“Thanks for being so understanding, babe. Let me know if you need anything,” Jake kissed her once more then hustled back to work.
* * *
Callie watched him charm the crowd, pouring drinks and collecting money. Jake and Ryan made quite the pair behind the bar, both drop dead sexy, charming and friendly, and they were incredible bartenders playing off each other with tricks and bottle flips to keep everyone having a great time.
A short while later, Reagan joined Callie and the two women found a table to sit at. Jake brought them over a couple of football themed cocktails he had mixed up. The drinks were trial recipes for an upcoming trivia night. Jake made a ‘Blue 42 Moscow Mule’ for Callie, and a ‘Tequila Touchdown’ for Reagan.
“Let me know your thoughts ladies,” He said as he pushed the drinks towards the girls.
Reagan moaned appreciatively as she took a sip of hers, running her tongue along the sugar rim of the glass. “Damn you make a good drink. And I need a good drink.”
Jake grinned in response and headed back to work, leaving Callie to look carefully at her friend, noting that even in the dim light of the bar, she could see the tense lines on Reagan’s face.
“What’s wrong, Reagan. Don’t tell me Harris is bugging you again at work?”
Harris was Reagan’s supervisor, and a major creep. At least when Reagan was dating Eric, Harris had not been too aggressive with his intentions, but now that word was out that she was single, Callie knew her friend was being subtly harassed by him almost every day. Reagan refused to report Harris because of fear of losing her own job. It truly made Callie furious that women were scared to report predators like Harris, but she understood that it was common for women to not be taken seriously if they did try to claim workplace harassment. Too many women had been shamed into thinking they had ‘asked for it’.
Reagan sighed, resignation clear on her face. “Yeah, he’s still at it, what can I do! If I say something, I know he’ll deny it and I’ll be the one fired.”
“Oh Reagan, you shouldn’t have to put up with his bullshit, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Harris is the guilty one not you. Have you tried to record him when he’s bugging you? Then he wouldn’t be able to deny his disgusting behavior.”
Reagan looked up in surprise at Callie’s suggestion. “Oh my god you’re right! How have I not thought about doing that. You’re a genius Cal, thanks.”
Grateful to have hopefully helped her friend to find a solution, Callie raised her glass to cheers with Reagan.
“To finding good men, and to hell with all the bad ones.”
Reagan smiled over her glass, before a look of surprise flashed over her face as she looked over towards the bar.
“Ummm, Callie, who is that with Jake?”
Callie whipped her head around to see who Reagan was talking about, and what she saw had her stomach doing a flip. She saw a stunning older woman, dressed in a skirt that showcased legs a mile long and a blouse that was so low cut, her breasts spilled out of it. She was leaning across the wooden counter, stroking Jake’s hand, and while Callie couldn’t see Jake’s face, she could clearly see the predatory glint in the woman’s eye.
“What the hell is she doing with your man!” Reagan’s voice was outraged on Callie’s behalf.
Callie was frozen in place, all her doubts about herself flooded her thoughts. She wasn’t good enough for Jake. He couldn’t possibly want some crazy ER doctor who was a hot mess most of the time and came with enough family baggage to fill a jumbo jet. A sexy man like him needed a sexy woman who could dress like that and be here every night.
“Whoa girl, stop the crazy train that is racing through your head.”
Reagan’s voice penetrated the haze of judgement and self criticism that was filling Callie’s mind.
“He’s walked away from her now. Go and talk to him, Callie. Go and figure out what that was all about.”
Callie looked wildly at her best friend.
“Reagan, I’m scared. This is his life. This bar, women like that throwing themselves at him. What the hell would he want with someone like me? I’m either in scrubs or jeans, not dressed like that. I work a million hours a week so there are going to be many times when we won’t get to see each other that much. Of course he is going to be tempted by some hussy in a tight skirt. Oh god what am I doing!” She wailed as she dropped her head into her hands.
Reagan took Callie by the shoulders and shook her gently.
“What you are doing is having an identity crisis. I swear your parents screwed your head up so badly. YOU are who he wants, so YOU should go and get him!”
With that she turned Callie and pushed her towards the bar. The moment that Jake noticed her walking towards him he smiled at her, and she had to admit his expression did a lot to settle her nerves. Still the fact that the woman who moments ago had been hitting on him was still sitting at the bar, made her pause. Jake must have noticed her gaze flicker towards the woman, because a slight frown came over his face followed by a look of understanding. He quickly strode around the bar, grabbed Callie and pulled her into the quiet hallway towards his office.
“Callie, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She took a deep breath and asked, “Who’s that woman at the bar? She uh, looked like she knew you.”
Jake gave her an understanding smile and lifted her chin with his hand, an affectionate look in his eyes.
