I flipped my hair over my shoulder. “Thank you, Chuck.”
“Jesus.” He snorted just as the front door opened, letting some of the afternoon sunshine blast into the bar. Now that I noticed the beams, it was obvious how dark this place was. No windows, dim lights. It was moody as hell, and I dug it.
Charlie nodded at the guest but then snapped his fingers. “Perfect. Alex, meet your new bartender.”
I spun around super-fast, smiling and ready to befriend my new work buddy.God,I wanted a friend here. Someone who wasn’t from my hometown who didn’t know my entire life story or parents. Who wasn’t in awe of my brother and viewed me as an afterthought. I loved my brother, but it was hard always being in his shadow. He was always exceptional, and I was always average. “Hey, I’m Elle.”
Alex had short hair, buzzed on one side while the other hung down. They had tattoos covering their left arm, with the right completely bare, which gave them a wicked cool look. They wore all black—tight black shirt, black jeans, black biker boots. Their lipstick was bright red though, and I grinned. “Oh my god, I love the lip color.”
“Her? No.” Alex shook their head, frowning at Charlie. “Look at her in her sunflower dress. Do we look like the place where people wearsunflowers?”
“I asked Chuck here about the dress code, but he laughed at me. You want me to dress in all black? A slutty top to get more tips? Tell me.”
Alex’s tone or comment didn’t offend me in the slightest. I knew I was an acquired taste and wouldn’t settle for half-friendships. People either loved me or hated me, and that was okay with me.
My best friend Daniella thought I was hopelessly romantic, saying I expected nothing less than one-thousand percent investment from a partner to sweep me off my feet, loving me for all I was. Maybe it was true, but none of my insecurities stemmed fromwhoI was. I generally liked myself. I spent most of the time in my head, daydreaming and creating stories, and I realized one day I was pretty damn awesome. If anyone else didn’t get that memo, like my parents or brother, then that wastheirfault, not mine.
“Don’t judge me until you see my skills.” I got off the stool, placed my laptop in my backpack, and hoisted it on my shoulders. “I can memorize orders without writing them down, can charm the pants off a real dick of a human,andI’ll clean the silverware without complaint. I actually find doing dishes comforting, isn’t that weird? It’s the repetition I think.” I was blabbing way too much, but I swore I saw Alex’s mouth twitch.
“You’re exhausting.” They sighed.
“Oh, I know. But I’m worth it.”
“When does she start?” Alex asked Charlie, their hands moving through their jet-black hair. “We’re gonna have a rush tonight with the Bulls in the playoffs.”
“I was just asking about that! They play tomorrow at seven, but pre-game starts at six thirty. I have the cutest Bulls jersey I can wear too. I actually have two if you want to borrow one?”
“Fuck.” Alex pinched their eyebrow just as the door opened again. “Oh, great. My favorite person.”
“Shut up, Alex. I’ll spill bleach on all your clothes.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me.”
The glare hid the person’s face, but I knewthatvoice. It belonged to the face on the wall I’d avoided staring at because a girl couldn’t just erase raw attraction. I’d crushed—from far away—on Cal Holt for two years, only to be deflated when we actually spoke. My left hand curled into a fist, and my heart punched my ribs.Why is he here?
“Elle,” he said, his deep timbre a damn string, yanking me toward him. I kept my feet firmly in place, digging my toes into my matching flower Vans.
The door shut, and I blinked. The light settled, and now I could view him in entirety. I hadn’t seen him since he oddly helped us move a couch into our apartment, but I would’ve been okaynotrunning into him again. I nervously swiped a hand over my neck, hiding the way my pulse raced just from his presence.
He wore a simple black T-shirt and dark jeans, the fabric stretching over his toned muscles. Drafted at eighteen yet choosing to stay until he got his degree? A body of a Greek god? The crooked nose that made him slightly more rugged than handsome? I cleared my throat, forcing myself to remain cool. He might’ve got me revved up before, but he was an asshole.
“Whatare you doing here?”
“Wait.” Alex full-on smiled now. “Do y’all know each other? Do I sense a tone?”
“No,” I said.
“Yes.” Cal narrowed his eyes at me, his lips curved down like he was upset. His glare and frown were famous, from what Dani told me, so there was no reason for him to be stressed at seeing me.
I wasn’t the one who’d ruined it that night.
“This is my nephew, Elle.” Charlie’s voice was strained, like he too was trying to piece together why the bar had gotten so hot and filled with tension.
Not the sexual kind. Anger tension. Smack Cal with my notebook tension.
Charlie coughed into his fist when no one said anything. “Elle’s gonna bartend here.”
