Turns out I’m a pro at setting other people up with their destinies but shit at it for myself. I’m happy to do it though. Getting people connected and passing along opportunities truly makes me happy.
“Where did you find this one?” Cinder asks with a fond smile.
I try to suppress my grin and fail. Grabbing a wet cloth, I begin to clean the bar top. “Met her at the Book and Bean.”
“My favorite coffee shop,” Red gasps as she clutches at her heart, eyes going round and her mouth going slack. The girl has a serious addiction to mochas, but we haven’t called for an intervention… yet.
I dump the rag back into the disinfectant bucket. “She was hoarding the free honey packets like they were going to be breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next couple of days. Turns out she moved here a month ago, and still hasn’t gotten used to the city while she figures her life out. She was a bit evasive about whether she’d come from a bad relationship or a bad home life, but I’ll get it out of her eventually.”
“Of course, you will,” Cinder says, shaking her head with that sly smile again. “You collect people like someone would collect shells they find on a beach.”
“I do not,” I protest, grabbing a glass from the stack that Red is still polishing to help. “I just love people. Is that so bad?”
“And they love you,” Red says.
My smile falters. While it’s true, I love people as a whole which is why I love living in the city, I don’t know so much about what she says. Lawrence’s words start to play in my brain like a broken record.
“You are vapid, flaky, and you bend yourself to be liked by everyone just to make up for the fact you look like a fat, slutty Barbie doll.”
I resist the urge to smack the side of my head to make it stop.
My grip tightens on the glass as a chorus of similar insults start to rise behind Lawrence’s. My attention snaps to my hand and I loosen my grip before I shatter glass. I set it down and leave Red to it. I already restocked the bar; I can afford to relax for a minute, take a breath, maybe five.
“Speaking of love, how is the swearing off men thing going?” Red asks.
Brexley perks up at that. “Oh?”
I practically dive for the glasses again, resuming the polishing. If I have to spit on them myself to make sure they need extra attention, I’ll do it. “It’s fine. It’s great. Best decision I’ve ever made.”
“It’s only been twelve hours,” Cinder points out.
“And I haven’t fallen in love a single time,” I announce, tilting my chin up.
“Hey, the bouncer let me in before you all open, I think I left my cellphone here last night. Can someone help me out?” a decidedly attractive male voice calls out from the other side of the bar.
I don’t know what it is that makes medecidehis voice is attractive, but when I look up I see the tall, dark and handsome man waiting there matches his voice.
My heart skips a couple beats. I trace the line of lips, determining he has the potential to be an excellent kisser, that our kids would be adorable, and his mom would love me.
Before I know it, I’m floating in his direction.
Cinder steps in the way.
“How many?” she mutters.
“How many what?” I ask in a distracted tone; my head is in a dizzy fog as my heart beats like three girls skipping through a jump rope.
“How many kids did you just imagine having with that cute guy?”
That snaps me out of it. It’s then I notice Red and Brexley are also watching me.
“What?” I scoff. I huff. I scoff again. “None. I was just going to close him out.”
“How many?” Cinder presses.
“Three. Two boys and a girl,” I admit. I don’t tell her about the dog.
With a sharp, knowing nod, she pats my arm and takes off to close the guy out.
