Chapter 5
Chapter Five
S kye
The Owl and the Pussycat is packed when I arrive all flustered. I walk in, look around the crowd, and debate whether I should find a table for my friends or go straight to the bar for a stiff drink. My bad mood has officially settled in and I'm feeling more emotional than I normally do. I can barely see the other side of the bar through the throngs of people and I decide to head straight to the bar. The girls and I can find a table when they arrive, if they’re not here already.
I saunter through throngs of people, trying to ignore the happy and obnoxiously loud couples on either side of me. I am not going to be a hater and give them all death stares, but there's nothing that can make you feel more alone and sorry for yourself than seeing people in love admiring each other.
There's a small space at the bar that is entirely too small for me to fit into, but that doesn't stop me from attempting to squeeze myself into the spot next to a far-too-handsome man. He glances down at me as my thighs brush against him and I take in his beautiful face with a wry smile and wrinkle of the nose. It's a bar. It can't be expecting personal space.
I'm grateful to see that there's a smile on his face as he drinks his beer and continues staring at me with an intrigued look in his eye. Do I somehow look better tonight than I remember for him to be giving me such a thorough look over? I don't think so. I'd done my makeup super quickly and I’m pretty sure my cheeks are blotchy.
"Hey there."
"Hi," I respond back to him, my voice squeaky. "It's busy tonight, isn't it?" I want to groan as I state the obvious. His dark eyes crinkle as he looks around and nods. My heart races as he shifts closer to me and his head comes closer to mine. I'm not really sure what he's doing, but I think he's about to sniff or kiss the top of my head. Is my shampoo that arousing?
I smile weakly as I look into his dark eyes. He's really handsome and I am grateful for the attention, but he's being a bit too familiar for me. I wonder if this is his way of flirting with me.
It's certainly not a style I would recommend to many men. It's this close to being creepy.
Even though all he said is hi, I'm hoping he's not going to test his pickup lines on me. I'm just not interested in that tonight.
"It really is." He takes another sip of his beer. "I've only been here once before and it wasn't this packed. It's a cool bar though."
"Yeah, I've been here a couple of times. My best friend really loves it." Why am I rambling? I lean back against the bar top and fiddle with my handbag, pushing it to the side. I look over my shoulder and see if I can make eye contact with one of the bartenders.
"So do you come here often then?" he asks, then chuckles in a self deprecating way. His eyes narrow and he shakes his head before rolling his eyes. "Wait, I guess you already answered that question before I asked." He grins as he takes another chug. "So, meeting friends?"
"Yeah," I nod. "And no worries, it has been one of those days for me as well."
"I feel that." He smiles and I can feel his eyes on my hair again. This man is really feeling me and it's making me feel a little uncomfortable. He's eyeing me like a piece of meat and I hope one of his heroes isn't Hannibal Lector.
"What do you think of Anthony Hopkins?" I ask him casually, throwing it out there to see if I notice a momentary twitch of excitement or fear that he's been busted.
"Are you a natural redhead or is that dye?" He peers at my scalp and I laugh uncomfortably as he ignores my question.
He wants to eat me. That would be my luck, of course. I get fired at one job, tell off my boss at the other job, and now I'm going to be kidnapped and eaten by a hair-obsessed psychopath. Maybe he needs a redhead to add to his collection.
"I would never dye my hair this color," I say honestly. I love my hair, it's unique and unruly and fits me to a tee, but if I could have chosen any hair color to be born with, this was not it. "It's all natural."
"Pretty." He nods and I swear he raises his hand to touch my hair.
"Thank you." I gulp as I step back. "Excuse me," I say as I turn around quickly and back away. "I need to get a drink and I don't think this is the best spot...they don't seem to be..." My voice trails off as I wave at one of the bartenders that's standing next to the beer fridge and I'm grateful when he heads over to me.
"How can I help you this evening?"
"I was wondering if you had any drink specials."
"Right now, we have well drinks for ten bucks."
"Oh, okay. Can I get a rum and Coke, please?"
"Sure."
I look over at my new friend. "Do you want anything?"
"I'm good. Thanks though." He nods with a knowing look. He's got perfectly even teeth and I notice that his skin is immaculate. Even his eyebrows are perfectly waxed. He's gorgeous. And I hope he's not a wolf looking to gobble me up tonight.
