Nope. Passing that stool a million times a shift had desensitized me to the memory of the passion we’d shared. Of how he’d declared he couldn’t stay away from me.
Maybe I wasn’t as immune as I thought.
“Hey, Cara. What can I get you?”
She gave me a demure smile. “You know what I like.”
I held in my sigh and started on a mojito.
She propped her elbow on the countertop and rested her chin on her hand. “So? When are we going out, Rubes?”
I bit back the third—fourth?—fifth?—fake smile I’d flashed for the night. The last thing I felt like doing was humoring her. If I put her off, I’d be no better than my exes, stringing Cara along because I wasn’t bold enough to face my feelings. I was too afraid of being hurtful like my dad. I could justify my response a million ways, but I was tired. My emotions were raw and my nerve endings exposed, left to the elements.
I pushed the glass in front of her. “Don’t call me Rubes, please.”
Her lips puckered as she dabbed the thin pink straw up and down. “It’s just a nickname.”
“I don’t like it.” I’d allow my dad to call me that, but only because he had never teased me about it. She had. “And I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“You don’t think what is?”
“A forced friendship between us. You’ve been mean to me, Cara. I thought we were friends, but then you acted like I should be ashamed of my mom, where we lived, and myself.”
Her jaw dropped open. “What are you talking about? I’ve always been nice to you.”
“No, you haven’t, and if you don’t see how hurtful you’re being, it’s not my job to show you. My job is to serve you drinks.”
“You mean this watered-down thing?”
I gave her a plain stare. She was proving my point.
She lifted her chin. “Why did you even come to my wedding? I could’ve used that spot for another guest.”
I was done with Cara’s bullshit. “You seemed to want me there, and I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“And you’re not now? We were friends.” Her eyes flashed. “You were my best friend.”
How could she talk likeIhad betrayedher? “Until you decided I wasn’t.” My volume was rising. I’d have to watch that. “You insulted my mom, my clothing, my athletic ability. You used me to make yourself feel better when I would’ve been that friend who built you up.” Just like I would’ve been the girlfriend to show Tenor what he deserved. I was tired of being thrown away before I got the chance. “I don’t want to give you the chance to take your unhappiness out on me again.”
She drew back and real pain flashed through her eyes. Trouble in paradise? A little sympathy welled, but I couldn’t waste more energy on her. I’d had enough of that in my life.
Only genuine relationships from here on out.
“I’m not unhappy.” She swallowed hard, then slid off the stool. “See you around, I guess,” she said and marched out of the bar.
While that hadn’t been easy, it was done. One more person cut out of my life.
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, always ready to spring forward lately. Didn’t that sound pathetic?
I made it through the rest of my shift on autopilot. I glanced in the parking lot a million times, but Tenor’s pickup never appeared. He was respecting my wishes.
Damn him.
If he hadn’t, my resolve might have evaporated at the mere sight of him. The anger from the tennis fallout had faded. I was left with the hurt, and for some stupid reason, my heart thought he was the only one who could help me.
All the customers finally emptied out. Only Teller’s pickup was in the lot. He often worked in his office or at the computer bank in the distillation room until he walked me out.
I sent off the nightly report, my heart wrenching like always when Tenor’s name flashed up on the email. I opened the cupboard to stuff the tablet inside. ASense and Sensibilitybook was in its place.
