With Moira tucked into my side, her hand pushing into my back, silently telling me to go, take what was being offered, I knew she’d known this was coming. Obviously, my mom had known and told her. Bruce had known and not said a word. It had all been decided before I even knew about it.
I was going to college, the first on my mom’s side of the family to go.
Clearly, I wasn’t going to be the firstnot to goon my father’s side.
I’m going to come home for a weekend too. I’ll let you know when.
I sent my mom one last text before tossing my phone on the coffee table.
Lounging back into the couch, I closed my eyes, and the raven-haired beauty came to mind again.
What was she looking for? Why was she bartending at eighteen and not in school? What was that sad look in her eyes when she’d mentioned not finding who she was looking for?
Deciding I couldn’t dwell on a girl—especially one I really knew nothing about—I went for a run and came back to my book and a plate of pasta.
Emerson
Bev sat across from me at the bar. “Crap, this is a schlep coming out here. I’m taking an Uber home. No E train for me.”
“Thanks for coming, though,” I said, wiping the bar in front of her.
I didn’t know why or what had possessed me, but I’d stopped at the bakery this week to say hi. I guessed I liked her; something about Bev drew me to her. I wouldn’t say this aloud, but she felt like home to me. Plus, I didn’t really have anyone else in this big city, so I sought her out like a bee to honey.
This past Wednesday, when I didn’t have to bartend until five, I’d spent some time in the city searching for Paula Philip since my lead at the college didn’t pan out, and suddenly found myself hangry for a cookie. I’d gone to the bakery, catching it during a lull, and Bev and I had sat for an hour, just laughing and, and it felt good. When I’d told her about my two jobs, she’d promised to come see me at the bar today. I’d promised to sneak her in, and here we were.
“Place is nice, though,” Bev said, looking around. “Yuppie crowd. Bet you make good money.”
“It’s decent. What can I get you? It’s on me after youschleppedall the way out to Astoria.” I rolled my eyes in jest, checking on Trey, my supervisor and the head bartender. He was busy making an Instagram post, which would take him ten minutes until he got it just right.
“Whiskey sour, extra cherries.”
I tossed a napkin labeled TVRN on the table in front of her and grabbed a lowball glass. “Interesting choice in drinks.”
“Eh, seemed fitting, plus it’s been a shit day. I need something to knock it out of me.”
“What happened?”
See?Like I told that douche back in the bakery, people love to tell bartenders their problems.
Setting her drink in front of her, I said, “Spill it. It’s quiet right now.” I looked at my watch, noting it was a quarter to five. “We won’t be for long, especially on a Friday.”
“My mom is bad again. Found a lump under her arm. They don’t know what it all means, and she’s a wreck, trying not to show it. But I know. I just know she’s a mess.”
Leaning on the bar, I rearranged my messy bun and listened. “That’s rough. What will they do next? I don’t know your mom, but she sounds like a fighter. She’ll attack this.”
Bev took another sip of her drink, sniffing back her fear and the impending onset of tears. “Surgery, maybe chemo.”
“Ugh, gotta be rough. I can’t imagine something like that happening to my dad ... even if he’s been a dick.”
She blinked several times, swallowing hard. “All she has is me to take care of her, but she wants me to go stay with a friend, so I don’t have to see her like that. I can’t do that. You wouldn’t, would you?”
“Of course. I mean, I don’t know what it’s like to be close to a mother, but yeah, you need to be there for her.”
She nodded. “Okay, enough about that. It’s off my chest. Tell me more about the crowd that comes in here. Hot? Sexy as fuck? Any good-lookers in their early twenties? For me, of course.” She waggled her eyebrows above her eyeglass frames, and I couldn’t stifle my laugh.
Good-lookers in their early twentiesmade me think of Price, the prick who hadn’t been nice, but then was. I’d met two people in this city. One was sitting in front of me, and the other didn’t even know my name.
“We’ll get a good crowd tonight. You won’t be sorry you came. I swear.”
