WREN

A week later Eleanor whines over the bar, “I can’t believe this is your last night here!”

Stocking beers at the end of my last shift I sigh, “The bar I’m going to will be better for me. High-income clientele. Bigger tips.”

“Stripping?” she sarcastically asks.

Flattening the empty cardboard box I tilt my head. “Thank you for hiring a babysitter so you could work my last night.”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal, but her eyes are sad. So are mine. “I know I said I didn’t want to know, but now that it’s really happening I can’t stick my head in the sand anymore. Dammit! Fine, tell me. Who are you leaving us for?”

“St. Regis Hotel.”

Her eyebrows rise. “That’s a nice place.”

“It’s beautiful.”

She follows me to dry storage, warning, “You could spend a lifetime at a place like that.”

“So?” I mutter, tossing the flattened box onto the recycling pile, and rolling a heavy keg out next. “I hate hooking these up. Every time they run out during my shift I wince. It’s like moving a cement barrel!”

Eleanor ignores my lame attempt to change the subject. “What about singing, Wren? Are you ever going to do that again?”

“God, you and my mother,” I mumble. “It’s my life, my dreams, what do you care?”

With an empty O’Neal’s behind her, loud music off and the bright house-lights on, Eleanor jabs her finger in the air. “You hear that?”

Dropping the keg in place I look around, “No, did someone knock?”

“You said dreams. Your dreams, Wren! You can’t walk away from those! Not all of us have them!”

“Everyone has dreams.”

“I don’t,” she shrugs. “Unless you count being a good mom, which I am. Unless you count making my kids love me more than they love their dad, which I don’t think you can count—that’s just a selfish goal, but it’s there and I’m making it come true,” she grins, then becomes serious again, “Other than those, I’m just happy living my life my way.”

Latching the hose to the keg and testing it I consider her point. “That’s a dream…living your life your way.”

“Sure, but you know what I’m talking about here. It’s not a God-given talent. I’ve heard you. Your voice is beautiful!”

“There’s nothing wrong with tending bar. It’s a skill. I make a very good drink, and you know it.”

Throwing up her hands she pleads her case, “I know you do! And I never said there was anything wrong with it, did I? I love being a server. My hours are flexible. If my kids need me I can cover a shift. I get cash every day and I don’t have to take off my clothes for it! And I get to meet men! If I didn’t have this job I never would have met Dion, would I, no! What were the chances we’d run into each other in some grocery store? I mean, come on, that never happens.”

I blink at her, thinking of my run-in with Eric at TJ’s.

Grabbing my shoulders Eleanor insists, “I’m just saying that if you were born with a talent like you have, it was given to you for a reason. Don’t forget about it, okay?”

A stillness overcomes me. “Okay.”

She hugs me and I return it. “Did you tell Mike where you’re going from here?”

“Yes. He’s not happy about it, but mostly because of the one-week-notice.”

Rolling her eyes Eleanor heads off to turn the chairs over on the tables so the janitors can vacuum and mop the slime from the floor. “Please, you know how the owners are. Every person who’s given two weeks Carla takes them off the schedule early, anyway.”

Wiping down the bar I agree, “That’s what I told him. He argued it but we’ve seen it happen how many times?”

Holding up her pretty nails, Eleanor counts, “Grant, Kate, Shawn, Dwayne, Rodrigo, Holly.”

She and I stare at each other, each cocking an eyebrow before I snort, “Sounds like a trend to me.”

Ruefully she mutters, “It’s like they think you’re dumping them so they have to dump you first. I mean, I’m working for you—I didn’t know we were fucking!”

“Exactly.” The room goes quiet while she and I clean up. While I’ll miss her, and I enjoy being back here with someone as fast and skilled as Mike is, I’m glad this is my last night at O’Neal’s. With the Falcons back in town for a home game this weekend, they’ll come here afterward. I will not put myself through that again.

He got under my skin.

And maybe into my heart.

The jerk.

I haven’t talked with Eleanor about the bet, because I’m embarrassed. She thinks Eric and I are still seeing each other. It’s been hard to handle on my own. I don’t want Eleanor telling Mike about the bet. She’s not the best with secrets.

Or maybe I’m just jaded.

“Peter still calling you?”

“Yeah.”

“Block his ass!”

“You can do that?”

Eleanor turns the last chair upside down and throws her hands on her hips. “Are you kidding me—you’ve never blocked anyone?”

“Never had the need I guess.”

