“No, I’ll just grab something from the bar on my way back,” I say over my shoulder as I’m already heading toward the restroom.
In the quiet of the bathroom, I lean against the sink, watching my reflection. I take a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh.
“This is not awkward,” I whisper to myself. “This is fine. Everything’s fine. You’ll get back and he’ll probably be gone already, and it’ll just be you and Mina.” The words are meant to comfort, but they sound hollow in the echo of the tiled space. Istraighten my blouse, fluff my hair, and give myself a small nod in the mirror. “You’ve got this.”
The noise from the bar floods back as I push open the door. It’s louder now, the music thumping through the speakers, reverberating in my chest. People cluster around the bar, the hum of conversation mingling with laughter and the clinking of glasses.
I walk up to the bar, finding a group of suited and booted attorney types sitting and talking with their backs turned to me. I squeeze in to order a drink.
“Gin and tonic, please,” I say to the bartender.
The guy closest to me shifts, glancing over his shoulder before turning fully around to face me.
Pierce.
I lock eyes with him, stunned to see him here, especially considering he’s not an actual attorney. Not that you need a license to practice to get in here, but James said this place is frequented by attorneys, not nepo baby assholes that didn’t pass the bar.
“Avery. I’m so happy to see you. I’ve been meaning to reach out,” he says like we’re old friends.
“Have you?” I say flatly.
“Of course. Failing the bar was a real wake-up call for me. You know, I’m actually taking it again next week.”
He’s talking as though we were already in the middle of a conversation. I glance back to my table where Mina and James wait for me. I look at Mina with my best “Are you seeing this?” eyes. She glances at Pierce, and her eyes widen in disbelief before she leans over to James, telling him something. His head snaps up in my direction, eyes meeting mine, a look of irritation flashing across his face.
“I’d love to take you out and catch up after,” Pierce says, and I can’t help but be completely bewildered by his audacity. I barely register James as he walks up behind me.
“Everything okay here, Anders?” James asks, looking Pierce over.
I look up to meet his eyes, and with the sweetest smile I can muster, I say, “Everything’s perfect, James. I was actually telling Pierce here that the time to realize what he had was when he had me.”
I turn my attention back to Pierce, watching his practiced smile falter.
“We won’t be catching up on anything, Pierce. I really do wish you the best on the bar exam. Although I’m not sure it’ll be a different outcome considering you’re here, preparing for this bar exam the same way you did the last one.”
I pick up my drink and head back to the table where Mina sits, James in tow. I sink into the booth, watching James slide in beside me. Mina’s eyes are wide, like she’s not sure if she should be amused or concerned.
“Seriously? Pierce?” she says when I sit down.
“I know. I can’t believe he’s here,” I say, sipping my drink. My hand is still unsteady, but I hope it’s not obvious.
“I hope you told him to fuck off,” Mina snaps.
I shake my head, preparing to recount the whole conversation for Mina when James speaks up.
“A very professional ‘fuck off’. You handled that well.” There’s a hint of admiration in his voice that I can’t ignore, and I feel a flush of pride.
“Thanks,” I say, trying to sound more nonchalant than I feel.
“So that’s the idiot then?” James asks, but it’s more of a statement than a question. Like most of his questions.
“That would be the idiot, yes.”
Mina nudges me with her knee under the table. “He knows about Pierce?”
“Yeah,” I say, cautious about how much I want to acknowledge. “I may have mentioned him.”
She raises an eyebrow, and I can already hear the debrief that will follow as soon as James is out of earshot. She’s still studying him, trying to figure out exactly what he is to me.
