Lance and the attacker get to their feet quickly at that. “Fine,” Lance says. He shoulder-checks me on his way out. “Shame. We could have had a good time.”
“Under completely false pretenses.” I look away. “It’s funny. If you’d just met me in broad daylight, I might have been interested. Now I can’t stand the sight of you.”
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t give me that. You weren’t ever that interested in me. It was like pulling teeth getting you to text me back. I’m sure you’ve been fucking some other guy this whole time, you little slut.”
“That’s it! Barry, get over here!” Shirley beckons the patron who was calling for her earlier. “Please escort this gentleman off the premises.”
“Gladly, Shirl.” Barry grabs Lance by the scruff of his collar and walks him out the door, slamming it in his and the other guy’s face.
I sink into a chair, allow the moment to fully wash over me.
Everything that’s had me on edge since I got back to Boulder… It was all faked.
I still shouldn’t have been walking around by myself in the dead of night, but I was never in any real danger.
At least, no more than I just was when I threw that drink in Lance’s face.
“You okay, hon?” Shirley asks me.
I nod slowly. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. Just need to catch my breath.”
She checks her watch. “Let me give you a ride home.”
“That’s fine. I live five minutes away.”
“Perfect. I’ll leave Barry in charge.” She pats Barry on the back. “Be back in a jiff, Bar.”
He nods, giving me a smile as he passes.
I dust off my jacket. “Thank you, but it really isn’t necessary.”
“I insist.” Shirley wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Feel free to give me a free checkup once you’re official.”
I allow a small smile to erupt. “Deal.”
As we walk to Shirley’s old beat-up car behind Caesar’s, I replay the moments in my head. The original attack, and then my interaction with Lance just now.
And I realize.
Henry is a man with many flaws. Some tiny, some substantial. He pushed me away when we were at Angie’s wedding, made me feel like shit several times, and had me questioning whether I wanted to abandon my life’s ambition to live with him on the Western Slope.
But I know for a fact that he would never pull a stunt like this.
One week later…
I didn’t tell Henry about my run-in with Lance. I didn’t want to worry him. He’s still recovering from his injury, and I didn’t want him careening down the mountain in his condition.
I’ve been staying with Angie and Jason. I didn’t want to go back to my place after the incident at Caesar’s. Lance knows where I live, since he drove me home that night. I didn’t want him showing up on my doorstep in the wee hours of the morning with some bullshit excuse.
I called Angie that night, begging her not to tell her brother about what happened, and she gave me the code to her and Jason’s front door. After Shirley drove me home, I packed a few things into a suitcase and took an Uber over. Once I know Lance isn’t going to show up, I’ll move back into my place, maybe invest in a good security system.
Even though the night at the bar was harrowing, I’m not experiencing nightmares like I did after the first attack.
I don’t know if it’s because I feel so safe with Angie and Jason or if it’s because I’m feeling emboldened after my weekend with Henry.
Speaking of which… I haven’t heard from him since the night I got back.
It’s probably my own damned fault.
