Epilogue
epilogue
ZOE
“Round of shots, on the house.”
I’d just gotten to the bar after a long week. With the Fall Festivities and first annual Pride Week celebrations behind us, it was time to kick it into high gear for the holidays. But that could wait. Tonight, we celebrated. And apparently, Nate had waited for me to start.
Everyone seated around the bar cheered. It reminded me of the night Nate surprised me with the ownership. Actually, everyone was seated in almost the same spots, minus Natalie’s boyfriend. Not one person was sad about them breaking up except Natalie. But like with Erik, she was the only one who couldn’t see she was better off.
In due time.
For now, with Nate working tonight, I went around the bar, gave him a quick kiss, and attempted to head back to the other side. Except he pulled me to him against his side.
Content to remain there, I took a shot from him and lifted it into the air.
“Tomorrow is for family. A day to give thanks and eat lots of turkey and stuffing.” Everyone laughed. “But tonight is the first annual Thanksgiving Eve Friends Night at KC’s. I invited you all here”—he looked specifically at Owen and Lusanne, who were sitting next to Charlee and Lucas—“to celebrate friendship. So, here’s to new phases of our lives with good friends by our sides.”
It was the most I’d heard Nate speak in a public way in my life. As I downed my shot, I marveled at the changes in him since he came to Kitchi Falls. Still guarded, sure. Still the same sexual, hard-headed beast of a man.
And yet, being around people most nights was doing something to him. Opened him up a bit. Therapy helped, too, but I really believed a huge part of it was this place. Nate was meant for this.
“What are you smiling about, Zoe girl?” he asked next to me as the rest of the gang began to talk among themselves. We moved to the side as the other bartenders continued to serve drinks.
“Just seeing you in your element.”
“Ahh. So, how’d it go today?”
“Fine. I’ll tell you all about it later. Or tomorrow. For now, I just want one more kiss before I go sit down.”
He obliged, Nate’s kiss turning a little more hot and heavy than either of us expected. Cheers from around the bar told us it was time to stop.
“That’s what you get,” he whispered, “when you send me texts like that from work.”
I smiled. “So you liked that, did you?”
“Not sure I’d use the word like . But I will say I hope you’re not too tired. I have plans for us when we leave here.”
I laughed. “In like seven hours.”
“Au contraire, sweetheart. I’m not closing tonight.”
“You’re not?”
“Nope. When all of our friends head out, so do we.”
“Now this is getting exciting.”
“Yeah? Tell me.”
I stood on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Think of a number between sixty-eight and seventy.”
He groaned. “Dear lord, you’re gonna kill me, woman.”
I slapped his ass. “Just something to think about as you serve drinks tonight.”
Heading around the bar, I sat next to Natalie.
“You okay?”
“Not really,” she said. “But what the hell did you do to Nate? He’s looking at you half like he’s going to jump over the bar and attack you and half like he might kill you.”
“Hmm,” I said, winking at him. “I think it’s probably more the first.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I just gave him something to think about for the night.”
“How about you give me something to think about for the night too? Distract me.”
I thought about how to do that. “How about a trip to New Orleans?”
Natalie laughed. “That’s your thing. I’d choose a trip to. . .” She thought about it for a second. “Somewhere outdoorsy. Where we could spend the days hiking and the nights drinking wine.”
“I’d do a short hike,” I said. “If you think of somewhere, count me in.”
“Deal.”
Nate leaned over the bar and looked at me with a gleam in his eyes. “I just realized my girl doesn’t have a drink yet.”
“Hmm, how about a Zoe Girl?”
“Our specialty. Coming right up. Natalie, you good?”
“I am, thanks, Nate.”
When he walked away, Natalie perked up all of a sudden. “Do you remember that day at the winery when we decided to go to NOLA? How upset you were about Erik?”
I made a very unladylike sound. “Unfortunately, I do.”
“Not to rehash the whole thing, but you needed an entire Operation Distraction because of him.”
“Yeah,” I said wryly. “Nate was thrilled to learn about that.”
“Sorry,” Natalie said. “I only bring it up because. . . look at the two of you now. I’m sure I will forget all about Cooper, just like you did, and find the man of my dreams.”
Nate slid my drink across the bar. When he let it go, he subtly raised six fingers and then popped up three more.
I smiled as he walked away.
Lifting my glass, I concentrated on Natalie. “You are the prettiest, sweetest person I know and will one hundred percent find the man of your dreams. All you have to do now is stop looking. That’s when it always happens.”
Natalie lifted her glass too. “Deal. I’ll try.”
We clinked glasses just as I caught Nate’s eyes.
The man of my dreams. And to think it all started from a few text messages.
“I love you,” he mouthed.
I held back tears, the warmth coursing through me having nothing to do with the gin. “I love you too,” I mouthed back, picking up my Zoe Girl and taking another sip, silently praying Natalie found the man of her dreams too.