I pretended I didn’t notice Kane leaving the table as I finished typing my number into Paul’s phone. I hit save and handed it back to him.

“That’s really nice of you, Paul,” I said with a smile and a gentle hand on his arm.

“No problem. This town is so small that places don’t even get advertised. Usually people just find them through word of mouth, so it’s good to have an in.”

I casually looked over my shoulder as Sandra and Paul got to talking about the guy who owned the apartment. I scanned the bar, trying to find Kane. I couldn’t be obvious. The last thing I wanted was for Paul and Sandra to pick up on anything.

I spotted him leaning against the bar, talking to the hot female waitress. A flash of jealousy flowed through me. I quickly turned back to the table, took the last sip from my wine, and put the empty glass down.

“I don’t know about you two, but I’m about ready for another round,” I said with a forced smile.

“Great idea,” Sandra said.

“Yeah, I’m ready too. I don’t mean to judge, but I can’t believe you two are in the best local brewery in California, and you’re drinking wine,” Paul said.

“I know, I know,” Sandra started. “I love beer too. But today’s a breakthrough day for Meadow and wine, so I had to join her in celebrating.”

Paul turned to me curiously. “A breakthrough day with wine? What does that mean?”

I felt embarrassed that Sandra had brought up that information. She hadn’t meant to overshare, but the whole thing was pretty personal and I wasn’t about to get into my husband’s affair with Paul. I acted fast to come up with another story.

“Oh, you know how it goes. One night of overdoing it and it’s hard to even look at the stuff again,” I said, laughing like I was embarrassed about it.

“Oh, don’t I know it. I still have to pass when the guys have whisky on poker night,” Paul said.

Sandra and I made eye contact and she gave me a friendly wink. I could tell my secret was safe with her.

I really felt lucky I’d run into her so quickly after arriving in town. Since the moment I met her, she’d been friendly and welcoming. She was doing an amazing job at making me feel included. If it wasn’t for her, I might not even be staying.

“All that being said, you do have a point,” Sandra said to Paul. “Did I hear there are some new beers on tap? Maybe I’ll do a flight.”

Paul jumped on the opportunity. He started listing off the options to Sandra. I was going to stick with wine, so I casually tuned them out. I started to wonder why Kane wasn’t back with us yet. I tried hard to keep myself from looking back at the bar to see if he was still standing there with the sexy waitress.

Why had he just gotten up and left the table like that?

Was it because I said I was staying in Pismo Beach?

Did my staying really make him that upset?

I started to suspect his type really was out of town women. He was probably mad to find out I wasn’t leaving. I guessed he really meant what he said that morning when he told me I should just go back to where I came from. I was mortified that I just let him fuck me in the bathroom like that.

Had I just become another notch on the back of the bathroom door for him?

As my mind raced, I watched Sandra and Paul talking and laughing with each other. It reminded me that there was so much more to Pismo Beach than Kane. In that moment, I decided not to let Kane bully me out of town.

I was going to focus on the positives.

I’d made new friends, gotten a new job, and already had a potential apartment lined up. I wasn’t going to fight with Kane anymore. Surely the town was big enough for the both of us.

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts by Sandra roaring with laughter.

“Wait, what are you guys talking about? What did I just miss?”

“You didn’t hear the joke? Tell it again, Paul,” Sandra said, wiping tears from her eyes.

“A bear walks into a bar.”

“Oh no,” I said.

“Wait, it’s funny,” Sandra assured me.

“The bartender asks what he wants?” Paul continued. “The bear says, I’ll have a gin … and tonic.”

I looked at Sandra as I listened.

“The bartender says, sure, but I have to ask, what’s with the large pause?”

Paul started laughing as he got ready for the punchline.

“The bear holds up his paws and says, Oh, I was born with these.”

I burst out laughing. It was so stupid, but it was cute. Just my type of joke. The voice Paul made and the way he waved his hands around made it even funnier.

Paul wasn’t just funny, he was adorable too.

“Oh, Paul, you’re too much,” I said, laughing and grabbing his hands to pull them back down.