Tanner scans the room.
“Do you see your parents?”
“No.”
“Should we get a drink then?”
“Yes, a drink sounds perfect.” We begin walking across the room, and Tanner gets stopped by someone I’ve never seen before. “Hi, John,” he says. “This is my girlfriend, Wren. Wren, this is John, my assistant.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” I say, shaking his hand. “Tanner has nothing but nice things to say about you.”
John smiles. “I sure am going to miss him being my boss,” he says, rocking back on his heels.
“You might be the only person I miss from Austere,” Tanner says, tapping him across the shoulders.
“I’m going let you two talk, and I’m going to get those drinks,” I say, squeezing Tanner’s hand. “I’ll be right back.” He nods, and I walk away looking for a bar.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asks when I walk up to the first one I see.
“Can you make a cosmo?”
“Not here,” she says. “If you go across the room to the bigger bar, they can make you whatever you want. This one only has beer and wine.”
“Thanks,” I say, smiling and heading toward the larger bar. It’s mostly empty except for two men. I move by them, stepping up to the bar and grabbing the bartender’s attention.
“How can I help you?” he asks.
“Can I get a cosmo, and then just a bottle of beer.”
“Sure thing,” he says, turning around to prepare my drink.
“It’s embarrassing,” the younger man standing to my right says. “If I were him, I wouldn’t have even shown my face.”
I scoot a little further away from them, trying my best not to eavesdrop.
“Always has to make a show,” the older gentleman says.
“Yeah, but a bar.” I follow the man’s gaze and see that he’s staring at Tanner.
Fire boils under my skin. I know they aren’t talking about him like that.
“Excuse me,” I say, catching both of their attention.
“Can we help you?” the older gentleman asks.
“It’s just always been interesting to me how no matter where you are, you can always tell who the smallest men in the room are.”
“I’m not following,” he says.
“The smallest men in a room are always the ones who feel the need to cut down others. I didn’t catch your entire conversation, but I heard enough.”
“Excuse me,” the younger man says, aghast.
“You heard me,” I snap, turning to grab our drinks. I walk back toward Tanner, and I try to calm my rage, but it’s no use.No wonder he wanted to skip tonight.
Fucking assholes.
Anger thrums through my body, and I sip my drink, trying to calm myself.
