28. Auden
Watching Storm do his thing is fascinating. He moves so fluidly from one bottle to the next, barely looking or measuring the contents in the glass. Every time I go up to him for an order, he steals a kiss, and makes the drinks for me. I adore watching him in his element. Aside from being alone with me, it’s the happiest I’ve seen him all week.
He and Ross are jamming out to Sexy Back while making three rum and sodas for the drunk girls waiting at the bar. Storm doesn’t acknowledge them. He doesn’t smile or check them out. He focuses on his goofy dance moves and chuckles with Ross.
I lean on the bar and tap it, holding a mozzarella stick in my hand, and glance around. The future bride and groom haven’t arrived yet. I’m curious to know what she looks like now. Will Storm react to seeing her? Will he ignore her as he is with the girls throwing themselves at him? Is he truly becoming the man I see in him?
“Hey, babe,” he calls, sliding over to me. Two drunk girls look over at me. There’s a jealousy smothering their face that I have all his attention. “What’s that?”
I giggle. “Shh, I stole two mozzarella sticks.”
“Oh, you bad, bad girl,” he says, winking and eating it from my hand.
He doesn’t even finish chewing before he pulls me in for a kiss. I’m smiling against his lips, and as much as I didn’t want this to happen, I’m sad to know it’s almost over. But does it have to be over? We said until Friday in the shower, yet he applied for jobs. What if he gets them? Will this continue?
I don’t think my heart can handle the goodbye.
Someone clears their throat and I pull away first as he leaves one more kiss on my cheek. There she is; the blonde he loathes from the photo. As much as I’m pro-choice, that was a shitty thing of her to do.
“Storm,” she says, keeping her eyes on me.
“Leah,” he says, nodding at a party guest and making his way to the other end of the bar.
Leah scoffs as Storm takes an order and walks to the beer taps in front of us. “You his latest conquest?” He flares his nostrils, keeping his focus on the amber liquid bubbling into the glass.
I take the tray off the bartop. “I’m a little more than a conquest.”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s what they all say.”
“Do all his conquests know the real reason he cheated on you?” I spit out.
Leah’s face goes beet red and she glares at Storm before strutting off, muttering profanities under her breath.
He raises his eyebrows at me and chuckles, flashing me a wink before handing off the beer. She’s cute, I’ll give her that. But with the attitude of a piece of trash rotting away in an alley. If what Storm says is true and they haven’t seen or spoken to each other in almost four years, her sour attitude is unmerited. Smile, it’s your damn engagement party.
Frank approaches with a smile, though the smile fades as soon as he sees Storm wink at me. “Auden?”
I wave, seeing Storm approach as well, but keep his distance. “Hey.”
“You having fun?” Frank asks.
I hold the tray on my hip. “Yeah, I’ve never served anyone before so it’s all new to me.”
Frank glances at Storm and clears his throat, rolling on the heels of his shoes. “You and Storm, you’re sure about this?” he asks.
“We’re friends.” I do not want to go farther than that.
He shakes his head. “You shouldn’t be seeing him.”
I frown, looking at Storm who’s smiling at Ross and sticking his tongue out. He’s perfect and he’s all mine. I hate the negativity he receives. The whispers behind his back and the insults to his face. He’s not a bad person, he went through a dark phase because of a tragedy. Everyone grieves in different ways. He used his dick to heal his woes.
I scoff, shaking my head at Frank as Storm looks back at me, focusing on my face. “Um, no offense, but you can’t really tell me who I can or can’t see.”
“He’s a broken man and broken men never have the right intentions.”
Doesn’t Frank know Storm’s truth?
I’m so upset I can scream.
“Thank you, Frank. I don’t want to sound rude, but you’re in no place to act like my father yet. The decisions I make are mine and mine alone. Storm and I work, there’s nothing else to say other than that.” I take a breath, flickering a glance at Storm before returning my attention to Frank. I’d go to the ends of the earth to defend Storm, and I think he can see that. “If you’ll excuse me…I’ll see you tomorrow for brunch.”
Frank nods, glancing at Storm, then back at me before he retreats to his table. He whispers something to Stevie and she taps his chest lightly as if soothing him from the harsh reality I spewed out. Sooner or later, this town will see Storm the way I do. They’ll see the kind, funny man who likes making people happy. They’ll see the loving uncle who was so upset he couldn’t take his nephew out for pizza tonight. They’ll see him in a whole new light because of me. And I can’t wait for this town to praise him.