She rolled her eyes. "That's too simple, but I get it. You're not into all that."
I dropped my head and chuckled. "You're right. As long as they're done, that's all I care about."
She sighed deeply. "There's nothing wrong with that."
I frowned as I gazed at Jacey. "What's bothering you?"
Whenever Jacey sighed like that, something bothered her. Given how she and her boyfriend argued, he could be the reason. I didn't know why she wouldn't leave him alone. He was no good for her.
She stared out into space, unfocused. I didn't like the look I saw on her face.
"Girl, Stefon with his bullshit. The man had the nerve to have a woman driving his car yesterday. When I confronted him, he said his homie's girl needed to go to the store."
The way I twisted my lips, I just knew I was making an ugly face. "Now he knew he didn't have to tell that lie like that."
"I'm getting so sick of him. He never takes responsibility for his actions or for anything he does. Then, he makes me out to be the bad guy. How am I wrong for confronting him?"
I touched Jacey's arm. "You're not. It's him. You don't deserve any of what he's doing to you. Still, if you don't tell him about himself or just leave, he'll continue to do you wrong."
She sadly shook her head. "Truthfully, I want out."
I widened my eyes, not believing my ears. For Jacey to say that, she had to be fed up. "Say, what?"
Jacey slowly nodded. "Chy, Stefon's out here making me look like a fool. It's been two years, but I'm over it. One smart thing I did while I was with him was to stack the money he gave me. Thankfully, when I'm ready to leave, I'll have money set aside. It's just the fact that I'll have to get a job. I don't want that. I hate that I've become dependent on him. Having to start over will killme, but I have to. I feel like I'm losing myself more the longer I'm with him, and that's gotta change."
I felt sorry for Jacey since she only had her boyfriend and me. Her family stopped dealing with her when she got involved with that drug dealer. She knew Stefon wasn't for her, but he had been in her ear since they met. She'd been having problems with him since they had met each other. To me, Stefon was a joke. I was happy she finally saw he meant her no good. I couldn't tell her that myself, though. She had to be the one to see it.
Jacey and I were two peas in a pod. When we met in college, that was the start of our friendship. She'd been there to wipe my eyes when I had my first heartbreak, and I'd been there for her. One thing I knew for certain was that she had my back, and I had hers. I'd never do what her family did. That hurt her to her core. When she hurt, I hurt too. We might not be blood related, but that was my sister.
Before I could say anything back to her, it was our turn to get our nails done. One thing was for certain: Jacey would be alright. Who knew when she'd finally walk away from Stefon, but one thing she'd take with her was his money, which was a plus.
I'd be spending the rest of my night at work. I didn't get off until the bar closed at 3:30 in the morning. One thing I hated about that was being an early riser. My customers kept me entertained throughout the night. I was a bartender at Tito's Crush Bar. It was a popular place to hang out. When I wasn't at work, I'd be here getting free drinks. The bartenders always looked out for each other.
Working at Tito's made me want to start my own mixed drink business. I enjoyed mixing drinks, and I was one of the best whoworked there. The customers loved me, too. They always wanted me to try different mixers, but I told them I couldn't, but if they'd buy my mixed drinks from me, I would.
"Wassup, lil' mama. What you got for me tonight?" One of the regulars, Trevon, asked.
I beamed at him, placing my hands on my hips. His eyes roamed down my body just as I knew they would. He was a big flirt, but he never took it any further than that. That was a good thing since I felt nothing for him. He was a big tipper, too.
"What are you looking for?" I asked, biting down on my bottom lip.
He smirked. "Henny on ice. Don't bring me that fruity shit you brought me last time."
I threw my head back and giggled. "You said you wanted to try it."
He waved me off and folded his arms across his chest. "Nah, never again."
I shrugged and got busy making his drink. "It's your loss."
While I fixed his drink, I got a feeling deep in my gut. I nearly bit down on my bottom lip from the feeling that hit me in the stomach. My eyes bounced around the bar until they landed on a man walking to his usual seat. Since I first saw him two months ago, he has come in and taken the same seat. The server brought him a bottle of Hennessy with ice in a glass. He'd sat and drank that entire bottle and vibed by himself. I wondered what his story was. Hopefully, one day soon, I'll get up the courage to talk to him. It was something about him that pulled at me.
Throughout the night, I kept looking over at his table. Three women went to his table, and he dismissed all of them with just a look. If I approached him, I wondered how he'd react to me.
"Do y'all have any specials going on?" Trevon questioned.
I shook my head. "Nope, not at the moment. Come back for the Halloween party. We might have something then."
He nodded. "You know I won't miss a party."
