The air at the table is tense and I know it’s because of me and Ash. The situation will not get better unless I leave.
“Look, guys, my tab is open. Feel free to order food or drinks on it, or don’t,” I say, looking around the table. “But I think I’m going to give everyone some space tonight. It’s been a rough night; space is what is best. But please know this, tonight was one minor setback. And it doesn’t erase all of the good things that have happened this season or the fact that we’ve made the playoffs. So, feel however you need to feel tonight, but it’s heads up tomorrow, got it?”
I see nods around the table. “Have a good night, everyone. I’ll catch up with you later.” I turn to Ash, who is openly staring at me right now. There’s a look of disbelief on his face that makes me feel a bit smug. I like that I have him a little off balance right now. He’s not sure what to make of me, which is good. “I hope you had an enjoyable time in the box tonight, regardless of the outcome of the game.”
I grab my Scotch, get up and leave the table. I hear a male voice call my name. I can’t place if it’s Dex or Danny, but I don’t even bother to look back.
The seat at the bar where I sat when I ordered the pitchers is still vacant, so I take it. Lowering myself onto the stool, I wave down the bartender. “I’ll take another one.”
She nods in acknowledgement and turns to pull a bottle of Scotch off the top shelf. Sighing, I look up at the screens. A man drops down beside me, and I don’t need to look over to know that it’s Dex.
“You shouldn’t leave Amelia right now. She needs you.”
“I think that she’ll be fine. Right now, I’m worried about you. Why are you letting that man talk to you that way? You’re August fucking Cromwell. You don’t let anyone treat you like you are the dirt on the bottom of his shoe.”
“He’s not—” I start to say, but Dex cuts me off.
“What happened between the two of you? She willingly came to the bar to help you with the pitchers. This isn’t normal Hendrix and August behavior. So, I’m going to ask you again, what is going on between you and Hendrix?” He says the last sentence like I’m hard of hearing or like he needs to speak carefully because I may not comprehend it.
“Dex, just leave it,” I say, taking the new glass of Scotch. I thank the bartender, and she nods and walks away.
“I don’t want to leave it. I want to know what is going on.” Dex looks over at me and says, “Come on, man, what is happening here? Tell me so that I can go back to that table and punch him in his fucking arrogant face.”
I chuckle. “The girls would not like that. I’m sure they are all charmed by him. I already know that Mac thinks he’s some kind of silver fox or something.”
Dex chuckles. “Yeah, well, that doesn’t matter to me. I don’t give a shit who he is, he is not going to talk to my best friend like that. Now, tell me what the fuck is going on. Why aren’t you giving him little jabs back? Why are you rolling over like a kicked dog? Did something happen between you and Hendrix?”
“It might have,” I relent, letting Dex in just a little bit, because it’s him. He’s had my back from day one. He was the one who helped put me back together again when I left her. He may just have to do that again.
“Spill it. You know you fucking want to. Now just tell me what is going on.” Dex leans in. “It’s me. And I’m not going to tell anyone.”
I nod. “I know that. I just don’t want anyone to overhear.”
He grins widely. Just like that shit-eating grin that he gave me the night that I admitted that I loved her and missed her back in college. “Do you wanna leave?”
I sigh. “No, I don’t want to leave. But let’s go outside.”
“Oh, you really are trying to be protective of her, aren’t you?” he teases me.
“Fuck off, man. I’ll meet you outside. Grab your drink or something,” I say, getting up and heading out the side door that leads to the patio of the Backwoods. The same spot where I managed to corner Hendrix and take her home.
I grab the same table out of nostalgia—or stupidity—and wait for Dex to join me. I chose the same seat she occupied, as if sitting here would somehow connect us. It’s stupid and I know it, but I don’t care.
Dex appears and takes the seat that I occupied that night. I grin and stare past Dex, not really focusing on anything at all.
“Tell me where you are, right now.” Dex is grinning at me when I finally look at him.
I sigh and chuckle. “She was sitting in the same chair that I’m in and I came out here the night we won big and clinched the playoffs. I brought her a shot of tequila. She was lonely and frankly, I was beyond lonely. She came home with me that night and we made love.” Dex starts to say something, but I hold my hand up stop him. “But the next morning she wanted to pretendthat it was a mistake. You are the only person who has been told about this. I highly doubt she shared it with any of the girls.”
“You made love, huh?” Dex is grinning when he says this. “Normally, you would say that the two of you fucked. But this time you used the words that you made love.”
“Well, the fucking would have been what happened between the two of us a few hours ago. I fucked her from behind in the locker room to try and make her feel better after losing the game.”
Dex laughs loudly. A bit too loudly, because other patrons are starting to look in our direction.
“Discretion, Dex. Please try and use some of that right now,” I tease him.
He shakes his head. “Yeah, well, was that what you were doing in that locker room earlier tonight?”
