Untitled
Chapter Five
Skye
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, so 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 the crowd, 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. He 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 once-over?
I don't think so. I did 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 Lecter.
"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 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 this 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. Now that I'm almost positive he's hitting on me, I feel nervous and desperate, but I am also 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 why I’m still standing here.
"This is my friend Juniper."
"Hey," he says, glancing her way.
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, condition, cut, and… "
"Yeah, I mean, not 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 be socializing with other people, 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, 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 agree. "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 reaches 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. "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?"
"Sure," I say, nodding. "But could I get a fourth one?"
He doesn't say anything before he heads back to make another drink. I make a face and look back at my friends.
"It's his job." Elisabetta shrugs. "Don't feel bad."
"I just think that maybe…"
"Don't worry about it. He's always grumpy," the hot guy next to me says.
"Oh, okay. I felt like he thought I was messing around with him, 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.
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 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 twenty to twenty-five percent no matter if you think you get bad service. A little voice tells me that I’m the reason why he’s in a bad mood. I should have ordered all the drinks at the same time. Maybe I’ll give him thirty percent 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.