
When he was returning her card, I realized I still hadn’t gotten mine out. “Oh, shoot, I should have—” I reached in my purse, feeling flustered.
“Your money’s no good here, Hailey,” Jack said.
My eyes widened. “No, that’s too much. You wouldn’t even let me tip you last time, and I didn’t have any cash, and—”
He put a hand on the bar, leaning closer. “It’s just juice, and besides, you’re letting me experiment with new mixes. Accept the gift.” He waited for me to nod before moving down the bar to grab a few things.
“That’s nice. He likes you,” Natasha said. “I’m a little jealous.”
“It’s not like that,” I admitted. Jack probably felt sorry for me after last time.
She turned her body to face me. “You really are new at this. Want some pointers?”
I was embarrassed and excited at the same time. “I wouldn’t turn them down.”
“Well, first, never turn down a free drink.” She laughed. She had a really nice laugh, and the way she tipped back her head when she did it made the line of her throat look almost elegant.
Her hand motioned toward my shoulders. “You should try to keep your back straight as much as you can. It draws more attention to your chest, and sitting at the bar, that’s a good thing.”
I’d been slouching over the bar, resting on my arms, and I sat up straighter.
Her hand settled around her glass. “If you struggle, sometimes crossing your legs will help. These barstools don’t have backs, but at places that do, lean into them.”
I nodded to let her know I heard and tried crossing my legs. “Have you visited a lot of different bars?”
“Thinking about cheating on me?” Jack asked, setting the cutest drink down in front of me. It was more yellow this time, with a splash of pinkish-red only at the top, spreading around the cherry, and a pretty pink umbrella with pieces of pineapple speared on the end.
“No, I’m not ready to try anywhere else yet,” I answered. “I feel safe here.”
His brown eyes grew softer, crinkles forming at the corners. “I’m glad.” Someone on the other side called to him, and he pointed at my drink. “Let me know if you like this one better than last week’s,” he said before moving away.
Natasha’s gaze followed him, and she hummed in her throat again.
“Well, if you decide you want to mix things up, there are a couple of places I like.” She started telling me about her favorites, and I listened as I sipped my drink.
The umbrella tickled my upper lip, so I pulled it free to slip a piece of fruit off.
“Sorry I’m late,” Neil said from behind me, dropping onto the barstool on my other side. He’d interrupted Natasha, and she looked over at him.
“It’s no problem,” I told him. “It gave me a chance to talk to Natasha. Natasha, this is my boyfriend, Neil.”
“Hi,” Natasha said to him, her brow wrinkling as she looked at me. “I didn’t realize you were meeting a boyfriend. And here I was, trying to give you tips on the single dating scene.”
“You shouldn’t have introduced me that way,” Neil muttered at my side.
A lump rose in my throat. I’d been introducing him that way for a dozen years.
It had been habit, but he was right; that would cause more confusion on our hall pass evenings.
But then, not telling people we were boyfriend and girlfriend would be wrong, too, wouldn’t it?
Victor and Lexi had already known, so I hadn’t had to think about that the week before.
I frowned down at my drink.
“You don’t like it?” Jack asked, and I lifted my eyes to see him pointing at the glass.
“No, I do!” I reassured him. “I was thinking about something else.”
“You’d tell me if you didn’t?” Jack pressed. “Because I really want to make something you’ll enjoy.”
I nodded, my throat tightening.
His eyes narrowed on me. “So which one do you like better?”
“They’re both good.” When he began to frown again, I added, “I really like the umbrella!” My fingers tightened on it.
“And the way the colors blended was pretty, but I kind of liked the bubbles in last week’s drink better.
” The last part came out softer, and my shoulders felt tight until his eyes crinkled again.
“Noted. I can work with that.”
Neil leaned in closer to me to grab Jack’s attention. “Can I order a drink?”
Jack shifted his gaze to him, his smile fading. “Sure. What are you having?”
Neil pointed at my drink. “That looks good.” He stared at Jack.
Jack’s mouth tightened.
I sucked in my breath, my head dipping. “No, um, it’s nonalcoholic,” I told Neil quietly, figuring it was better if I admitted it myself.
“Seriously?” Neil sighed. “Fine. A rum and Coke, then.”
Jack nodded, moving to the other side of the bar to mix the drink.
It was silly that I was glad Neil hadn’t ordered my drink with alcohol added. I liked that Jack had made it only for me, but for all I knew it was something he’d made before.
“Nonalcoholic?” Neil asked, his tone tight.
I nodded, cringing inside. Natasha’s movement drew my eye back to her. “Natasha was telling me about other bars she likes.” I turned to her, smiling. “So, what did you like best about that last one?”
“I shouldn’t interrupt your date,” Natasha said, reaching for her drink. She wasn’t smiling anymore. “I feel silly now, giving you advice when I’m single and you’re with someone.”
My insides twisted, the pineapple flavor in my mouth souring. “Um, I really appreciated your advice. I’m new to this type of scene, so it was a big help. Neil and I—” My gaze moved to him, but he just lifted an eyebrow, so that was no help. “Well, it’s complicated.”
Natasha turned my way. “What do you mean?”
Jack was back with Neil’s drink. “Did you want to start a tab?” he asked Neil.
“You can put it on hers,” Neil said, waving a hand at me.
Jack’s mouth tightened again.
There was no way I was letting Jack comp Neil’s drink. I reached into my purse for my card, holding it out to Jack. I couldn’t help my triumphant smile.
His lips softened, and he took my card. “Fine.” He set up the tab quickly and handed it back, moving down the bar to another patron.
Natasha laughed at my side. “Watching you two is hilarious.”
I frowned at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
She waved my question away. “Tell me about this complicated situation. I’m intrigued now.”
“Well, Neil and I, we’ve been together for a while, but we never really… dated anyone else.”
“Aww, that’s kind of cute,” Natasha said, her hand loosening around her glass.
“I guess, but it’s left us a little, well, unsure. About whether it’s the best fit.”
Natasha lifted an eyebrow. “Like, you don’t know enough about what’s out there to realize how lucky you are?”
I blinked at her. “You think we’re lucky?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, the dating thing sucks, even when you’re just looking for something casual like me.” She rolled her eyes. “If you found someone you love who wants the same things, and the sex is good, then why in the world would you want to mess that up?”
I must have winced when she’d said sex, because her eyes widened. “Ah, I see. The sex isn’t good.”
Neil made a choked sound beside me.