"I try not to mix liquor and beer." He pats his stomach. "Got to stay in shape."
"You look like you're in pretty good shape to me.” Am I so desperate for attention that I am flirting with a potential unsub on Criminal Minds?
"Thanks." He laughs. "You never know when you might meet someone."
"Yeah, that's true." My heart races slightly. Now that I'm almost positive he's hitting on me, I feel slightly nervous and desperate, but I am in need of some male attention right now. I don't want him to think that I'm a sure thing. I don't want him to think that I'm going to go home with him. He's handsome, but maybe too much like a pretty boy. I like them a little bit more rough and ready. I'm grateful when I hear Juniper's voice next to me. "Hey there, Skye. You okay?"
"Hey." I reach over and give her a big hug. She looks as dowdy as ever with her big, thick, black owl glasses. Her hair's up in a bun and she's wearing an oversized black cardigan and a long black skirt. She really does need a makeover.
"You want a drink?" I ask her. "I just ordered a rum and Coke."
"Sure. Thanks."
"Excuse me," I call out to the bartender, and he looks up. "Can I get another rum and Coke for my friend, please?"
He nods, then I smile at my potential future stalker. I may need to sign up for a therapist to figure out what I’m still standing here.
"This is my friend Juniper."
"Hey," he says, looking her up and down.
I can tell that he is not impressed, but Juniper doesn't seem to notice.
"So, I was wondering," he says. "Do you go to a stylist?"
"What?" I ask him.
"For your hair. Do you go to a stylist to get a shampoo and conditioner and cut and..."
“Yeah sometimes. I have to admit that I don’t go super frequently, but I do go sometimes."
"Oh, great," he says. "Because?—"
"Hey there, Skye."
I hear Lila's voice as she heads toward me and spot Marie walking behind her. I’m surprised to see Marie here as she’s not yet twenty-one and can’t buy alcohol.
"Hey, you made it. So good to see you again, Marie.” I look at her in surprise. “They let you in, huh?”
She nods and leans forward to whisper in my ear. “I have a fake ID. I know it’s bad, but it’s not like I’m going to drink anyway.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
"Thanks for inviting me." She grins. "I can't drink, but it's real nice to get out and my brother would not let me out if I were not with Lila."
"Because he knows I won't let you get into any trouble."
"I think I'm already in trouble," she says, giggling and tapping her stomach.
I don't really know the story as she's only eighteen and doesn't have a boyfriend, but I'm curious who the dad is and what her plan is.
"Shall I go and get a table?" Marie offers, looking around. "It is absolutely packed in here."
"It really is," I say, nodding. "Yeah, why don't you see if you can find a booth or something. Lila, I just got some rum and Cokes. You want one?"
"Sure. Thanks."
I look back over at the bartender. "Excuse me," I call out.
He raises another eyebrow. "Sorry. My other friend just got here. Can I get a third one?"
He nods and I see him reach for the Bacardi bottle again. I can't tell if he seems annoyed or not, but I don't care as it's not my fault my friends keep showing up.
"So, are we all here then?" Lila grins as she looks around. "This place is busy."
"I know," I say, giggling. "But no. My best friend Elisabetta is going to join us. She is so excited to meet you guys."
"I can't wait to meet her. I've heard so much about her," Lila says.
"I know. She is amazing. The most generous and wonderful friend a person can have."
"Are you talking about me?" Elisabetta says, looking stunning as usual.
"Hey, there you are." I give her a quick hug. "You want a drink? I just ordered some rum and Cokes."
"Sounds good to me."
I turn back around and look at the bartender. He's headed toward me with three drinks. He places them down in front of me. "You want to start a tab or?"
"Sure," I say, nodding. "But could I get a fourth one?"
He stares at me for a couple of seconds and lets out a long sigh. He doesn't say anything before he heads back to make another drink. I make a face as I look back at my friends.
"It's his job," Elisabetta says, shaking her head. "Don't feel bad."
"I just think that maybe?—"
"Don't worry about it. He's always grumpy," the hot guy from next to me says.
"Oh, okay. I felt like he thought I was messing him around, but it's not my fault my friends just kept arriving."
