Page 58 of When The Mountains Held Us

“Come on, Jess, don’t be like that. I know you still think about me.”

“I absolutely do not,” Jessie replies vehemently.

“You do. It’s okay if you’re not ready to admit it yet. Come on. Come sit with us.”

Jessie rolls her eyes at him, but doesn’t push him away.

“We’re so talking about this later,” I say to her, laughing as Justin pulls her away from me and towards the corner booth while I fix her another drink.

I’m just putting it on the tray, preparing to carry it over to them, when the green tea girls flag me down and order another round. My eyes flit to the corner booth, wishing I could join them on that side for once instead of being stuck behind the bar. I’m working on the shots when Layla breezes by behind me.

“Layla!” I call out, and she stops, turning to me with a, what the hell do you want? look on her face. I hold out the tray to her. “Would you mind bringing this over to table twelve for me?”

I realize my mistake when her entire demeanor changes, and she practically rips the tray from my grasp without a word, her smug smile twisted up in victory. Of course, she has no problem taking the drink over for me. The man sitting there, still nursing the bourbon I poured him, is enticement enough.

I get it, girl. I really do.

I finish up the green tea shots before I’m flagged down by a group of guys ready for beer refills at the other end of the bar. I fall into a steady rhythm, mixing and pouring, serving one group after another. The constant movement has my feet aching and sweat pouring down my temples, and I swipe it away with the back of my hand, but there’s something satisfying about the fast-paced environment.

In between tossing a few bills in the tip jar while simultaneously swiping someone’s card, I glance at the clock above the bar. One-thirty A.M. Which means it’s nearly time for last call, and, honestly, I can’t wait for this night to be over. All I want to do is shower the stale beer off of me, crawl into bed, and sleep for the next twelve hours.

It’s then that I realize I haven’t seen Layla since I sent her over with Jessie’s drink nearly an hour ago. I swivel my head back and forth, trying to see through the throng of very drunk patrons to see if I can spot her.

I can’t find her, and I am livid.

Without even realizing it, I’ve been taking care of the entire bartop on my own for nearly an hour, yet I’m still going to be expected to split my tips with her at the end of the night.

I slap the credit card slip and a pen down in front of a group of guys and turn to leave, when a hand reaches out and grabs my own. I’m a little shocked at the bold move, not appreciating the fact that this guy thinks he can touch me without my permission. I start to tell him as much when the slide of a folded-up bill in the palm of my hand causes me to look down before he lets me go.

“I’ve seen you busting your ass all night while your co-worker spent her night non-stop flirting with the guests. That tip is for you, and don’t you even think about splitting it. Have a good rest of your night.” With a wink, the man turns and heads for the door, and I watch his retreating form for only a second before the crowd closes back around him.

I look down and open my palm, revealing a crisp hundred-dollar bill sitting there, staring back at me. My stomach flutters at the generous tip, and I slip it into my back pocket before Layla catches sight of it. And then I recall the stranger’s words to me. While your co-worker spent her night non-stop flirting with the guests.

Where the actual fuck is Layla? It takes a lot to get me truly angry, but I practically have smoke blowing out of my ears at this point as I, again, scan the crowd for her.

It only takes a minute of searching before I spot her at table twelve, perched in Levi’s lap as she twines her arms around his neck and pushes her tits right in his face.

I’m turning away before I know what I’m doing. There is no part of me that needs to see any more. The image is already burned into my retinas like an unwanted brand.

Thirty

Levi

Ijump to my feet, unseating Layla, who falls to the floor in a rumpled heap and glares up at me, but I barely register it. I am too infuriated to give a shit right now.

“What the fuck, Levi?!” she screeches, and several heads turn to look in our direction, but I don’t care who’s watching.

“I told you not to touch me,” I bark before stalking off towards the bathrooms at the back of the bar. Once inside, I splash some cool water on my face before bracing my hands on the sink as I stare at my reflection in the dirty mirror. Exhaustion laces every single one of my features, making my eyes appear so dark they almost look black in the dim light. I take a deep breath and then another.

I shouldn’t have reacted so harshly, but feeling the press of a body that isn’t Oakley’s made me react before I could make a conscious decision. All I knew was that it wasn’t her. Chalk it up to a knee-jerk reaction.

I’ll still have to apologize to Layla, though I doubt with the way I just embarrassed her she’ll be game to listen to me tonight. It’s fine. I’m not particularly in the apologizing mood. Best to let things cool down before I attempt that. All I want to do is get through the rest of Oakley’s shift until the bar closes, and I can go home and go to bed.

I must be in the bathroom for longer than I realize because when I finally emerge, the bar has cleared out significantly. There are still a few lingering groups here and there, nursing their final drinks in a feeble attempt to keep the party going. A few minutes later, the DJ cuts the music and the lights flip on. The remaining patrons groan their protest before finding their way to the door and exiting onto the street, a few of them lingering at the bar to settle their tabs. I head back to the corner booth where Isaac, Brandon, Justin, and Jessie all wait for me.

“Sorry, guys, I-I told her not to touch me.”

“Maybe now she’ll stop drooling all over you every time you walk into a room. I didn’t want to be mean, but I don’t know why she stayed over here after dropping off my drink,” Jessie says.