Page 9 of Liquid Courage
I hate my private life. I hate my professional life.Vivian quickly fell into that spiral of self-admonishment, as if she could berate herself into suddenly being a better person. But every time she really hit rock bottom at her desk, or while out running errands for her bosses the big, hotshot lawyers, she remembered the sweet smile Kat had offered her. A smile she probably didn’t often bestow upon anyone.
She had been cute. Okay. Not cute.Hot. Smoking hot.Whether she wiped down counters, waited at a bus stop, or slammed Vivian against the wall, Kat was the kind of woman who intimidated the shit out of people. She knew her own self-worth. She had nothing to answer for and everything to conquer.
Vivian had encountered lots of women like that on the dating site. Shari had also been one of them. It just happened that Shari was the first one to say anything and put ideas into Vivian’s eager head.
“Hey.” One of the lawyers walked up to Vivian’s desk and dropped a stack of manila folders in front of her. “I need these delivered to the courthouse immediately.”
Vivian glanced at the clock on her computer. “But it’s 4:30…” She was off at five, sharp. These lawyers often worked later (or got off waaaay earlier,) but Vivian would be damned if her shitty boss would make her run deliveries when she was off the clock. Getting through security at the courthousealonecould take fifteen minutes.
“You don’t have to come back today. Just get these delivered as soon as possible, otherwise we’re dead in court tomorrow.”
Well, in that case…
Vivian packed up her bag, shut down her computer, and waved goodbye to Lisa on her way out of the office. Maybe the fresh air on the five minute walk to the courthouse would help clear her head of its toxicity.
The drop-off was made in record time. Vivian didn’t have to do anything but plop the folder into a man’s mailbox with a hastily scribbled note.
Vivian was officially done with work ten minutes early. How often did that happen in the law world? What the hell should she do with this extra precious time?
She looked up and down the street. Didn’t it look familiar?
Ah, yes. Because she was in this same neighborhood only the night before. The bar was a total of two blocks away, tucked between an uptown cleaner’s and a shoe store. That time of day, it was probably pretty slow, if anyone was there at all. It was a miracle the place was open.
Was Kat there?
Vivian dug for more of those stickies she carried in her work bag. They always came in handy, like at the courthouse when she dropped off a message. Now she scribbled a new note.
“Kat,
I’m sorry about last night. I feel really awful about it. You were so nice to me, and all I did was get your hopes up and waste your time – as if I don’t know what that feels like, right? Hope you can forgive me. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Vivian was sorely tempted to leave her phone number.No. Don’t open yourself up to that disappointment.If Vivian didn’t leave her number, then she would never have to be disappointed when Kat inevitably failed to contact her. Better to end things with a fantasy.
Damnit. Wasn’t a fantasy what started this?
***
“So she was at it again?”
Kat leaned back in the manager’s chair. The paperwork she spent the last fifteen minutes pouring over was already forgotten. “Who was at it again?”
Beverly, the owner of such a fine establishment, had stopped counting the bottles on display above the bar. Now her attention was purely on Kat, trapped in the back office with only the music on her phone and a whirring heater to keep her company.
“Shari. Who else could I be talking about?”
Sighing, Kat bent back over the paperwork and pretended that was much more enticing than talking about last night.First Shari comes in here, breaking someone else’s heart, and then that broken heart tries to go after mine.Kat wasn’t heartbroken, no, but shewasdisappointed. How else could she describe that sinking feeling after Vivian bailed on her last night?
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You need to ban her from this place.” Kat slammed her pen down and rubbed her eyes. “She’s driving away customers because she can’t keep her shitty opinions to herself! I’m tellin’ you, Bev, that woman is a poisonous gray cloud around these parts.”
“Sounds like you still hold some hard feelings.”
“I do not.”
Beverly went back to counting their rum stock. “Kinda amazing, really. You’re one of the first hearts she broke, and now she doesn’t even remember you enough to…”
“Shut up, Bev.”
