Allie rolled her eyes. She seemed so sure of herself, Carter thought as he watched her make the drinks. It was hypnotic.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Stacy is your grandfather's latest sugar baby."
"Oh boy," Carter said.
"Apricot sour, just the way you like it. And a Bee's Knees for you, Liz," she said, sliding the drinks to them.
Carter sipped his drink and watched her work.
"Do you miss the Marines?" Allie asked him.
"Not one bit."
She grinned at him. "You miss it a little bit."
Liz had a smile plastered on her face, but she didn’t seem that into the conversation.
"Do you like your drink?" Allie asked her.
"It's great," Liz said too brightly. "I actually have to go, Carter," Liz told him, standing up abruptly.
"Oh, okay." Carter paid the tab while Liz pushed through the crowd to the door.
Not waiting to grab his card back from Allie, he ran after Liz.
"I’ll take you home," he said, stopping next to her on the sidewalk outside of the bar.
"No need. I’m calling a car," she said, looking at her phone.
"I’ll wait with you."
"You don’t have to do that," Liz told him.
"What’s wrong?" Carter asked.
"Why did you invite me out?" she demanded.
Carter was confused. He had had a great evening.
"I don’t know. My cousin suggested it, I guess, and you’re a nice girl from a good family."
"I'm not going to marry someone who’s in love with someone else!" she said and started crying.
"Whoa," Carter said, patting her awkwardly on the back. "Who said anything about marriage? And what do you mean in love with someone else?"
"Allie!" she said. "You two have a history, obviously."
"Yes, but we’re just friends. We share a dog."
"You love her," Liz said as the car pulled up and she climbed in.
"I don't—"
"I think we’ll just stay coworkers," she told him and shut the door.
Carter was so confused He walked back into the Olive and Twist. It was starting to clear out, and he sat back down at the bar.
"That didn’t seem to go well," he muttered. "Can you make me another drink?"
