Page 39 of Her Coach

They both looked up.

“Hey.” I kept my voice easy. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m heading out.” I looked at Mom. “Don’t stay too late.”

“I never stay too late.”

I let that one go. I looked at Colton. He looked back.

“You guys good?” I asked.

“We’re good,” Mom said.

I nodded. Looked between them one more time. Mom with her laptop and her reading glasses and that almost-smile. Colton in the chair, relaxed, giving her his full attention.

“Okay.” I gripped my bag strap. “I’ll leave you to it.”

I pulled the door mostly closed and walked down the hallway and out through the front doors and into the parking lot.

Got in my car.

The lobby windows were still lit up. Two shapes visible through the glass, still talking.

I started the car.

Turned it off.

Why the fuck is this bothering me? Isn’t this what I wanted?

I started it again and drove to The Hideout.

I changed into my Hideout shirt in the bathroom and went behind the bar and got to work, and for a while that was enough. The Friday crowd was loud and the orders came fast and I didn’t have to think about anything except which tap and which glass and whether Mikey needed his usual or something stronger.

The team came in at eight. Colton came in last.

He found the stool at the end of the bar and I put a dark brew in front of him without being asked and moved on before he could say anything. I wasn’t ready to deal with the thoughts running through my head yet, and him sitting in front of me just made them worse.

Around nine a woman I didn’t know slid into the empty stool beside him. She leaned in when she talked. Touched his arm when she laughed. Did it twice.

I put down the glass I was holding a little harder than I meant to.

He shifted on the stool. Away from her. Answered whatever she said in about four words and turned back to his drink.

She touched his arm again.

I turned around and restocked the garnish tray. It didn’t need restocking. I did it anyway, moving the lemon slices around until they looked exactly the same as they had before I touched them.

When I turned back around she was gone.

He was looking at me.

I picked up my rag and wiped down the bar in front of him.

“You left early,” he said.

“I had a shift.”

“Before that.”

I kept wiping. “You and Mom looked busy.”