Chapter Thirty-Three
We walked into Scallywag’s half an hour later.
“I don’t think that edible knew it was going from Lincoln Center to a pub,” Charlie said as he huffed air onto his glasses to clean them.
“This dress definitely had no idea,” I said, scanning for an opening at the bar. I needed a mixed drink badly.
“If I’d known that dress was a rental, I might not have suggested we end the night at a place called Scallywag’s.”
I laughed. “It just means I won’t be dancing on the bar, which isn’t a bad thing.”
I pulled a miniature hand sanitizer from my clutch.
“How does that even fit in there?” he asked, holding out his hand for some.
“It fits one key, one credit card, and this hand sanitizer.”
“The essentials.”
I’d never felt more overdressed in my life. We walked past a line of confused stares toward the back of the bar, where Perry and her friends were spread out over three pub tables backlit by hanging TVs playing the Celtics game.
“Charlie!” a brunette shouted, waving us over. Perry was almost as tall as Charlie, with tanned skin, long brown hair, and a warm smile.
Perry hugged Charlie tightly and ruffled the back of his head. “I won’t tell Mum you still haven’t found a barber in New York,” she teased as I noticed she had an even stronger Boston accent than Charlie.
“This is Sam. She works with me at the firm, but that’s where any similarity between us ends. I drew the short end of the stick, and she’s killing it.”
I held out my hand as Perry leaned in. “I’m a hugger,” she said cheerfully.
She stood back and looked at both of us. “I totally zoned out when you told me what you guys were doing earlier, but I’ve never felt more like a slouch in my life. You two clean up nicely!”
“We were at the ballet,” Charlie reminded her.
“Oh boy. I keep telling you, women don’t actually want you to try so hard.”
I felt myself blush. I realized I had no idea what he’d told her about us.
“I guess that’s why I’ll be a bachelor for life,” he said agreeably.
Perry waved a bartender over.
“What can I get you guys? I have a tab open.”
Charlie ordered Guinness on draft, and I went with a vodka soda with extra ice.
Perry made the rounds introducing us.
“We always end up here because it’s right by Jen’s apartment,” Perry explained.
“Do you think you guys will class up this weekend when you’re in your thirties? Maybe splurge for an Airbnb?” Charlie asked.
“No,” she moaned, looking past us. All I could see was an oversized tray of shots.
“Okay seriously, guys, who ordered these?”
She looked at us sheepishly. “Guess we’re doing tequila shots.”
I wanted to say I’d done enough tequila shots my last year of law school to last two lifetimes, but I also didn’t want to be the girl who shows up at a dive bar in a gown and refuses to take a shot.
Charlie leaned over. “I think we should station ourselves behind this table so your dress has a chance of getting out of here alive. This crowd can get rowdy.”
“Fore!” someone shouted as I squeezed my eyes shut and quickly chased the shot with a lime.
Charlie pushed his shot glass across the table. “Our older, wiser selves are going to look back on this and wonder why we didn’t know these are disgusting.”
“I don’t need to wait until I’m older and wiser.”
I spotted the bartender coming back with our drinks and snatched the vodka soda, taking a long sip to mask the lingering taste of tequila.
“Which one is Kristen?” I whispered.
He looked around. “The short blond. Over there in the pink polo shirt.”
“Are you going to say hi?”
“If she comes to our neck of the woods.”
Perry ordered a platter of tater tots.
“I guess I’ll be doing a double at SoulCycle tomorrow,” I lamented.
“Just take the day off. Sunday’s a day of rest.”
“Not after pizza, vodka, and tater tots.”
He shrugged and took a sip of Guinness. “You really do look stunning in that dress.”
I tried tilting my face down so he couldn’t see me blush.
He laughed. “You’re sort of facing the wall now.”
I cringed. “I’m going to find the restroom. What are the chances it’s not all the way across the bar?”
He tapped Perry’s shoulder. “Do you know where the bathrooms are?”
She pointed at a sign hanging on the opposite side of the bar.
Charlie nodded defeatedly. “I’ll walk you.”
I wanted to walk over solo to give my face time to go back to its normal color, but he was already standing up.
Halfway across the bar, I heard Charlie mutter something under his breath and saw a blond heading toward us on her way back from the restroom.
“Was hoping you’d come say hi,” she said as she went in for a hug.
He suddenly looked like a tall, awkward teenage boy, uncomfortable in his own skin.
“We’ve just been camped out in the corner trying not to ruin our Sunday best,” he said, his voice sounding tighter than I’d heard it before.
She looked at me and held out her hand. “I’m Kristen.”
I responded with a short handshake and my best attempt at a polite smile.
“Sorry—this is Samantha,” he added.
