Page 27 of Demitri

“Absolutely.”

I roll my eyes before I retreat to my girls. Grace has her eyes on me, but Nola and Sofie look like they are two breaths away from drooling.

“Who are they?” Sofie asks, her voice all breathy, her face flushing.

“Dunno, just two beers.”

I know they’ve seen them in here before. There have been plenty of nights the ANON guys have stopped in for a drink when they’ve been here. And this is pretty much the response every time.

“You’d find out their names if you went and talked to them, you know.”

“Not going to happen. I’d never have a chance with someone like,” Nola waves her hand in their direction, “that.”

“Fuck off with that nonsense. You’re a beautiful woman. You just need to accept it and grow a pussy,” I tell her.

“I thought it was ‘grow some balls’?”

“What happens when you hit balls? They go down like a sack of potatoes. What happens when you pound a pussy?”

“What?” Sofie asks, fully invested in the scenario.

“If done right, they orgasm.”

“Huh.” Grace purses her lips, trying not to laugh at me. “So, you’re balls then? Because last I heard, your orgasm was M-I-A.”

“Shut up,” I grin, slinging my hand towel at her.

“Just pointing out the obvious here.”

“I can’t believe you don’t think they’re hot.” Nola looks at Grace. I’m amazed that she can even tear her eyes away from big guy one.

“Grace has her eyes stuck on someone else. And he’s not in the room with us right now.”

We all know I’m talking about her boss, James Covey. She’s been head over heels in love with him for years, but she’ll never do anything about it. Trauma, am I right?

“True.” She doesn’t even try to argue. “They are objectively handsome, I guess, but they lack that something that I like.”

“Yeah,” Nola snorts. “Tom Ford suits.”

“Hush.” Grace waves her off. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Even if he does look good in his suits.”

I’ve officially lost them all. Two are drooling over the guys at the bar and one is lost in her head, dreaming of things that’ll never be if she can’t find her way out of the darkness we all still live in. Yes, I realize that makes me a hypocrite. We don’t judge around here.

When I turn back for another sweep of the bar, the woman’s seat is empty. I look around the room to see if she’s moved, but she’s nowhere to be found. Her empty wine glass sits on the table.

“Fuck,” I whisper to myself. “Did she go to the bathrooms?” I ask the gang, who shrug in response.

My phone vibrates under the counter, and I pull it out.

Demitri: She’s gone. Slipped out the door. Is it time to close up?

I look at the clock on the wall. It’s only eleven thirty.

Mia:Not yet. Thirty more minutes. I’ll make it last call in ten.

Demitri: Need everyone gone.

I pace behind the bar, the clock mocking me with minutes that seem to last hours. At eleven forty on the dot, I call out my favorite words of the night.

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