"Exactly. Just give him a big tip."
"Yeah, I'll do that." I smile at him.
Though I don't know exactly how big of a tip I'm going to give him because I don't have that much money in the bank and I kind of didn't like his attitude, but I know enough about tipping to not make that comment just in case he feels like you should always give 20 to 25% no matter if you think you get bad service. A little voice tells me that I’m the reason why he was in a bad mood. I should have ordered all the drinks at the same time. Maybe I’d give him 30% to make up for having him go back and forth so many times.
"My name's Osprey, by the way," he says, holding out his hand.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Osprey. I'm…" I pause and freeze as he gives me a very thorough once-over. "Sorry. I literally just blanked on my name," I say, staring into his dark eyes. I feel absolutely ridiculous.
"That's okay. Names are hard things to remember, even when they're your own."
"You're really nice. I would say I had a blonde moment, but I'm not even blonde. I'm Skye with an E."
"Nice to meet you Skye with an E. So yeah, about that stylist?"
"Yeah. I can get his information for you if you want."
"Actually, I was hoping that?—"
"Hey, Skye, I found a table." Marie tugs on my arm. "Come, let's sit."
"You guys go," I say. "I am just waiting on the last rum and Coke and I have to give this guy my credit card."
"I got it," Elisabetta says, pushing her way next to me and holding out her credit card.
"No," I say. "I am?—"
"No, Skye," she insists, glaring at me. "I'll just use Daddy's card. This is nothing. And if you just lost your job, which you have to tell us all about, by the way, I don't think you should be springing for drinks for everyone."
"Oh, Elisabetta, you really don't have to do that. It makes me feel bad."
"Don't feel bad," she says. "Just help me find a hottie tonight."
"I will. At least I'll try."
I look at Osprey and find him staring at his phone. I hope he's not upset by the fact that my friends completely interrupted him.
"So, I think I'm going to go and sit with my friends," I say to him. "But maybe if you want to join us, you can."
"Thanks," he says, nodding. "Appreciate it."
"You're welcome."
I wait to see if he's going to join us or not, but he looks back down at his phone. Maybe I turned him off by having too many friends here. I've always heard that men were intimidated by groups of women together.
The bartender returns with the fourth rum and Coke. "Let me know if you want a fifth one," he says sarcastically, and I give him my best, “I’m sorry and think you’re being a good sport” smile, even though I don't think he's being the best sport ever. Though, I’m not sure that I’d behave any differently if I were in his shoes.
Elisabetta hands him the card. "You keep the tab open," she says. "Any of my friends are welcome to order drinks on it."
"Okay," he says, nodding.
"Come on, let's go sit." Elisabetta turns to me, a happy smile on her face. "I'm so glad that we're getting to go out."
"Yeah. I mean, I am glad we're getting to hang out, but I'm not glad that I'm not getting tipped out tonight."
"What happened?"
"What didn't happen?" I say, rolling my eyes as we make our way to the booth.
I slide in next to Marie and Elisabetta sits next to me. Lila is on the other side with Juniper beside her.
“Marie, this is Elisabetta, my best friend. Elisabetta, this is Marie, Lila, and Juniper.” I beam at them all. “I’m so happy we are all here.”
"So what happened?"
They all lean forward, gawking at me.
"Let's just say that my boss is a jackass."
"Fabricio?" Elisabetta asks.
"Well, him as well, but I'm talking about Kingston Chase."
"Oh shit, what happened?" Lila asks.
"I hate him. He is literally a jackass. You will not believe what he said to me."
"What did he say?" Marie says, sipping on her water bottle.
"He called me and said that he just wanted to let me know that I shouldn't get any ideas about me and him getting together."
"What?" Lila asked in surprise. "Where did that come from?"
"I suppose you and Max. Supposedly, Kingston thinks that all the other assistants at the firm now have designs on their bosses because you and Max got together."
Lila rolls her eyes. "Oh my gosh. He is horrible."
"He really is," Juniper says, nodding. "He and Remington are total fuck boys."
"So is Gabe," Marie says.
We all turn to her.
"Oh?" I ask. "I've never met him."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll meet him soon. Max said that he's back in town. They're actually all meeting tonight," Marie says, rolling her eyes.
