“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I hiss. As I say the words, I look across the bar and my eyes connect with Nova’s brown ones as she takes a seat. Her hair is a vivid Smurf blue as she called it.
And I fucking love it.
I stride across the bar and lean across to face her.
“Confession, I love the blue hair.”
Her lips quirk the slightest bit as she fights a smile.
“You do?” She fingers a piece of it. “I haven’t decided what I think.”
“It’s different,” I agree. “I’ve only seen you with purple and some variation of red, but I like the blue a lot.”
“I figured it was time to mix it up and do something really crazy. I’m thinking green next.”
“Green,” I muse. “That could be cool.”
“Stop flirting and do your job.” Matilda bumps me again as she passes.
Nova wrinkles her nose. “What’s her problem?”
“What’s not her problem?” I counter. “Do you want a drink?” I ask.
“Yeah and a turkey club. I forgot to eat because I was focused on not fucking up my hair.”
I chuckle and grab her usual drink and hand it to her. “I’ll put that in.”
I enter her order into the system and tend to the other people at the bar before circling back to her.
“Ready for class tomorrow?” I ask her, wiping down the bar nearby her so that if Matilda comes by I have the excuse of doing something. Nova started her sophomore year at Huntley University this past Thursday.
“Yeah.” She nods, setting her beer bottle down and toying with the label where the corner has peeled up. “It does get a little boring at times since I’ve already self-taught myself most of it. But it’s not so bad.”
“I can’t believe I’m finally done with it,” I admit. “I was beginning to think college was going to last forever.”
She laughs. “Yeah, sometimes it feels that way.”
“Loverboy, move your ass out of the way.” Matilda pushes by me where I’m leaning over the bar toward Nova.
I growl. “If I was a girl I’d pull her hair,” I whisper to Nova.
“I might do it for you. She’s being a bitch.”
“I’m going to check on your food,” I tell Nova, holding up one finger to signal to her to give me a minute.
The kitchen is a chaotic symphony of people yelling and dishes clanging.
Nova’s turkey club comes up into the window just as I approach, so I grab it and another order for the bar and head back.
I drop the one order off first before taking Nova hers. Her eyes light up when she sees the food and she’s grabbing for it before I can even put it down.
I know I can’t linger so I head off to mix more drinks and take orders.
I might also “accidentally” splash Matilda with water while I’m cleaning dishes.
Nova sees it and busts out laughing, which only serves to piss Matilda off more, but I can’t bring myself to care.
Matilda flounces off and Nova shakes her head as I make my way back over to her.