“If you only knew how many of our fellow coworkers have been caught making out in here at various times.” The way he’s looking at me makes me think he wouldn’t be opposed to being another one of those employees.
I’ll take that decision out of his hands. “I’ll, uh, see you out there in a bit. I’m just gonna—” I point toward my hair.
“Yeah, sure. See you.” He turns and walks out the door, closing it behind him.
Deep breath in and out. I wasn’t lying when I told Lisa I think he’s attractive. In any other universe I’d take a chance with him. But right now…it’s just not in the cards. There’s already too much on my plate and adding a guy to the mix isn’t something I should even be considering.
“Hey, Eric,” I call across the bar, “can you hand me the tequila?” We’re almost out on this side of the bar, and I need to make this margarita.
He grabs the bottle from the shelf, and I think he’s going to walk it over. Instead, he slides it across the counter to me, earning cheers from the customers. He’s such a show off. The customers love him, though.
“Need anything else?” He waggles his eyebrows up and down. I know it’s supposed to be seductive, but it’s adorable.
Shit. No. Not adorable. I shouldn’t be feeling any kind of way about him. “I’m good, thanks.”
There. That should diminish how much he’s flirting with me. His answering smirk tells me otherwise. I’ve never met anyone quite like him. He has these moments where he’s sweet and caring, like he was when I was freshening up after the game. Then there’s the cocky version everyone gets when he’s behind this counter. Which act is real? This is why I don’t know if I could ever take him seriously.
The music is blaring and I can see people dancing to the band. There’s only about thirty minutes left of serving alcohol. I slide the margarita to the woman in front of me and she asks me to close out her tab. The time to wind down has begun.
After she’s done paying, I take advantage of the lull in customers on my side of the bar and wipe down the counters. Anything to make the cleanup go faster once we close. My body is exhausted after spending all day in the sun only to come to work for hours on my feet.
It’s worth it, though. Seeing my kids enjoy the things they love, and being able to pay for it without help from Keith or my dad is the cherry on the sundae.
My break is short-lived as people come up to the bar to pay their bills before heading home for the night. One after the other takes care of their tab. Eric is using the computer on his side to cash people out, but he’s faster. I’ll get the hang of everything…eventually.
The last of the customers are walking out the door, and the band is clearing off the stage. I start the bar breakdown process I learned in class. I also make a note to restock the tequila tomorrow since I don’t work on Sunday. It’s my one day off, and my bed is calling my name. Nothing will pull me away from it except maybe food.
I’m almost done cleaning my area when I feel Eric standing behind me. Should I know what his presence feels like? Probably not, but after the moment we shared in the office, it’s there just the same.
“So, uh, what are you doing after you leave here?” As cocky as he usually sounds, when I turn around, he seems nervous. His hands are shoved in his back pockets, and his eyes are directed just over my head.
I set down the rag and lean against the counter. “Going home. It’s been a long day.”
“Oh.” His shoulders sag and he turns toward the other end of the bar.
A small part of me wants to know what he wants. “Why? What’s up?” Maybe he needs help with something here at the bar and he was wondering if I could stay late. That’s the only thing I can think of even though I know he likes me. There’s no way he actually might want to ask me on a date.
“There’s a small get together at Lisa’s house, and I was wondering if you’re going. She said she was going to text you, but she probably forgot. She’s not married to her phone like most of us.”
He’s not wrong there. She’s probably one of the few people their age who doesn’t have it attached to their hands at all times. “Um, I don’t really have anything to change into.”
I do, but it’s the sweaty clothes from sitting in the heat watching Isaac play ball. There’s no way in hell I’m putting those back on. I’m sure they smell horrible after sitting in the car all day.
“You don’t have to worry about that.” He runs a hand through his dark hair, and I don’t miss the way his forearm flexes. “It’s pretty low-key. Devin is out of town and she does this from time to time so it’s not so lonely in that big ass house they got.” He must see the indecision on my face because he adds, “you don’t have to go.”
“I’ll think about it.” And I will. Is it inconvenient? Yes. I live an hour away, and if I drink anything, I’m not going to drive home.
“Sounds good.” He nods and leaves the back of the bar to finish whatever tasks he needs to complete.
Picking up the rag, I wipe down my area again before continuing down the rest of the bar. It’s probably already been cleaned by Eric, but I need something to do to work through my thoughts. On the one hand, it would be nice to hang out without worrying about my kids. They are at their dad’s house. If I go home, the only thing I’ll do is watch whatever pops up on TV, and sleep.
If I go to Lisa’s, I’ll be able to see my coworkers outside of work hours. Maybe I’ll make more friends while I’m there. I glance up after finishing my task and notice Eric’s eyes on me. He can probably tell I’m working through my decision, and my cheeks feel hot at his stare.
It would be nice to see Eric in his natural state. When he’s not trying to make the customer swoon to drive up his tips. It’ll give me some insight into who he really is, and if I should take any advances, he makes on me, seriously.
Screw it. Tonight, could be a horrible decision, but I’ll deal with whatever the fallout is tomorrow.
5
