Once I’d run out of booze in that doily-encrusted tomb, I’d wandered out again, looking for somewhere else to drown away my sorrows.
That was how I ended up here, on the Village Tavern patio, glaring at happy pedestrians as they strolled by, enjoying the sunny afternoon.
“Hey, handsome, you want another?” the server who had been bringing me glasses of tequila for the last few hours asked.
I sighed and rolled my head back to look at her, grateful for the sunglasses I had swiped from a souvenir shop but even more grateful that her big ass head was blocking out the setting sun.
“Might as well.”
“You waitin’ for someone?” she prodded curiously, and I smirked at her.
“Why do you ask? Feeling lonely, sweetheart?” I purred, and her cheeks flushed pink at the insinuation in my tone.
She wasn’t difficult to look at, though she certainly wouldn’t know what to do with me if I bedded her. She was middle-aged, soft around the edges, and probably had a few kids running around at home.
Her makeup looked like she’d been applying it the same way since she bought her first stick of eyeliner, and she’d missed a piece of hair in the back of her head when she’d styled it that morning.
Fuck, I was pathetic.
Was I really thinking about fucking this random human mom?
For what?
To get back at Gabe?
I was mad at him, but I couldn’t be honest with myself aboutwhy.
Suddenly, I was too tired to keep up with whatever stupid game I was playing. Gabe wasn’t here to see it anyway.
I sighed. “Yeah. Bring me another one,” I mumbled, and she scurried away to get me another tequila.
Picking up my half-empty glass, I took a big pull and watched tourists mosey down the street past the Village Tavern patio.
My mood darkened as I watched a disgustingly adorable lesbian couple embrace and share a kiss before heading into a nearby shop.
Jealousy swirled in my gut. I probably just needed to fuck something again…
Before settling on this random pub, I’d hunted the town for a sex club—or something similar—to lose myself in.
However, it turned out that the town of Salem was square asfuck,and I’d had to make do with shitty normal bars full of mediocre booze and even more mediocre people.
I hadn’t been able to actually bring myself to fuck any of them.
I told myself it was because they were all boring and pickings were slim.
Now, I was alone on this shitty pub’s patio, almost drunk and inexplicably furious that Gabe hadn’t bothered to eventryto hunt me down.
Not that I wanted him to.
I needed freedom to roam—to do whatever I wanted without someone holding me back…
Which… was what Gabe was giving me… so why was I sofuckingmad at him?
I downed the rest of my tequila just as my server dropped off a fresh glass, and then, I downed that, too, lazily rapping my knuckles on the table, indicating that she should replace it.
Maybe Gabe didn’tactlike he was clingy… but he was.
Why couldn’t we just fuck without him making it all weird?
