Page 20 of Sunrise Arrows

“Not to mention dark and desolate. Didn’t you say you were renting by the lake?” Ames objects. “It’s not safe.”

“I’ll take you both home,” I offer.

“No thank you,” Tinsley dismisses without looking at me. “We’ll walk. Or Ames, maybe you can bring us when you’re done?”

“I would, Tinsel, but I don’t close until two and it’ll be another hour at least after that to clean and close out the registers and shit.”

She huffs and turns to Briar, taking her by the elbow and moving her down a few stools where they whisper back and forth.

I pull out my wallet and lean over the bar, handing Ames my card.

“Awe, aren’t you sweet?” he says, batting his eyes like a fool as he takes the card.

“Shut up or I won’t tip.”

“You invested in the bar; you can’t tip me. You shouldn’t even be paying.”

“I’m always gonna pay, Ames.”

He jabs his knuckle at the screen, pulling up Tinsley’s tab and closing her out on my card. With the receipt printed off, he rips it from the machine and hands it over to me. “Thanks, man. It means a lot that you did this for me.”

I wave him off and stuff the paper in the back pocket of my jeans without looking at it.

“Did they eat?”

“Not much. I dropped some bacon cheddar fries with ranch and Tinsley ate a few but not near enough to absorb all the alcohol she’s had, and her friend’s even worse for wear. She doesn’t eat meat or dairy and you know I ain’t got any of that fancy L.A. shit here, so she’s been munching on celery and carrot sticks. I've been keeping them as hydrated as I can, but I’m pretty sure they’re sweating tequila at this point.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and mutter, “Fantastic,” trying not to laugh.

It's going to be exactly like the Fourth of July when she said she wanted to have alcohol for the first time and I let her go to town on the jello shots she ended up liking.

The girls come back over and Tinsley’s arms are crossed and her face in a mean pout while Briar looks so sweet you know she’s gotta be anything but.

“Tins,” the blonde coaxes with a soft slur, nudging her friend forward. “Don’t you have something to say?”

She swats her friend’s hand away and is cute as fuck when she grumbles, “We are very appreciative of you offering to bring us home, Archer. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, Shortcake,” I reply, the old term of endearment rolling off my tongue far too easily.

I’ve seen her twice and already the past and the present are blurring together, the floodgates on our history giving way and making it impossible to not succumb to her all over again.

“Don’t call me that,” she quietly snaps, her lip quivering so badly she has to sink her teeth into it to stop it.

Her arms appear to tighten around herself, pushing her tits closer together, and it’s an act of God not to look but I manage. She’s so small and vulnerable right now that it would make me the worst sort of asshole to let my gaze roam over her when she clearly needs someone to comfort her.

From behind the counter, Ames holds out two trash bags that I take and stuff the tails of into my pocket as he says, “Y’all are all set.”

“But the tab,” Briar protests, suddenly unsteady in her teetering heels.

“Archer took care of it,” he answers, coming out from behind the bar. He places his hand on her elbow and says, “You look a little unsteady; let me help get you into the truck.”

“Well thank you.”

They head toward the door and I offer my hand to Tinsley. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” She nods, her earlier sensual exuberance gone without a trace.

She doesn’t take my hand, but as we weave our way through the crowd, she stays close to my side, allowing me to guide her through with a hand on her bare back. It’s a small win, but with her guard suddenly up and impenetrable, I’ll take it.

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