Page 14 of Single Girl in the City
While she’d had her own room growing up, her belongings were always packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Unlike Dotti, who lived in one room from birth to graduation, Abi didn’t have the most traditional of upbringings. Or the most stable childhood. She spent weekdays with her mom’s family and weekends and rotating holidays with her dad, who traveled a lot, leaving her behind with a stepmom and two much older stepbrothers. Her mom’s was linen napkins and take your seat please, while her dad’s was more of whoever got the TV-tray didn’t have to eat on the coffee table.
She never felt like she had a place that was hers. Desperate to be noticed, at home and school, she became the loudest person in the room.
Her dad used to say she was lightning in a bottle. It wasn’t until she got older that she realized it wasn’t a compliment. Her parents associated her with a jolt of energy zapping around and crashing into things before crashing into something—or someone—else. It didn’t matter how hard she tried, she’d had this uncanny ability to disrupt people’s regularly scheduled lives. It wasn’t that people didn’t like her, she was everyone’s fun-time gal, she was just never anyone’s real-time gal.
Was that what she was doing here? Falling back on old habits? Maybe she had outstayed her welcome, but she didn’t have anywhere else to go.
“Then you need to pay half the mortgage,” Dotti said.
She looked over her shoulder to find Owen still there, but he’d turned his back, giving her some privacy. Not that it mattered, the alley had the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, making every one of Dotti’s eye rolls audible for miles. Even so, Abi lowered her voice. “You said it was due next week.”
“I said that last week.”
“I don’t have it right now but—”
There was a long, suffocating pause and Abi knew what was coming next. It was the same requirement her sister had given her two months ago when she’d moved in. “I’d settle for you getting big-girl job, Abs.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder,” Dotti said, and it took herculean effort to hold back the tears. Abi was trying as hard as she could, but she kept coming up short. All she felt was guilt all the time from every corner of her life. “Otherwise, I’ll have the loan sharks come and crack your kneecaps.”
“I’ll come up with the money and if the loan shark comes, remind her that my kneecap was already cracked.” Along with her wrist and two ribs and, well, any hope of making it through a single night without nightmares. “I promise, I’ll figure this out.” She looked at the ground. “Can you please come get me?”
“You’re lucky I love you,” Dotti said. “Hank should be home in fifteen minutes, and I’ll head out then. But you so owe me.”
Begging didn’t really fit into Abi’s cool as a cucumber persona, which wasn’t all that odd since she wasn’t really sure who she was anymore.
“Thanks,” she whispered, but Dotti was already gone.
Shoving her phone in her pocket, Abi turned to find Owen standing right behind her, holding open the employee entrance. When she didn’t move, he said. “Fifteen minutes is a long time to wait in the rain. And I’d hate for you to freeze on my account.”
She eyed him. On the one hand, she was one gust from becoming a popsicle. On the other, she’d been avoiding Owen for two reasons. One was that she had this ridiculous crush on him. And reason two was that she had a really big, really awful reason.
A reason that started the day she’d stolen her sister’s ID to buy beer and ended with her taking the easy way out, leaving Owen’s dad with a hard decision. Fight a ridiculous lawsuit or lose his liquor license and close down his bar. In the end, the bar had made it but that didn’t mean the situation hadn’t taken its toll on the Easton family.
It all seemed so stupid now, but back then it had been the single most pivotal moment of her young life. Trying to impress the cool kids in the neighborhood, Abi had gone into a liquor store with the intent to buy alcohol—which she’d successfully accomplished. She never imagined that what started as a dare would wind up with her facing charges or working with the police to nail stores that were selling to minors. She’d chosen the second option, which led to a man losing his job and the Easton family nearly losing everything.
She wasn’t sure exactly how Owen ended up running the bar, but from what she’d learned, his dad fell ill and was no longer able to run the gastropub full time. And with trust no longer on the menu, Owen walked away from his own full life to take over the family business.
All these years later and he was still there. Which brought her back to the reasons she’d returned to Portland. To heal from the crash and to make Owen’s life the kind of life he should have had, had he not assumed the responsibility of his dad’s bar. The kind that included having an actual life—a full one with friends and adventure and laughter. And there was no way she’d risk that over a silly, girlhood crush.
The plan was to keep things light yet distant, establish just enough personal contact to discover ways to make his world easier—then walk away.
Between her strong moral compass and a job waiting for her in Thailand, teaching locals English, maintaining emotional distance was key.
“Or we can both stand out here, but if I catch a cold, you’ll have to deal with my mom.”
“Moms love me.”
“You haven’t met my mom,” he said. She looked over her shoulder at the street and he stepped closer, like he knew she was going to bolt. “Let’s start over.” He stuck out his hand, which she ignored since she was rubbing hers together to create friction.
“Bless your heart,” she said, and he smiled. “I didn’t realize we’d started anything to begin with.”
“Not realizing and not wanting to admit are two very different things.”
“I didn’t hear you mention denial.”
He burst out laughing and she gave him a smile. Not the usual one she saved for her favorite customers, but a real one. “No hidden agenda, just a friend helping out a friend.”