"I used to think Gabe was really attractive, but he's just a jackass."
"Oh?" I ask her. "Why is he a jackass?"
"Oh, he's just really full of himself. But I suppose all of them at that firm are."
I look over at Lila, who looks at me with wide eyes. It sounded like there was history there, but I don't want to be nosy.
"Remington's a jackass too," Juniper says. "They're all fuck boys. They basically just have women throwing themselves at them so they never have to settle down." She looks over at Lila. "To be quite honest, all of us are shocked that you and Max got together."
Lila blushes. "I'm pretty shocked myself. I didn't think that he and I would fall for each other like that."
"And so quickly as well," I say, shaking my head. "That must be like a Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest falling in love."
"Not really," Lila says, blushing slightly. "I think it was just a love at first sight thing. It happens."
"I can tell you that I have never fallen in love at first sight," I say. "I mean I’ve never thought that I have since college anyway. I realize now that I was never in love.”
"Really?" Elisabetta asks, and I stare at her.
"Yeah. Why?"
"What about that dude that you met at the animal shelter?"
"What are you talking about?" I ask her.
"What was his name? Andrew?"
I stare at her for a couple of seconds. "Oh, the guy from Iowa?"
"Yeah. Remember how you went to the animal shelter and you came home and you were like, ‘I met the man I'm going to marry’?"
"That's because I was young and dumb."
"Girl, that was last year."
"That's because I was young, dumb, and drunk," I said. "I had a hangover from partying with you the night before."
"Okay. I guess that part may have been true." She turns to the other girls. "It was hilarious. She came home and said she met the man she's going to marry, and then they actually went on a date."
"Ooh, what happened?" Juniper asks.
"You don't want to know," I say, frowning slightly at the memory.
"You have to tell us."
"Let's just say we went on a date to the grocery store." I shudder in remembrance.
"A date at the grocery store?"
Everyone looks at me in confusion. Except for Elisabetta, who already knows the story.
"Yeah. He was like, 'Oh, isn't this fun?' And I was like, 'Not really, but it's different.' And he was like, 'Well, you want to have a nice lunch, right?' So my dumb ass thought we were shopping for ingredients from him to cook me lunch."
"Oh my gosh, that sounds so romantic," Marie says.
"That's not what happened," I say, interrupting her. "So anyway, we buy all this stuff. It was like $350 worth of stuff. And he's like, 'Okay, we just have one more stop.' And I was thinking to myself, wow, he's really going all out for this date. Plus, he's spending a lot of money, which kind of made me feel bad because he didn't really dress like he had much money. But I was like, maybe he's trying to impress me. So then we go to this delicatessen. Mind you, we're carrying all these grocery bags down the street and I was super tired."
Elisabetta starts laughing.
"It's not funny, Elisabetta."
"It really isn't," she says. "I just can't believe it."
"Oh my gosh. Tell us," Lila said. "So what happened next?"
"So then we go to this delicatessen and he buys this Spanish chorizo and Manchego cheese, and then we get this French bread from this bakery and a couple of bottles of red wine. And then he's like, 'Oh shit, I forgot the caviar.' And I was like, 'Oh my gosh, you really don't have to get the caviar.' And he was like, 'No, I really do have to get the caviar.' And I was like, ‘Okay.' I admit it, I do like caviar. And then he gave me this weird look, which, at the time, I thought he was giving me the look because he thought I had never had caviar before. So I literally spend the next ten minutes telling him about all the different times that I had caviar."
At this point, Elisabetta is laughing so loudly I feel like she's going to have a fit.
"It's not funny," I say, shaking my head.
"Oh my God, it was totally not funny, but I can't stop laughing."
"I mean, it's sounding great so far," Juniper says. "What happened? Did he ask you to pay or something?"
"No." I shake my head. "Anyway, he finally stops me and says that he actually doesn't agree with the consumption of caviar, which I thought was really weird because I'm like, 'Why are you buying caviar for our date if you don't agree with it?' But I was just like, maybe he's doing it because even though he doesn't like it, he still wants to impress me."
I glare at Elisabetta as she starts hiccuping.
