After she walked down the entrance hall and into the kitchen, someone shouted "It's you!” She was violently pulled into the room.
Andrew gave her a big hug. "You're finally here! Did you have trouble finding the place or something?”
Hailey had to shake her head with confusion. This was definitely the most Andrew has ever touched her. Must be the alcohol and she was right about everyone being far gone already.
"No, no trouble. Just had to finish a night shift at the gym. I need a drink to catch up with you! What do you got?”
Andrew led her over to a counter filled with bottles of all different colors, shapes and sizes, but a lemonade and sweet tea vodka caught her eye first. She grabbed a red cup from the tower and started grabbing ice for her drink before turning back toward Andrew. He was talking her ear off about the new pizza guy at work who wouldn’t stop burning his pies during the lunch shift.
She was so distracted by his story that she didn’t notice Scott come up behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Oh! I didn't see you there! Are you having fun on your last night in New Jersey?"
"Oh yeah, these people are always a blast. Here, give me that cup, I’ll make your drink for you."
“Thanks! Yeah, just the lemonade and sweet tea vodka is good, I already got ice.”
She handed her cup over to him, then a loud boom sounded from across the room.
"Shit!" Tara was on the floor after falling off a stool at the kitchen counter.
"Oh my gosh are you okay?"
"No! I spilled my drink!"
She had trouble keeping from rolling her eyes at Tara, the girl who was always a mess at parties and hooked up with as many of the restaurant staff as she could. Was she going for a record? Maybe she was filling a bingo card or something.If only I had her confidence.
"Hey, what happened to the music?" Tara shouted a bit too loud. Someone reset the playlist on their phone and the music sounded through the bluetooth speaker in the corner.
Hailey took this time to look around the first floor. It was pretty swanky as far as townhouses went. Floor to ceiling windows on one of the walls, a full plush couch,hardwood floors. She was pretty sure Andrew just had it renovated, and he did a really great job on it.
“Here,” Scott said with a smile as he nudged her side and handed her back her drink. She didn't take a sip of it right away, not excited for the taste of tea to hit her picky palate.
“Thanks!”
She finally brought the straw to her plump lips and took a quick sip. It wasn't actually too bad. The lemonade was definitely the more powerful flavor.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” Scott said.
The memory of her schedule hit Hailey like a slap in the face.
"Shit, I completely forgot I’m working the opening shift tomorrow so I have to be in even earlier. Couldn't get anyone to switch with me because they all wanted to come here." She shrugged and caught him looking at her, smiling flirtatiously in her direction.
He cleaned up pretty nicely. He was wearing dark khakis and a button-down shirt, half open revealing a solid T-shirt underneath with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Why was that such a good look on men? She didn't understand it but it was a stereotype she could accept about people. He paled in comparison to a certain someone on her soccer team, but she ignored that thought for the moment.
“Who's managing tomorrow? Maybe they'll let youcome in a little bit late,” Scott asked.
“I think it's Zane, he would never let me come in a minute late.”
“Damn, that blows.”
“Ugh yeah, he's the worst.”
She took another beat to think about what time she should leave to get enough sleep for work in the morning. She didn't want to party too hard tonight anyway, so it shouldn’t be too big a deal. She could leave in a half hour or so.
She took another sip when LMFAO started blasting from the bluetooth speaker. “Oh shit! This is my jam!”
Swaying to the music for a handful of songs, Hailey started to feel the liquor hitting her. That couldn’t be right though, she had only had a few sips.
