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“Thank you.” I lean my chin on my palm and watch him move away from the counter. With a sigh, I pull out of my phone. I haven’t looked at it all night.
There’s a missed call from an unknown number; this time, caller ID actually says UNKNOWN.
There’s a missed call from Gia and a text from Morgan asking if I’m okay. Just then, my phone vibrates in my hand as a new text comes in.
Not surprisingly, it’s Ruby this time. My lemon drop is deposited in front of me, and I take a hardy gulp of it before I open her text.
Ruby: Hey, you home?
Me:I’m at The Bar.
Ruby:Alone?
Me:Who else would I be with?
Ruby:
Me:
Ruby: Mo texted me.
Me:Sigh. I figured. I have some missed texts from her and Gia.
Ruby: Mind if I join you?
Me:Aren’t you on a date?
I look up as Todd slides a glass of ice water in front of me on top of a little white napkin. I thank him and look back down at my phone as Ruby replies.
Ruby:Meh, I’ve spent enough 1:1 time with him tonight. You know how he gets.
Ruby: We’re coming to you. ETA 10 minutes.
Me:But Link…
Ruby: Knows something is going on. He’s perceptive like that.
I suppose longing glances from me and uncomfortable avoidance that Wade throws my way was bound to be noticed.
Me: I’ll be here.
Ruby: Toodles, babe.
I pick up the cocktail glass and peel the napkin off the bottom, as it’s already starting to stick. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight a moment before someone slides onto the stool next to me.
I don’t look up from my drink. I’m not interested in chatting with a stranger. But the person next to me has other ideas.
“You know if you sprinkle some salt on the napkin, the glass won’t stick,” a gravelly voice I don’t recognize says.
I close my eyes briefly.
I don’t want to do this tonight.
I paste on a kind smile and turn to the man next to me. He’s maybe in his early thirties—definitely too old for me. He sits there, twisted on the stool, his body turned toward me.
“Ah, yeah, I’ve heard that before,” I tell him.
“Can I buy you another?” He points to my glass.
