Page 98 of Eye of the Hurricane
“I’m sorry I called,” I sigh. There might be more conviction in my statement if I wasn’t still lying against him.
“I don’t know why you’re sorry.”
“I don’t know. I feel like a bitch for calling you to my rescue after don’t-wait-for-me gate,” I say. He bursts out into laughter.
“Don’t-wait-for-you gate?” he asks, laughing harder.
“It’s not funny! I feel really bad,” I pout.
“Before all of this, we were friends. Even if that was where we drew the line you’d still be welcome to call me when you need me. It’s okay to ask for help, you know.”
“It’s just not something that feels particularly natural to me.”
“I can see that. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. I’m happy to be here, anytime you need me.”
I dropmy palm on the little service bell at the front of the bar at The Sand. Marco comes out from the back with his big customer service grin.
“Where’s your other half?” he asks. I know immediately he’s talking about Luna. I almost never come here without her. I just needed a moment to myself.
The new friendships in my life are so special to me. Sometimes it feels like my independence has been stripped from me. So maybe it’s silly, but I needed to spend a couple of days alone.
“No Luna today,” I tell him climbing up on the bar stool. He squints his brows at me.
“I meant the boy. Ares, I think?”
“How do you know about him?” I ask.
“Luna’s been here alone more often lately. Every time I ask where you’re at, she says you’re with him,” he explains.
“Gotcha. We’re just friends.” He laughs.
“Right… Luna told me you would say that,” he says.
“Of course she did,” I groan. “I’m just here for nachos and a milkshake.”
“Chocolate peanut butter?” he asks.
“Yes, please. And I want everything but onion on those nachos,” I tell him.
Soon enough he brings my food out. I take my first sip of the milkshake and it tastes like magic.
“You’re the best, Marco.”
“Don’t forget it!” he yells to me before going back to the kitchen. It looks like it’s just Marco here which is pretty normal for a weekday. Usually the weekends he has a couple of servers and a spare bartender here.
“You coming out tomorrow for Halloween?” he asks, reemerging from the back.
“Yes. Me, Luna, and all our friends.”
“Oh, you guys have friends?”
“Hilarious,” I deadpan.
“Will Ares be here?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“He will.”
“I’ll be too busy to meet him with Halloween but I expect you to bring him in here one of these days,” he tells me, pointing a finger at me.
