Little fucker winks at me and slides down to a woman, giving her a big smile. “What can I get for you, darlin’?” he asks her.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to a bar filled with straight people, and I find it incredibly refreshing that his words, which might have come across as flirty somewhere else, only make the woman relax.
The people who come to Kala, especially for the first time, are looking for one thing above all else. Kindness. They’re looking for a place where that’s the only expectation. No one looks at you with disgust or has a nasty comment when they see you holding hands or kissing someone.
Everyone is kind. Everyone is loving. And this is allnormal.
“Why are you always here?”
Okay, there are always exceptions to the rule. I shift my attention to look at Benson standing over his brother. Cash is sitting right where he almost always is when he’s at the Hinky Dinky Bar: in the corner as far from the band, though with as direct a sightline as he can get.
I missed the cue that Whiskey Horizons was taking a break.
“Unfortunately for you, you’re not the king of the bar,” Cash says, rolling his eyes.
“There are dozens of bars. Go somewhere else.”
“Or you could go somewhere else. You’re shit. You bring the band down.”
I smirk at Cash’s comment. There was a time not long ago when Cash wouldn’t talk back. He would just roll his eyes and ignore Ben as his brother tried to bully him into going away.
Those days are long gone. I’ve never seen Cash seek his brother out in the same way Ben does Cash. Ever. All I’ve ever witnessed is Cash sitting quietly in this corner, either with Lie or here for Lie. But now, when Benson decides to give his brother a hard time, Cash bites back.
Benson takes several steps toward Cash, who doesn’t so much as avert his eyes. Before I can intervene, Onyx is there, yanking Ben backwards. Ben jerks his arm from Onyx’s hold, turning back for Cash, but Onyx shoves him away.
“Back off, Ben.”
“Why are you always?—”
“Because you’re not only in public acting like a fucking piece of trash, but you’re also representing the band right now,” Onyx snaps. “Grow the fuck up already. He’s literally doing nothing at all but sitting here. That’s it. He hasn’t even looked at you. Leave him alone already.”
Ben is so fucking angry he’s turning purple.
Lie has abandoned the customers at the bar to stand across from Cash, glaring at Ben in solidarity with his best friend. He has the hose to the water in his hand. I really hope he sprays Ben. Cool the hothead down.
“This is bullshit,” Ben says. He turns on his heel and literally stomps off.
“I don’t know why you stay in the band with him,” Cash mutters, turning his back on Onyx. “You realize he’s a reflection on you, right?”
Onyx sighs. He takes a few steps closer. “I’m sorry.”
Cash rolls his eyes, waving Onyx off without looking at him. “Whatever. Just think about what everyone says aboutyouwhile you constantly run interference.”
“I’m trying to?—”
Cash spins on his stool. “You can’t change him, Onyx. He’s going to be an unprovoked asshole no matter what you say.What you really need to take into consideration is the fact that your concern for him is far greater than his concern for how his behavior makes you look. This is a one-way friendship. How does that make you feel?”
“ONYX!” Benson yells from the other side of the bar.
“You better go,” Cash says, once more turning from Onyx. “You left your leash too long.”
“That’s not fair.” Onyx frowns. He stares at Cash for a minute before sighing and heading for Ben.
I raise a brow as Lie puts the water back.
“Not going well, huh?” Lie asks.
Cash sighs. “It’s… fine.”
