Page 2 of Losing Faith

“You meet with Winter?” She mentions the Chair of my AA group and I nod with a small smile.

“She’s annoying as shit but some of the stuff she says is tattoo worthy.” I lift my sleeve to show her my upper forearm.

Her eyes slightly widen before she breaks into a laugh and lifts her cropped top just a bit. On her ribs is my identical tattoo.It wasn’t for nothing.

My smile grows before my eyes narrow on her. “Okay, who the hell sent you here, Houdini?” I glance around the room, expecting to find my brother somewhere, but he isn’t in sight.

Her laugh touches my ears again. “I could say the same about you.”

I turn back to her and she holds her hand out to me.

“The name’s Erin.”

I take her hand in mine. “I like Houdini better,” I tease. “Lis.”

She nods in thought before someone shouts an order at her. “On it.” She grabs a bottle and cup but keeps her focus on me as she works. “How come I’ve never seen you at a meeting?”

I open my soda and pour it into my cup. “I only go on sandwich days.”

She tilts her head back with a laugh before her face morphs into pleasure. “Ugh, those sandwiches are so good.”

“Right, and that asshole refuses to tell me where she gets them from because she thinks I won’t go to meetings anymore.” I roll my eyes at the reminder, and while Winter may be right, she doesn’t have to withhold such valuable information.

Erin sets down the drink she’s making before immediately preparing another one. “I had to switch my schedule so now I can only go on donut days.” She lets out a sigh as if it physically pains her but I bet it does. Those donuts are always stale as shit.

“Of course, you have a schedule for your plans.” I shake my head at her as I take a sip of my soda and she looks offended before she plasters a smile on her face for the girl who hands her a tip.

“Thank you, baby.” She blows her a kiss before putting the money in the tip jar and turning to me.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She places a row of shot glasses in front of a group beside me.

“Just that you have perfect French tips as a bartender which tells me you’re very organized.”

A smile touches her lips as she pours a rainbow drink into all of the shot glasses in one swift move. The group of girls she’s serving record her pouring the shots before saying some sort of chant and throwing their heads back.

They each squeal as their faces scrunch and envy seeps into my blood at their freedom.

Two knocks on the counter in front of me has me turning my attention away from them and onto Erin again. “It was great talking to you, but you should call your sponsor and go grab food or something.” The sympathy oozes off of her and if it wasn’t for us being in the same AA group, I would’ve stayed.

I know AA is anonymous, but everyone in our group is like family. Even if Erin and I somehow have never met until now, I refuse to relapse in front of her.

She walks off to take another order as I text my brother.

You awake?

It’s only 1:00 a.m., but he replies immediately.

Biggest Loser

No.

I roll my eyes before sending him a middle finger emoji and he replies by reacting to it with a laugh.

You good?

Peachy.

I text him the code word we came up with because neither of us have the balls to tell the other,I’m at a bar, come save me.When he likes the message, I know he’s on his way since he has my location. While I’ll never admit it to him, I appreciate Sire more than anyone on this earth. He’ll drop the world and come to me when I need him without making me feel like the burden I am. It is one of my favorite things about him.

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