"Anyway, he finally pays another $500 and as we leave the store loaded down with even more bags, I turn to him and I'm going, 'Hey, I agreed to this date because I really liked you and it had nothing to do with how much money you have.' And he stares at me blankly and he is like, 'What are you talking about?' I'm like, 'You just spent like, $800 to make a fancy lunch or picnic for us.' And he's like, 'This isn't just for one meal.' And I was like, 'Oh, you're being presumptuous, aren't you?' And he was like, 'What are you talking about?' And I was like, 'You think I'm going to stay with you for the rest of the week?' And he was like, 'Huh?' And I was like, 'Well, you got all this food and it's not going to be for one meal.' And he was like, 'This isn't my food.' And of course, I just stare at him in confusion and I'm like, 'What are you talking about? I thought you were buying this for our date.' He was like, 'We're doing Instacart shopping.'"
"No way!" Lila bursts out laughing. Marie giggles loudly and Juniper snorts like a pig, almost knocking her glasses off.
"No! He did not take you to work with him!" Lila's jaw drops.
"Yep. The date was us shopping and delivering the food." I roll my eyes. "And then after we drop off the food, my stomach is growling and he is like, 'Oh, sounds like you're hungry.' And I was like, 'Yeah, I could definitely eat a bite', thinking he was going to take me out to get something to eat. And he was like, 'Okay, well, I guess you should head home then and make yourself a sandwich because I got some more deliveries to do, but thanks for your help. We should do it again sometime.'"
I shake my head. "And can you believe he actually called me the next week asking if I wanted to meet up again?"
"He did not," Juniper says. "No way."
"He totally did," I say, shaking my head. "Anyway, that's the very last time I believed in love at first sight."
"She totally thought he was so amazing before that," Elisabetta says. "It was so sad. It was so, so sad."
"Yes, it was," I say. "But in other news, I think there is a hottie that wants to talk to me tonight." I nod towards the bar. The women all look at me.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. His name is Osprey and he was hitting on me as soon as I walked in."
"Oh, really?" Lila says. "Oh my gosh, did we cock block you?"
"It's okay," I say, looking toward the bar. He's still standing there looking at his phone.
"He kept asking me about my stylist and then he asked me if I was an actual redhead. And I'm pretty sure he was asking that because he wanted to be me…in a Jeepers Creepers way. Then I subconsciously thought he was like, oh, does the carpet match the drapes?" I moan slightly at the embarrassing memories. "And normally I don't like it when guys ask that question, but he's so handsome that I’m willing to give my thoughts a pass. I know I watch too many horror movies and it’s very unlikely that he’s Norman Bates.”
"He is really good looking," Marie says.
"Yeah, he is. And it's kind of nice that he's so into me, even though I don't know if I really want him. He looks like he's better waxed than I am."
"He sure does look like he manscapes," Lila says with a slight nod.
"Yep," I say. "But maybe I'll flirt with him just a little bit because I've had the day from Hell."
"But at least you're getting to hang out with us," Elisabetta says. "And I'm so glad I got to meet you guys. You're so much fun."
"Thank you," Juniper says and Lila grins.
"Oh, hold up," she says, holding her phone up. "Guess who's calling me?"
"Max," I say, groaning.
She laughs. "Do you mind if I take it?"
"Not at all," I say, shaking my head. "Someone might as well enjoy their love life."
"You'll meet someone soon. And who knows? Maybe Osprey is the one."
"Maybe," I say, nodding, taking a sip of my rum and Coke. "Maybe I also need to get another round of drinks for everyone in a second and chat with him some more.” It doesn’t really feel like a great idea, but I’m going with it.
"Perfect," Marie says with a nod.
"Hey, honey," Lila says, answering the phone. "Just with the girls at The Owl and the Pussycat."
I stare at her for a couple of seconds, nervous that she's going to invite them to join us. It's not like I don't like Max. I think he's fun, but I don't really want to see Kingston, especially after our conversation. I don't even want to be reminded about work.
I take another sip of my rum and Coke and think about my disastrous love life and my disastrous career.
"I'll be in Australia soon," I mumble to myself.
Soon I'll be traveling the world and maybe I'll meet the love of my life in another country , I think, because he sure as hell didn't seem like he was living in New York City. Unless Osprey is the one. I decide to head to the bar again to get my flirt on one last time. If Osprey is the one, I have to give him an opportunity to let me know.