CHAPTER 13
“I tried,” she said.
“Tried what?” Ava asked.
“To do what you said.”
“Which is what, exactly?”
“I asked her out.”
“Who?”
“Rory,” Logan said as she filled a glass with beer from the tap.
“I’m sorry; you did what?”
“I asked her out. She said no, by the way, so thanks for that.”
“I didn’t tell you to ask her out,” Ava replied. “I said to ask someone out.”
“Well, I did.”
“And she said no?”
“Yeah.”
Logan set the glass on the bar for Candace to grab when she next walked by.
“Okay. Are you all right?”
“I’ve been better,” she replied.
“Did she tell you why she said no?”
“Yes. She’s a relationship girl. I like casual.”
“Did you tell her that you don’t really like casual? You’re just doing it right now, but you’d be interested in something more?”
“No,” she replied. “No point. She’s seen me leave here with a woman twice now. She knows who I am.”
“No, she doesn’t. Not yet, anyway.” Ava took a drink of her Coke.
“Are you suggesting that when I ask a woman out, I tell her that I’ve got a serious gambling addiction and that I’m in recovery, have nothing to offer her, but the upside is that she’d never have to meet my family since they no longer talk to me because I really fucked up years ago?”
“No,” Ava said. “I’m suggesting you tell her that you’re working through some things. And I don’t mean her , exactly. I mean whomever you ask out. Tell her that and that you’ve been doing this casual sex thing because it was what worked for you, but it’s not working anymore, and you’re looking for something real.”
“ I don’t even know if that’s true,” Logan replied as the ticket printed from the receipt machine and she looked at it, seeing it was an order for another Abita.
“Well, until you do, maybe don’t go asking anyone out.”
“You told me to,” Logan argued, grabbing a glass.
“I didn’t mean Rory. And I also didn’t mean today ,” Ava replied. “Why did you do it?”
Logan filled the glass and set it next to the other one.
“I’m an idiot,” she offered.
“No, be honest. Why?”
“Because she’s cute, Ava. She’s got this mostly straight blonde hair that’s usually in some form of disarray except for the one day she was going to a piano recital, so she had it back in a neat bun. Her eyes are these, like, brown but not really brown. I think they’re brown – I don’t think they’re hazel or anything – but they’re light.”
“You’re smiling.” Ava pointed at her.
“I am not,” she replied as she scanned the bar to see if anyone needed anything.
“Yes, you are.” Ava laughed.
“She’s just my type. You know that,” Logan said.
“So, what did she say? Other than the whole relationship thing.”
“Just that we should be friends. I got the hell out of there after that. Well, I drove her back here.”
“Where were you?”
“Her apartment.”
“What?”
“I fixed her garbage disposal. She said her maintenance guy smells.”
Ava laughed and said, “You fixed her–” The laugh continued. “Oh, you like her, Logan.”
“Yes. I told you that. Not a big deal, really. I tried. She said no. It was just embarrassing. I had to drive her back here to get her car, and it was the most awkward silence of my life. She was supposed to stay, but Candace asked her to run some errand. I haven’t seen her since. I’m pretty sure she’s avoiding me now.”
“I’m sure she’s not. Just give her some time. She said she wanted to be friends.”
“Yeah. But like you said, she doesn’t really know me,” Logan replied. “I’m sure that’ll change.”
“It’s getting late. I should go home and get some sleep. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just having a weird day.”
“Okay. Call me later?” Ava asked as she stood up from the stool.
Logan nodded and watched Ava walk through the front door and hit the sidewalk. She didn’t like the idea of her walking to her car alone, but Ava had managed to get the one spot across the street that Logan could see from the open door, so she watched her get into her car and returned her attention to the customers in front of her. She walked around to check on each one, asking if she could get them anything else, and opened a few more beer bottles.
