I adjusted the strap of my purse. “I didn’t want to show up alone.”
“You just saw Nate a few hours ago. I don’t know what the big deal is.”
I looked at her over my shoulder. “Because technically, no one knows we’re together yet.”
Nate thought it would be a good idea to pretend that we “accidentally” ran into each other. I was trying to convince myself that this wasn’t a terrible idea because what could possibly go wrong?
“You might want to grab a drink first to loosen up. You’re way too nervous. The bar is back there, come on.” We wove our way around the tables and waited behind two men who were grumbling about how long it was taking to order a beer.
Once they paid for their drinks, we squeezed into an open spot as the bartender reached across the counter. “What’ll it be?”
I studied the bottles lining the back and thought that over for a minute. I was a mood drinker, so I never knew what I wanted until the last minute. The bartender looked like he was getting impatient with me, and I didn’t want to keep holding up the line, so I ordered a vodka soda while Ember ordered a Cabernet.
“So, what’s the plan here?” Ember turned to the side while we waited for our drinks.
“I don’t have a plan,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to hear her over the drunk group of guys standing off to the side, arguing over the Lakers game playing on the giant screen behind us.
“Well, this should be fun.” Her expression shifted. “And speaking of fun, you’re never going to believe who called me again today?”
Judging by the tone of her voice, I had a pretty good idea. “What did Kyle want now? And I thought you blocked him.”
Kyle was her ex-boyfriend who didn’t know when to quit.
“I did.” She picked up her wine and slid her credit card to the bartender. “He keeps calling from random numbers.”
I folded my arms tightly. God, I hated that guy. Kyle was beyond persistent. He was an entitled asshole who didn’t respect boundaries.
“You realize that’s not normal, right? It’s borderline creepy. It’s been six months.”
I wish she would find someone. Maybe then he’d leave her alone.
“He’s only doing it because he thinks there’s a chance that we’ll get back together. I genuinely don’t know what else to say to him at this point. It’s exhausting.”
I took a sip of my vodka and winced from the burn. It felt like my throat was on fire.
“Damn, this is strong.” I set my glass down. “Ember, you need to start taking this more seriously. Normal guys don’t keep calling from random numbers. How does that not concern you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because I know Kyle, okay? He’s just relentless.”
She was trying to brush off his obsessive behavior and pretend it was no big deal. I didn’t like it, but I knew her. She was stubborn as hell and needed to handle him on her own.
I grabbed my phone from my pocket when I felt it vibrate from a text.
Nate
I can see you. We’re to the left. Come over and don’t be nervous. You see these guys all the time.
I lifted my head and, sure enough, there was Nate, leaning back on his stool, baseball cap pulled low, beer in hand, and staring right at me.
Ember nudged me. “You are practically glowing.”
“I am not glowing,” I said, sliding my phone back into my pocket. “I’m just anxious because this is the first time we’ve stepped out of our secret bubble.”
Maybe I was overthinking, but this felt different. It was a reminder of who he was and the type of attention he attracted.
The bartender handed Ember her credit card back. We grabbed our drinks and were about to walk away when someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.
“Becca, hey.”
