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“She didn’t break us. Apparently we were already broken.” He ran a hand over his face. His mind whirled with all the things she’d thrown at him. Regret over hurting her came to the forefront. “Bridget, I’m sorry if I ever hurt you. That wasn’t my intention. I really thought we’d make things work one day.”
“I know you mean that. Honestly, a part of me wonders if this is just another phase we’re going through. Go on, have your fun with her. Let me get settled in and then maybe we can try again.”
“That’s not what I’m going to do,” he said in an exasperated tone. “I’m not playing with her.”
Her smile was sweet and sarcastic. “You really believe that, don’t you? I’ll be curious to see how long that lasts.” She cocked her head to the side and considered him. After a second, she nodded. “I’ve waited this long, and I do need to get settled in. I’ll give you six months to get her out of your system. I won’t promise to wait around for you, but I’m willing to consider a retry after six months.”
She was really dismissing what he had to say.
“Don’t wait. We’re through.” He meant it. No matter what happened with Angela, he knew he couldn’t be with Bridget. He’d felt the fire and spark he should feel with a woman; he’d never be able to go back to the safe and convenient relationship he’d had with Bridget. He wanted more from life than bland and boring.
She clasped her hands in front of her chest. “That’s cute.” She walked past him toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Isaiah.”
Isaiah left without another word. A part of him hated the way things had ended. He’d never meant to hurt her. He doubted Bridget was in love with him, but her reaction today said she still cared deeply. For that, he would always be sorry. He didn’t regret making the break. Another revelation from their conversation was that keeping this going was unfair to both of them. He was ready to do what felt right, not what was expected. Despite Bridget’s low expectations, expectations he was sure his family would agree with once they found out, being with Angela felt right. He took a deep, freeing breath. Consequences be damned.
CHAPTER 13
Angela put another half-dozen drinks on the bar for Star, one of the waitresses at Sweethearts. Star squeezed through the crowd at the club, elbowing a few people out of the way to retrieve them.
Someone pushed her back and Star rolled her eyes. “Tonight is crazy. Thanks so much for having these ready, Angel. The guys in my section are going straight fool.”
Angela smiled at Star and got started on the next drink order. They had an appearance by a well-known erotic movie star tonight, so the place was packed. “I’m pouring almost as fast as you all are ordering.”
The sea of people parted and her boss, Z, walked up. Z was a big man, so most people got out of his way. His light brown skin glowed in the dim lights of the club, but he still wore dark shades and an all-black suit that made him look part gangster, part lethal businessman. Despite looking as if he’d kill you if you stepped on his new shoes, Z was a nice guy. He didn’t allow the customers to abuse the women who worked at the club, accommodated any employees who had kids and never once caved to the frequent requests from customers to get a little more than a lap dance.
“Yo, Angel, we’ve got a big group coming to the VIP. I want you to only work on those drinks,” Z said in a deep, rumbling New York accent that cut through the music and cheers. He glanced at Diamond and Candy, the other bartenders. “You two handle the regular drinks. Don’t let anyone wait for liquor, understand?”
The ladies all nodded. Angela barely suppressed her groan. Just serving VIP wasn’t going to lighten her load. Men in VIP drank more and typically wanted their drinks yesterday.
“Who’s in VIP, Z?” Angela called over the music.
“A bunch of ballers from the Gators. The usual fellas. Make sure you stay on those drinks.”
Z walked away from the bar to walk through the crowd and check for any issues. Angela tried to ignore the quick beating of her heart. Members of the team came to Sweethearts often, but Isaiah wasn’t typically part of the group. He’d only come in that night after they won the playoffs. She shouldn’t get excited. They’d agreed to stay away from each other, and true to her word, she’d avoided him the rest of the week when she picked up Cory.
