Page 5 of Gone for You

Someone pushes me from the side and I look to my left. Rex is giving me a strange look, laughing after he attempted to knock me over while I was sidetracked by Liv. “What the hell are you doing just standing here?”

“What?”

“You’ve been standing here staring at the birthday party for like ten minutes.”

I scoff. “Bullshit.”

“Maybe not ten but a stupid amount of time. Get your ass to work.”

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one telling you that?”

“Typically, yes, but I’m not the one standing around like a moron.”

Rolling my eyes, I, for some reason, do as I’m told. Even through the steady line of customers, Liv is still on my mind. She’s come back one time, asking for another drink for herself and the birthday girl.

Rex shook his head at my ridiculous amount of chest puffing over her wanting one of my specialty drinks and I decided right then that I’d be adding it to our drink menu.

The birthday party abandoned its post in the secluded upper level a while ago, scattering through the bar and mingling with the rest of the crowd. They’ve been back and forth between playing darts and sitting at the bar for the last hour. I love that she’s having fun, not just sitting at a table, watching everything. She’s right in the thick of things. Making sure her friend is enjoying her party. If I had a karaoke machine, she’d probably have monopolized it. I also love that she continues to come to the bar, ordering drinks and waters directly from me rather than any of the servers.

It’s getting late and the crowd has shrunk in size considerably, including almost everyone that I saw hanging out with the birthday party. But not Liv. Still, even though the crowd is small, they all cheer when I toss a bottle Rex’s way and he lets it drop almost to the floor before bending at the knees to catch it. He stands back up, swoops his arm in the air, releases his grip on the bottle and snatches it again quickly.

Everyone laughs and claps at his theatrics, a few catcalls are hollered from the back area by the pool table. Even though we’ve been at it off and on all night, they still can’t get enough.

He winks at a pretty girl with chin-length, straight brown hair and she blushes as he raises the vodka bottle high in the air while he’s pouring the liquor into the glass, topping it off with a splash of cranberry juice and wedge of lime.

I don’t even know if she ordered it but he gives it to her anyway and she lifts it to her lips. He leans over the bar, whispering something in her ear. She smiles over the rim of the glass and touches his shoulder flirtatiously. I shake my head, knowing exactly who he’ll be spending his night with.

Speaking of…

My skin prickles, a tingle runs up and down my spine. I don’t need to scan the crowd to know where she is. I move to the end of the bar where she’s sitting now, talking with a friend while pretending not to watch me.

The ‘trio of boobs,’ as Liv so eloquently named them, sidles up next to her and orders another round of shots.Of course they’re still here.“Can we get some Slut Juice?” This time it’s a different woman ordering than before.

Liv coughs and I look at her out of the corner of my eye. She bites the corner of her bottom lip and I can tell she’s trying not to laugh.

“Comin’ right up,” I tell them, knocking my knuckles on the wood. The girls giggle and I hear Liv mumble something about them already having enough slut juice. I’m glad my back is turned when she says it so no one sees how hard I’m working to keep a straight face.

Behind me, I hear the same high-pitched voice from earlier paired with cackling laughter when the girl who first approached me earlier tonight says something about my ass and how she hopes I’m going to cash in on that flaming orgy.

“You’re awful,” one of them replies.

“What? Like you weren’t thinking it?”

“Maybe we can get ‘em both to join us.”

I glance at Liv just in time to see her rolling her eyes.

Drinks mixed, I fill their shots and push them in their direction.

“We’re going to get you to join us sooner or later,” the first one purrs.

“Babe?” I hear Liv call out. Scrunching my eyebrows, I look at her to see who she’s talking to. But her focus is on me.

One of the girls huffs beside me when Liv reaches out and lays her hand on my hand that’s resting on the bar.

“Eth? Did you hear me?”

Eth?“Huh?”

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