I cringed. No one said stuff like that in real life, did they? Sal looked down, but laughed.
The girls chuckled and joked back. I supposed this was normal in bars. Normal people. Normal courtship things. Maybe I was the weird one, talking to my boss.
A little while later, Sal set his drink on the bar. “Listen, I’ve had a great time, but I’m pretty drunk, so maybe we can rain check?”
“Aw,” the group complained. “Come play with us.”
“Next time, I promise.” He squeezed their arms, but he might as well have crushed my gut.
Rain check. Like me and my stupid drum set. The inner circle of ‘cool kids’ exchanged numbers. I didn’t even have his digits. We used a game app.
“Well, looks like we’re leaving.” Ash slapped some cash on the bar, then took me by the elbow.
I stumbled alongside her. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“You’re not staying here by yourself, and I’m his designated driver. Unless you want to take him?” She smiled and batted her eyelashes.
“No.” I huffed.
His smile brightened as he walked out with us. “Did you have a good time?”
I didn’t have time to answer before the bouncer bro-fisted him.
“See you at band practice,” the squared-off guy said.
“You’re in his band?” I balked. Did he seriously make friends everywhere he went?
“Yep. My badass bass-man," Sal said.
“Guitar,” the bouncer deadpanned.
Sal slapped his friend’s meaty bicep with fondness. “Oh, Zack, you checked her ID, right? What’s her real name?”
“Ask her yourself,” he said.
At least one of his friends had common sense.
Sal swayed and chuckled. “That’s a weird name.”
“Okay, hot stuff, say goodbye,” Ash coaxed, leading us into the parking lot.
“Goodbye, Zero. Thanks for coming out. You know.” He gestured to Ash, then stumbled in my direction.
Before I could think better of it, I swept him up in a hug. Lighting shot through my bones. The warmth of our embrace relaxed my tightened muscles. I chuckled, regaining the breath he knocked out of me. “Feel better,” I said.
“I do,” he murmured, nuzzling into my hoodie.
“Good.” I smiled and rubbed his back. That was all that really mattered.
17
Pizza Party
Thankfully, I had the next day off, so I didn’t have to worry about answering any more of Ash’s questions. Or implications. Or whatever that was. She’d looked at me like hugging Sal was my version of a love confession.
And it wasn’t. I just didn’t hug everyone.
Around ten in the morning, my phone pinged with a message.