Candace was making the rounds and doing the same. Mickey wasn’t in tonight, so there wasn’t anyone in the back making the food, which meant that when someone ordered something, Candace needed to go back there and take care of it. It wasn’t the best system because it left Logan out here by herself, and they were surprisingly busy. When she’d first applied for this job, she had wondered what the tips would be like, working in a new place that the locals hadn’t found yet, but word of mouth must have been strong because the place was nearly full, and she’d been making decent tips all night.
“Can I get an order of nachos?” her customer asked.
“Sure,” she said and went to put the order into the computer just when Candace approached to take the two shots of vodka that Logan had just poured for her to deliver.
“Nachos,” she said.
“Okay. Did you put it in?”
“Yes.”
“Rory’s got it,” Candace told her.
“Rory?”
“Yeah. She’s in the back now. I called her to see if she wouldn’t mind coming in to cook since Mickey’s not here and we’re busy.”
“I didn’t know she was here.”
“She got here a few minutes ago. I swear, I’ll be paying that woman back for the rest of my life. I’m thinking I’ll start by getting her a vacation on a beach somewhere.”
Logan smiled at her, and Candace took the drinks and hurried off. Five minutes later, Logan had to go to the kitchen to retrieve the nachos, and she saw Rory at the fryer, wearing a baseball hat that looked too big for her head.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Logan asked, noticing an introspective expression on her face.
“Oh, hi,” Rory said as she turned toward her, looking surprised.
“Hey,” Logan replied. She looked down at the stainless-steel counter, picked up the nachos, and added, “Just here for these.”
“Oh, right,” Rory replied.
“The kitchen closes in an hour.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re freaking out about it, trying to figure out how to handle all of this by yourself with little training and experience – it’s only an hour,” Logan replied.
“Only an hour,” Rory repeated. “I know how to make everything, but like, three orders came in here at once, and I had to make a burger and fries, which I’ve never done before, and the nachos and the calamari all at once. How do people do this?”
Logan laughed and said, “I think you’re doing just fine. I’d help, but it’s pretty packed out there.”
“Packed means more food orders, right?” Rory asked.
“Maybe,” Logan replied.
“I’m going to brace myself.”
That made Logan laugh again. She didn’t want to leave. She hadn’t seen Rory since she had dropped her off at her car, surprised that Rory was leaving when Logan thought she would be hanging at the bar all day. Now, she didn’t want to leave the kitchen because she wanted to help but also because watching Rory like this was really entertaining, and damn it if it wasn’t cute.
“I’ll be out there if you need me,” she said.
“Okay,” Rory replied and turned back to the grill.
Logan took the nachos out, and a few minutes later, when she placed an order for potato skins, she heard a loud grunt coming from the kitchen, which made her laugh. Not long after that, Candace announced that the kitchen would be closing, which was a mistake because people wanted to order one more thing. Logan put four orders in at once, and she wasn’t sure what Candace put in.
“I’m going to help her,” Candace said. “Are you good out here?”
“Yes.”
Logan wanted to be the one to help Rory, but it was Candace’s bar, so she took the helm and made sure everyone had something to drink. Then, she helped Candace bring all the plates out a few minutes later and glanced at Rory, who looked exhausted and a little sweaty, which only made Logan find her even more adorable. When Candace announced last call, that created another rush of orders, this time for drinks. Logan got busy making them, but she also kept an eye out for Rory, who was still in the kitchen. Logan hoped she wouldn’t just leave without saying goodbye.
“Hi.”
Logan turned to see the woman from the past couple of nights standing behind a stool.
“Oh,” Logan said. “Hi.”
“I’m not stalking you,” the woman told her.
“I didn’t think you were,” Logan replied. “What can I get you to drink? It’s last call.”
“Can I get a martini?”
Logan nodded, went to mix the drink, and placed it in front of her.
“So, I’m embarrassed,” the woman said before taking a sip. “About what I said.”
“No need,” Logan replied, meaning it.
“My husband and I haven’t had sex in three years,” the woman revealed.
“I don’t need to know that. It’s your business.”
“Maybe. But while we’re not exactly in an open marriage, I know he has affairs.”
