Afew days after that miserable phone call with Corey, I’m back serving in the Regency Room at the Bravado. It’s the first night I’ve been back here since the night I met Corey. I feel a pang of wistful sadness as I pass by the blackjack table, recalling how he rescued me from Gary. How he immediately seemed attuned to me, his heated gaze tracking me along the room as I worked my shift.
Only a handful of players are scattered across the various blackjack, roulette, and craps tables. Everyone is incredibly polite, and most of the patrons are over sixty-five. Essentially, it’s boring as fuck in here today.
After making two rounds in a row in which no patrons need a drink, I slink toward the bar window in the back of the room and lean on the counter. Finn—the bartender whose name I have learned tonight—isslightly nicer to me this time than he was previously. I’m curious as to why, but don’t have the energy to ponder it.
I haven’t been able to calm my mind since the phone call with Corey. So many parts of our conversation replay over and over in my head. I think of so many things I could have said, or should have said differently. I went into that conversation wanting answers, owning my position on things, standing my ground… And now I’m worried that I’ve done something to ruin whatever Corey and I had going.
“God dammit,” I mumble, dropping my head back against the wall.
“You okay, Bex?” Aaron’s voice startles me into a rigid standing position, and I whip my drink tray up in front of my body like a shield.
“Mr. Blackwood, sir,” Finn says behind me. “What an honor to have you visiting us here in the Regency Room.” Finn gives me the softest glare possible, as if trying to adjust my attitude with a simple look.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes; Finn sounds like such a fucking brownnoser, but then again, if I didn’t know Aaron the way that I do, I might be trying to suck up as well.
“Hey, Aaron,” I say quietly, turning my back to Finn to block him out of our conversation.
Aaron glances at me with concern, and I don’t know why, but his concern, of all people, is making tears well in the corners of my eyes. He looks over my shoulder and says, “Finn, cover the room. Bex is taking ten.”
“Of course, sir,” Finn practically barks. I’m sure if I turned to look at him, he would be saluting.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet,” Aaron says as he wraps his arm around me, not quite touching, but enough to guide me toward the door to the back room.
Once we’re through the back door, Aaron leads me down an unfamiliar hall toward a cozy alcove with a couch, some chairs, and a mini-fridge stocked with water.
“What the hell is this space?” I ask incredulously. I want to laugh, but I still feel like crying, so my tone is wobbly when I say, “Sorry, I’ve just never been back here before.”
Aaron laughs softly as he settles into one of the chairs. “Believe me, this was all Drew’s idea. When we rebuilt most of the space, he loved the concept of having small, somewhat hidden areas for the staff to relax.”
He gestures for me to sit down, and I swipe at a few stray tears on my cheeks as I settle into the chair next to his. I’m embarrassed, behaving this way in front of not just my boss, but Corey’s best friend.
When Aaron whips the pocket square out of his suit and hands it to me, I can’t help but give in to real tears.
“I’m sorry,” I groan as I dab at my eyes. “This is so unprofessional.”
“Bex,” Aaron says softly. “I’m coming to you as a friend right now.”
“That almost makes it worse,” I sniff, resisting the urge to blow my nose in the most perfect pink silk piece of fabric. “Did Corey tell you that we spoke?”
Aaron nods, a grimace on his handsome face. “I’m sorry if I caught you off guard the other day, with your friends.” His cheeks heat, but he continues. “It wasn’t my place to—”
“You don’t need to cover for him,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “He’s a big boy. You just clued me into something he should have been honest about from the start.”
“Still,” Aaron says, absently rubbing the short beard along his jaw. “Bex, I would be a terrible friend to both you and Corey if I wasn’t honest right now.”
“I think we need to hang out a bit more often if you want to qualify us as friends,” I say, lips lifting into a smile.
“We’ll get there, I’m sure,” he says. “But seriously, you mean so much to Corey. He’s my best friend. I’ve seen him through some shit.”
“Like Sabrina?”
Aaron rolls his eyes and mumbles, “That fucking cunt.”
“Oh, I see how it is!”
“Sorry, that was—”
“Probably an appropriate thing to say about Corey’s ex,” I finish. “Continue.”