I made a dramatic gesture toward the bathroom. “I think I can make it the rest of the way. I’ll let you guys catch up.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it was a fairly clean single bathroom. I locked the door behind me and leaned against the wall. My face was still flushed.
“Damn tequila,” I muttered.
Stop overthinking things.
Fucking Connor.
I wondered if Kristen thought I was Charlie’s girlfriend, then wondered if that’s what he wanted her to think.
Did I want her to think I was his girlfriend?
I jumped at the sound of a light knock on the door.
“One minute,” I squeaked.
I swung open the bathroom door to see Perry waiting.
“I think he’s welded to the floor over there. He’s been miserable since you went to the bathroom.”
I laughed. “Why?” I asked, trying to sound breezy. I looked over to see Charlie in the same spot I left him.
“Did he tell you that’s his ex?”
“Oh, yeah. I just figured I should give them a beat to catch up.”
Perry shook her head emphatically. “Go save him. I’m sure he’d much rather be talking to you.”
She winked and disappeared into the ladies’ room.
I was a pawn in the chess game of Charlie-sees-his-ex-for-the-first-time-in-forever. But he also looked genuinely happy to see me coming back.
“Hey, you,” he said with a relieved smile that reached all the way to his eyes. “Was starting to worry the dress got caught in a vent or something.”
“Okay, enough dress jokes.”
He pretended to inspect the front of my dress. “Phew.”
Perry caught my eye as she walked back toward the group and winked again.
“So, another drink? I still taste tequila,” Charlie said, making a face.
“Me too. I’ll get this round,” I said quickly.
“Coming with you.”
“I really didn’t want to interrupt your catch-up,” I said to him as I handed the bartender my card.
“Actually, she interrupted me walking you to the bathroom,” he corrected me.
I gave him a sympathetic look. “Seeing an ex for the first time is awkward for anyone.”
“Maybe, but I’m having a great time standing in that corner over there, dressed like freaks.”
I folded the receipt and tucked it into the clutch.
“Back we go then.”
The Celtics scored in overtime, which led to another round of tequila shots.
“Next weekend’s my birthday, so I convinced everyone to go karaoke-ing in Koreatown. You guys better come with us,” Perry insisted as she stood in between us with one arm draped over each of our shoulders. I felt four feet tall next to her.
Charlie pointed to his right. “Koreatown is right there. Should we do a karaoke nightcap?”
I hesitated, and he put his hand on my shoulder. “Charity karaoke nightcap. It’s been kind of fun watching Kristen stare at us every time she thinks I’m not looking. What do you say?”
I looked over at Kristen looking in our direction. “I guess I never say no to a nightcap. Not even the karaoke kind.”
The karaoke bar was on the top floor of an office building with only one elevator working. Charlie and I were the last two to go up. The smell of his aftershave was making me feel lightheaded.
I looked over and caught his eye. “What a fun faux date,” I said. After two cocktails and a tequila shot, I was finally out of my head and having fun. It felt like we were dressing up and role-playing.
He laughed and repeated, “Fun faux. Faux fun?”
Perry had booked a dimly lit room with a small stage and a fully stocked bar with two bartenders.
Charlie handed me a five-dollar bill. “Can you grab me a whiskey soda? I never made it to the bathroom at Scallywag’s.”
My eyes were having trouble adjusting to the dark. I walked cautiously to the bar and ordered a whiskey soda and a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry. I stuffed his cash in the tip jar and grabbed both drinks, then nearly collided with Kristen.
“Woops, it’s so dark in here!” she said, raising her hands apologetically.
“Hey again,” I said, trying to sound friendly.
“Sam, right?”
I nodded.
“So, how do you know Charlie?”
Without Charlie, I wasn’t sure how much I was supposed to commit to the bit, but I wanted to follow through.
“We’re officemates, actually,” I mumbled.
She raised an eyebrow. “Officemates, that’s cute.”
“I put my song in the queue,” I heard Charlie announce as he rejoined the group.
I handed him the whiskey soda. “I’m going out on a limb here, but having been hostage to your Spotify playlists for the last few months—”
“His go-to was ‘Sweet Thing’ by Van Morrison when we were in college,” Kristen interrupted.
He shook his head and looked at me. “Nope. Sam?”
“Dylan?”
“Which one?”
“‘Mr. Tambourine Man’?”
“Nailed it.”
Kristen gave a superficial smile. “Lawyers don’t have officemates in Boston.”
“Makes it more fun,” Charlie said defiantly.
I was feeling the shots and the need to kick off my heels.
“I think I’ll grab a seat over there.” I pointed to the leather bench against the side wall.
“I’m up next, but I’ll join you after,” he said.