“Yeah,” I say. “Sure. I just wanted to see what you were doing. Call me later.”
He hangs up, and I sit on the bed and look at the phone, not feeling right. Maybe I have guilt from seeing Ethan.
I close my eyes, and then I hear Jenna yelling. “I’m going to borrow your clothes.” Her voice comes closer to the bedroom, and I look at her. “If I go home, you are going to come up with some excuse not to go, and I’m not letting you.”
I don’t argue with her because I know that no matter what I say, she isn’t going to listen to me. Instead, we watch a couple of movies and pop a pizza in the oven. She takes a shower and slips into my blue jeans and a black cami. I, on the other hand, slip on my jean shorts that show off my long tan legs and grab the white off-the-shoulder cotton shirt. The sleeves are long and tight until the elbow and then flare out. The bottom of the shirt is loose and looks like lace. I slip on my high heel short cowboy boots, and when I walk out of the bathroom, Jenna’s mouth hangs open. “Oh. My god.”
“I wear this all the time,” I say, but I’m lying. I’ve never worn this shirt, and the jean shorts have always been in my drawer, but I’ve never had the courage to wear them.
“Lies,” she tells me but doesn’t say anything else. She just pulls my hand, and we walk out of the house. I drive my car there, and when we get there, the parking lot is full, which is normal for a Saturday night. This bar is the best thing in five counties, which means people rush here on the weekend. I tuck my phone in my back pocket as we walk to the door. The sound of music is already coming out. “We are going to fuck shit up,” she says, pulling open the door. I throw my head back and laugh. As soon as I step foot in the building, my body already senses him. When I look through the crowd of people, I spot him behind the bar. He smiles at the woman in front of him as he hands her a beer. I stop in my tracks and Jenna looks in the direction and says exactly what I’m thinking. “Holy shit.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ethan
I can feel eyes on me, and when I look up from the bar, I see her. My body tenses. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been knocked back on my ass, and this one right here is on there. She’s so fucking gorgeous, and I stare at her not even thinking of the hundred people who are around us. I stare at her, hoping she can hear my thoughts. It’s you. It’s always been only you. It will always be you. “Tell me, Ethan.” The girl in front of me says my name, and I look at her. “How long are you staying for?” I don’t even know who this woman is, but from the times people say hello to her, she must be a regular here.
“I have no plans of leaving,” I say. Pulling the rag tossed over my shoulder, I wipe the bar in front of her before moving down the bar to grab a couple more orders.
“I didn’t think you could do it.” I hear the guy from beside me. I met him a couple of hours ago when I came in. His name is Scott, and he’s been working here for the past five years. “When your mom said you would come in and help, I was shocked and, not going to lie, annoyed.”
I pour two shots of tequila and a draft beer, handing it to the waitress who takes off. “I have been working here my whole life.” I look over at him. “I would beg my mother to let me come here when I was fourteen.” Wiping down the bar again, I walk over to the sink to rinse it off. “She would always tell me no, but then Beau would miss her like crazy, and he would sneak me in.”
Scott laughs as he points at a guy waiting in line. “He’s still lovesick over her.” He laughs. “When she works two nights in a row, he comes in and doesn’t move from that stool over there.” He points at the random stool that he has always kept there. “He also gets up and covers her when she bends over. It’s hysterical.”
I shake my head and smile at the two girls at the end of the bar waiting to be served. “What can I get you?” I ask them but look away into the crowd to see if I see her. She stands now beside the same group of guys I spent the afternoon training with.