Page 66 of As a Last Resort
“No, sorry.What?”They were greeting someone by the door, slapping backs and shaking hands, withwhere have you beens floating through the air.
“I said, do you want another?”
“No, I’m good, actually.I’m ready to leave if you’re cool.”The last thing I wanted was to confront them after I’d had more than a few shots.And Sam was quite liquored up at the moment as well.It wasn’t a good combination.
“Leave?”she asked.“Where are you going?”
“I mean, we can still hang out if you want to.Maybe we could head to Charley’s for a nightcap?”
“Oh yes!I love those little mini forks they give you.”She grabbed my arm and hopped off the barstool.“But I have to go to the ladies’ room first.”
“I’ll come with you.”The bathrooms were next to the back exit so we could sneak out easily.
I slipped off the barstool just as Becky gave methe look.I hadn’t had one of those in a while, and that’s what I hated most—the stares full of pity where everyone in the room looked at me as the guy who was hoodwinked.
On my way to the restrooms I noticed a few more eyes turning my direction.
I splashed cold water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror.I was a little pale.I didn’t even mind seeing Tom and Vanessa so much, although seeing them walk through the front door tilted my reality a degree.What bothered me were the assumptions I was still pining away and distraught over something that happened so long ago.
I wouldn’t deny it was a tragic story—my best friend for over eighteen years walking in with the woman who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with—but people move on.I had.
Looking in the mirror, the conversations came crashing back and played over in my head.It just happened… We didn’t mean to hurt you… We never meant for it to happen like this… Dude, you know I would never betray you like this if she weren’t the one…The excuses went on and on until I was the bad guy standing in the way of soulmates.Because God forbid I be pissed that my best friend swooped in and stole the future mother of my children.That he used every argument or discussion that I told him about as ammunition to get on her good side.Every preference I told him he used to his advantage and swept her off her feet.
Unintentionally, of course.
I took a swig from the sink.I walked out a minute later and leaned up next to the women’s restroom door.
“Earth to Austin.Didn’t you hear me?”Sam stood in front of me.“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”She placed the back of her hand on my forehead.Her skin was warm and her breath smelled like cherries.
“Kind of accurate.”
“Maybe you should do a shot of Jäger,” she whispered as she leaned in and cupped my face.I couldn’t help but laugh at howintense she was, like she had just found the cure to cancer.She was more vibrant tonight than I’d ever seen her and it was quite entertaining.Probably had nothing to do with her being four vodka tonics deep.
“No one does shots of Jäger anymore,” I whispered back.
“Well, don’t look now, but there’s a lady friend staring daggers at you at the moment.”
“Does she have black hair?Small frame?”
“Affirmative.”
“We’ve been spotted.We really should go.I’ll explain later.”I grabbed her hand and turned her toward the back door.
“Weirdo stalker?”
“Ex-fiancée.”I tried to pull her down the hallway but she pulled back.
“Wait,that’sVanessa?I didn’t even recognize her.”She paused.“She’s with Tom McCormick.”
“Yep.”
She stopped in her tracks and her eyes went wide.“Wasn’t that your best friend from high school?”
“The one and only.”
I watched the realization dawn over her face, replaced by disbelief and anger.“You’re kidding me.”
“I wish I was.”
