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“Have a drink. It will take the edge off.”
“The last time I had a drink to take the edge off, I ended up in a coma for two weeks.”
“You need to forget about that. Nobody there knows a thing about you. You don’t have to be the girl whose mother left her, or the girl whose father killed himself, or even the girl who crashed into a tree. You can be your new and improved self, fully equipped with a clean slate. Besides, you’re not driving tonight. The most damage you could do is stumble up the stairs back to your apartment.”
“I guess so.”
“I’m sure you’ll make friends in no time. Just don’t make any new best friends, okay?”
I smiled. “No one could ever take your place.”
“Good. Brody and I are already trying to figure out when we can come visit.”
“Great.” I took a deep breath before asking my next question. “So, have you seen or heard anything about Claire being in town?”
“Nope. I’ve had my eyes peeled, but it doesn’t look like she’s here.”
“Good.”
“Don’t worry about her, alright? You’re a million miles away. Go have a blast tonight.”
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, realizing that I had to hang up with her now. “I will. Love you, Toad.”
“Love you, Frog.”
Alone again in the apartment, I stood from the couch and made a beeline for my closet. I was not sure how dressy the LA girls would be at the bar tonight. I was equally worried about being over or underdressed. I decided on a pair of my tight, ripped jeans, a black low-cut tank top, and black strappy wedges. The humidity here was much lower than the usual humidity in New York, so my curls were actually working with me for a change. I shook them out, dabbed some clear gloss on my lips, and headed out the door.
As nervous as I was about being alone in a new environment, Shelly was right. I could be whoever I wanted to be. I didn’t have to be the responsible, careful little girl I once was. There was no sense crying over the past, when no one here knew what my past was. I could enjoy myself, and be excited for Chase to take the stage in front of important record label bigwigs. It was the moment he had always dreamed about, and I was lucky enough to be here to witness it.
The muffled beat of the DJ got louder as I descended down the stairs. I peeked out from behind the door and scanned the crowded room for Chase. He was already on stage, while his bandmates tuned up their instruments.
“Are you planning on hiding behind the door all night?”
The voice startled me, and I jumped.
“I’m Dave,” he said chuckling. “You must be Merritt.”
“You work here?”
“I’m the full-time bartender. I’m here every night. You’ll be seeing a lot of this face.” He held his hands up around his face, and awaited my response.
I raised my eyebrows, trying to smile. “Lucky me… I think?”
He grinned. “Chase said you were sarcastic. I dig it.” He gestured to the stool next to me, at the head of the bar. “Best seat in the house.”
I sat with my wristlet in my lap.
“So, Merritt. What’s your drink of choice?”
I shrugged. “Surprise me.”
His eyebrows raised above his black-rimmed glasses. “Do you like sweet things?”
“Usually.”
“How about I’ll make you a few different drinks, and you can see which one you like best?”
“Will I have to pay for all of those drinks?”
