‘I’ll explain later.’ Alice chuckles before turning to a quickly growing queue of customers.
Ducking out from under Michael’s arm, I follow Mia around the bar, watching her break down the box and toss it into the trash. I can’t stop staring at her mouth. She’s wearing that glittery gloss again and every time she moves, the light scatters across her lips.
‘You had a good time at the game?’
‘Sure.’
‘You think you’ll come to the next one?’
‘Maybe.’
Tossing her long braid over her shoulder, she looks around the busy bar, getting busier by the second and her face falls. I can’t believe she’s still working here after that night I took her to the medical centre but then again I can’t imagine Mia giving up on anything until she’s conquered it. Committed is one word for her.Stubborn would be another. We should all be glad she’s dedicated herself to working at the bar and not taking over the world.
‘I’d better let you get back to your celebration. Congratulations, Ethan.’
I know when a Southern woman is sending me on my way, so I turn to leave. Just knowing Mia was at the game, that she saw me score a goal, makes me stand a little taller and I’m hit with an unexpected buzz of anticipation, something I haven’t felt in a long time. Long, as in way before Breanna ended things. The realization catches me so off guard, I don’t move for a moment, afraid the feeling will disappear. But when I look back at Mia, it only gets stronger.
‘O Captain, my captain!’ Assad suddenly swoops across the bar, barrelling into me for a bear hug.
‘That was a masterclass,’ he says, slapping my chest in triumph. ‘Anyone would think you were edging us in the first half.’
‘If there’s one place I don’t want delayed gratification, it’s on the soccer field,’ I reply, leaning back against the bar, watching Jenna lead the student population in a rowdy singalong. She’s Hemden’s very own one-woman cheer squad.
‘How you choose to celebrate is between you and your God.’ Assad stands at my side, surveying the bar. ‘Anyone you’ve got your eye on?’
‘Me?’ I shake my head. ‘Nope. I’ve got the team and my coursework. That’s more than enough to deal with, I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now.’
‘No one mentioned a girlfriend,’ he says innocently. ‘More like a little celebration treat. The froupies cometh. You can have your pick tonight, mate. Anyone you want.’
My gaze sweeps over the sea of girls swarming the rest of theteam. Behind the bar, I see Mia reappear, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand as she turns to a customer and takes their order. My eyes are drawn to her like a magnet. Wherever she goes, I follow, and as soon as she’s out of sight, I’m impatient to see her again. But Mia doesn’t even glance in my direction.
‘Not quite,’ I say to Assad. ‘Not quite anyone.’
20
Mia
Members is a zoo. It’s my first post-game Saturday and it’s all hands on deck, including me, Alice and Anders. Nobody is about to crown me bartender of the year but I’m getting better. I can pour a pint, change a keg and mix up a pint of squadka without retching, the most impressive achievement so far. I tried one sip on my first night for research purposes and while it tastes exactly like candy, it kicks like a mule, and in the two weeks I’ve been working at Members, I’ve seen it bring down several men considerably bigger than me. I’m not looking to join them any time soon.
Tonight is like nothing I’ve ever seen, people swarming from the door to the dancefloor, and the line at the bar has been six deep since I arrived. It’s crazy how much Members changes from day to day. On a Tuesday afternoon, it’s the most charming space, all dark wood and warm leather, intimate and inviting, but that’s all changed by happy hour, and on a weekend, it’s a different animal altogether. The intimate lighting shifts into something more anonymous, the cosy booths become the perfect hideaway, and instead of perching on a stool with my required reading, I’m running in and out of the back room, desperately trying to keep the bar stocked. Tonight is no different. Alice and Anders deal with their customers like the pros that they are, while I offer pained smiles and silently pray for easy orders.
‘One double first, two Smirnoff Ices, three red Aftershocks, one Jägerbomb and a bottle of Becks,’ a student with a ruddy face and glazed eyes calls over at me.
My prayers are not answered. Maybe my mom was right, this is what I get for not going to church.
‘Coming right up,’ I mutter, soda gun in hand for the double first as I bend down and retrieve the Smirnoff Ice from the fridge. It’s after ten, only three more hours until close but I don’t see things calming down between now and then. Another thing I don’t see, Oliver.
‘Watching the door won’t make him magically appear,’ Alice says, handing me a bottle of Becks. ‘And it won’t make your night go any faster either.’
‘He said he was coming is all,’ I reply, tearing my eyes away. ‘Be honest, you think I’m pathetic.’
‘Yes, I do.’ She kisses me on the cheek, leaving a sticky lip gloss stain. ‘But who here hasn’t been pathetic over a man?’
I pour the shots and push them across the bar, receiving a decisive tap of a credit card in thanks. No tip because it turns out people don’t really tip in the UK. Something I wish I’d known before I agreed to take this job.
‘While we’re quiet,’ Alice says, oblivious to the chaos all around. ‘Your birthday is tomorrow.’
‘I know,’ I reply. ‘Comes on the same day every year.’
