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I grabbed my wallet and the house keys that Ryan had given me and left.
Rosebridge was like no city I’d ever lived in before. It was picturesque, exactly what you’d imagine when picturing a small artsy college town. It wasn’t the first artsy college city I’d been to, but it was the nicest looking and the cleanest. Other colleges I’d been to were downright dirty, with frat houses that had beer bottles out on their lawns and litter in the streets.
Not Rosebridge, though, Rosebridge was pristine. I’d been expecting I was going to have to spend some money to distract myself, but I actually didn’t have to. Just walking around was pleasant enough for me. I’d glance into restaurants and window shop as I walked by, but I really didn’t feel the need to go into any of them. I was enjoying the soft breeze and smell of freshly-cut grass. Seriously, why did it smell so much like plant life? I didn’t care; it was my favorite smell.
The one unfortunate thing was that, on the streets outside Beasley and the town’s Riverwalk , it was pretty bare. There didn’t seem to be a lot of foot traffic, which was the opposite of what you’d want when you were performing for money.
So I decided to venture into the college to see if there were more crowded places. Sure enough, as I walked closer to the college, things seemed to pick up. As long as I didn’t get kicked out for soliciting, there were definitely a few good corners where I could hang out as people walked by.
The campus was bigger than it’d seemed from the outside and was about as picturesque as the rest of Rosebridge that I’d walked through. And, as weird as it sounded, the people looked picturesque, too. So many well-dressed college students were giggling with each other as they walked out of their classes. Why did this place feel so open and friendly?
I decided to stop when I came across the Beasley campus pub, King’s Tooth. They had a sign indicating they had a lunchtime happy hour. I figured, why not? I could have used a drink… or twenty.
It wasn’t what I’d been expecting. Usually campus bars are really kitschy, but this one was decorated very simply. It definitely wasn’t over the top in any way, which I appreciated. In my experience, the simpler the bar, the better the drinks.
I sat at the bar and smiled at the bartender, a young blonde guy with blue eyes who was looking a little bored before he noticed me sit. When he did, he perked up immediately and put on his customer service smile.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“Whatever lager you’ve got on tap.”
He nodded. “You’ve got it.”
He poured it and handed it over to me. The glass was cold as ice, which I always appreciated.
I sipped it and knew immediately what it was. “Stella?” I asked.
“You know your beers!” He smiled at me, with a little bit of surprise on his face. “Is that fine?”
“Absolutely,” I nodded. “One of my favorites, actually.”
“Perfect,” he said, and turned his attention to someone who had just walked in. Given it was the middle of the day, it was pretty empty. There were two guys sitting over at a table sipping mixed drinks, but, besides them, it was just me and whomever had walked in.
I turned around to see a dark-haired college girl walking in, adjusting her glasses as she stepped up to the bar a
nd sat a few seats away from me.
She was cute, no denying that. But pretty much everyone I’d seen so far was cute, so that was hardly a surprise. Even the bartender was a good-looking man.
“Could I get a Long Island, please?” she asked the bartender with a polite smile.
“Sure thing.” He nodded as he stepped away to make her drink.
She sighed and leaned her head on her hand as she tapped on the bar counter. Not tapping as if she was frustrated with having to wait or was impatient; it was more that she seemed to be fidgeting.
I glanced over at her, questioning whether or not I should start a conversation with her. Before Julia, I used to be pretty upfront when I was considering flirting with someone.
But things were different now. I wasn’t as secure as I used to be, not nearly as brave. I wasn’t sure how to go about putting myself out there again.
Besides, I probably shouldn’t be putting myself out there at all. I’d only barely broken up with Julia. I shouldn’t have been trying to get involved with anyone else.
On the other hand, I had to start making friends at some point. If I was going to live here, I had to put myself out there. So, hey, maybe I would strike up a conversation with this girl, and she would end up being cool. Not like it had to lead anywhere.
In fact, it probably would lead nowhere, because I couldn't even be sure if she was a lesbian. I might have been sort of getting that vibe right now, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Long day?” I asked her as the bartender handed her the Long Island and she started gulping it quickly.
“You have no idea.” She rolled her eyes.