Rolling her eyes she says, “Lucky. Open the contact in your phone and scroll down. You’ll see the button to happiness right there. Block his ass!” She grabs her purse and heads for the bathroom. “Be out in a minute!”

Everything is as it should be. The register has been counted. Plastic-wrap on the sweet liquor bottles to protect them from bugs. Grabbing my bag I lean against the counter and wait for her, so I can lock up and we can walk to our cars together, safely. Opening the contact page in my address book, I stare at my ex’s name and scroll for the blocking option. Without hesitation I hit it.

Then I go to Eric’s name.

My thumb hovers over the block button.

Staring at it, I feel pain shooting through my arm.

But I let gravity do what it’s meant to do.

My thumb drops. It’s done.

Taking a deep breath I glance over as the bathroom door opens. Eleanor walks out with fresh lipstick on, her hair out of the ponytail. “This look too kinked to you?”

“No, you look pretty. Are you going out?”

A sneaky smile curves her lips. “Dion’s place. He and the team got back today, as I’m sure you know. Since I hired a babysitter, I asked her to stay later. Can’t spend the night but who needs that much time? I just want a taste!”

I turn out the lights and set the alarm. “So this is becoming a thing with you guys?”

Her eyes cloud a little like she doesn’t want to think in those terms just yet. “He’s a big teddy bear. Who knows? We’re having fun. Just like you and Eric, right?”

I haven’t said anything about he and I, but that’s not lying. It’s just withholding information until I’m ready. If I lie to Eleanor now, I won’t be able to live with myself. Guess I hoped time would help me.

Biting my lip I lock up while she waits. “Eric and I aren’t seeing each other. It was just a short fling to help me get over Peter. Why is this key fighting me tonight?”

“Because it knows you’re leaving it.”

“Yeah right,” I mutter, wrestling with the damn thing until I win. “There.”

“It just feels like it’s too quick, Wren. We’ve been working together two years now, right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t matter. We’re still going to be friends.” Biting my lip I stare at her pretty face, feeling just as sad as she looks, and maybe more. An involuntary confession jumps off my tongue. “Eric bet Tony Sanchez he could get me to fuck him.”

Eleanor’s eyes go wide. “What?!”

Pressing my fingers into my eyelids I tell her, “I can’t be here when he comes in with the team.”

She grabs my hands and makes me look at her. “I don’t blame you!” We stare at each other and I know what she’s thinking, that the team is the reason we’re so busy. The owners need them, and so does the staff. If anyone’s gotta go, it’s me. “Is that why you got another job? Wren, why didn’t you tell me?”

Shrugging I glance to the keys in my hand. “Why do you think?”

She sighs, “Embarrassed.”

“Yup.”

“What an asshole!”

“Yup again.”

I glance up and hold her eyes, evaporating into sadness. “I thought maybe he was one of the good ones.”

Her eyes flash, “Oh honey, he’s a man. They don’t make good ones. Excuse me.” She pulls out her phone and dials.

“What are you doing?”

Holding up her finger for me to be quiet, she waits and then says, “Dion, I can’t make it tonight. In fact, why don’t you just keep waiting for me.” I hear a low rumble of his objections, but she cuts him off. “Baby, it was fun but I have a girlfriend who just got fucked over by one of your friends and it takes one to know one, if you know what I mean. Go after some other babe with gorgeous tits and a perfect ass because this one is off limits. No hard feelings. Bye bye.” Hanging up she stares at me with eyebrows high on her forehead. Grabbing my arm she steers me to the parking lot. “You have any popcorn at home?”

“Are you sure, El?”

She eyes me. “Did you just hear what I told him? That was a fine cock I just dropped because you are my friend and you need me. Do I look sure to you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have popcorn?”

“No.”

“Then we are stopping at a store and getting some, because it is time for you and me to watch some sweet-as-fuck romantic comedy movies and cry our little hearts out. You drive me back here tomorrow morning to get my car?”

“Of course!” We both climb in mine. This key slides right in. “Can we see a horror movie instead?”

Eleanor’s head whips around in a huge grin, “Oh hell yes! Screaming over crying any day!”

“I’ve done enough crying.”

She whoops and turns on the music. As Gabriel Cocker’s famous voice pours out of the speakers, my all-knowing friend glances my way. “Were you torturing yourself?”

“Guilty,” I mumble, keeping my eyes on the road.

“Mmhmm,” she hums, unceremoniously switching it over to someone who doesn’t share Eric’s last name.

As we drive toward a store that’s open twenty-four hours, I challenge, “Were you ending things with Dion in case you might get hurt?”

She shifts in her seat. “Guilty.”