“Again, not really–”
“Look,” the woman interrupted. “What I wanted to say was that I liked what we did. I want to do it again. I know me being married and with a kid probably threw you off, but like you said, that’s my business, and it doesn’t pertain to you. I’m not looking for a girlfriend or anything. I just liked what we did.”
“Okay,” Logan said, unable to say that she liked it, too, because she didn’t really feel anything about it at all.
“Do you want to do that again or not? I know what you said last night, but you’d just heard me on the phone with him.”
Logan turned when a customer waved his arm at her, indicating that he wanted his check. She didn’t say anything to the woman before heading to the computer to print it for him, and while she did that, she saw Rory emerge from the kitchen and look her way. Her eyes moved beyond Logan at some point, and she saw the woman. Logan couldn’t exactly tell her what was going on, with people around them, so she held up a finger to signal that Rory should just give her one minute. When she gave the man his check, that started an end-of-the-night ritual where everyone now wanted their checks, and Logan printed six of them and rang out the customers who had paid with cards before she checked to see that Rory was sitting in a booth, with Candace standing by it, talking to her.
“No,” Logan said when she finally turned her attention to the woman. “I don’t want to do that again.”
“No? Just no? Is it because it was just about me and I didn’t reciprocate?”
“No, I don’t think we should do that again,” Logan said and placed the woman’s check in front of her. “You can come in here for a drink anytime, though. We just won’t be doing that again.”
“Fine,” the woman said and pulled out a few bills. “Keep the change, I guess.”
“Your martini definitely wasn’t that expensive.”
“Call it a tip for the other night, then,” the woman told her, standing back up.
“No, thanks,” Logan said, taking one bill that covered the drink. “Have a good night.”
When the woman snatched the other bills and turned to leave, Logan turned quickly to check that Rory was still talking to Candace, and a sense of relief hit her. She rang out the rest of the customers at the bar and the few at the tables whom Candace hadn’t gotten to yet. When she turned again, she saw Rory alone at the table and headed toward her.
“Where’s Candace?”
“Checking the kitchen. I’ve never had to clean it for the night before. I’m sure I messed something up.”
“You stayed,” Logan noted.
“Yeah,” Rory replied. “Candace asked me to.”
“So, it’s not because I asked you to?”
“You did?”
“I gave you the ‘hold on a second’ gesture.” Logan held up her index finger to demonstrate.
“Oh. That was, like, a half hour ago.”
“Sorry, I got caught up.”
“I saw. She left?”
“Yes,” Logan replied, “Alone, if you didn’t notice.”
“You’re still here, so yes, I noticed,” Rory replied with a small smile. “You’re not meeting up with her somewhere?”
Logan shook her head.
“You know you don’t have to do that because of what happened earlier, right? You’re free to go home with anyone you want.”
“I didn’t want to go home with her,” she said.
“Okay,” Rory replied.
“I don’t want things to be awkward between us,” Logan added.
“I don’t want that, either.” Rory shrugged a shoulder.
“You still want to be friends?”
“Yes,” Rory said, her smile growing a bit.
“Okay. Well, if that’s what you’ll give me, I’ll take it.”
“Kitchen looks great,” Candace said when she came out to the bar. “Thanks so much, Rory.” She flopped down in the chair beside Rory.
Logan took that as her cue to get back to work, and within an hour, the bar was empty, and she had it all clean and organized for the night. Having clocked out, she headed to her car and thought about how to keep herself busy. She wasn’t tired yet and didn’t want to find a woman to hook up with, so she thought about driving a few people around the city, but she wasn’t in the mood to try to be polite when they got in the car.
Instead, she drove to the familiar church. She’d missed the first ten minutes of the meeting but sat in the back and listened to people talk about their problems. Only this time, she really listened, finding it soothing, almost. Even though they talked about the one thing they all wished they were doing that very moment, and it should’ve made her jones for the adrenaline rush, it didn’t. It calmed her enough to be able to go home and flop onto her bed naked after taking a cleansing shower.