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“You know, I was honestly worried nobody would be able to gain your trust like you need. You have been so guarded for such a long time, and for good reasons, but I think Camden is your game changer. I see the way he looks at you, like he wants to protect you from everything bad in the world, and you look at him like he’s something of a dream.” She has never been honest like this about the two of us. Sure, she says she likes him, and he is sweet and good for me, but this is deeper. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s sickening how cute you two are, and what I walked in on last weekend required some bleaching of my brain, but I’m happy for you. More than happy. I see how much you have changed in these last few weeks.”
Leaning forward, I reach for my best friend and pull her into a bone-crushing hug. “You know I love you, right?”
She hugs me back just as fiercely. “Of course you do. I’m awesome.” Emree flips her hair and jumps up from the bed. “Now you better start getting ready or we’re going to be late for work and Garrett’s fine ass will lecture us.”
Looking at the clock, I see I have half an hour until our shift starts. “Crap.”
* * *
We makeit to Whiskey Joe’s with a few minutes to spare, but not without a warning look from our lovely manager. We head to the back, where we have an employee area, to store our belongings in lockers. After putting our bags away, we grab our nametags and aprons to get ready for the next five hours. Luckily, it’s a short night and Thursdays aren’t too bad, as long as there isn’t a game playing.
Emree adjusts her bra and shirt to give her the most cleavage without showing too much. She’s dressed the opposite of me in a pair of short jean shorts, red tank top, and her blond hair is perfectly curled. I’m wearing a pair of my favorite jeans with the holes strategically cut out and a black cropped T-shirt, although my stomach isn’t showing since my jeans are the high-rise type.
“Conrad stopping by tonight with Camden?” I ask her.
She’s fluffing her hair in the mirror and adding some clear lip gloss that makes her already plump lips look bigger. “Wouldn’t know. That asshole hasn’t texted me since Monday.”
“What? I thought you two made plans this week?” Since they met, she’s been staying over at his house every few nights, but now that I think about it, she has been home every night this week.
“Yeah, so did I. It’s whatever. He wants to act like that, then I’ll find someone else and stop wasting my time with him.” Although her words don’t match the hurt I can see on her face.
The next three hours of bussing tables, getting refill after refill, and almost slipping on mushed French fries someone dropped exhaust me. Camden isn’t here yet and not seeing him is making this night drag on.
As I’m bringing another round of beers (their sixth already) to a table of men in their late twenties, I spot him from the corner of my eye at a table in my section. After placing the drinks in front of the guys at the table, with one giving me a look that makes my skin crawl, I turn toward Camden’s table and the instant smile on his face at seeing me makes me want to run and jump into his arms. I don’t, worried about what Garrett would say if I was fraternizing with a customer.
He’s here with Mateo, Levi, and Maddox, and I can’t help but notice Conrad’s absence. When I reach their table, his arms engulf me, and he places a toe-curling kiss on my lips. Garrett be damned.
“There’s my girl,” he says against my lips.
His girl. I shouldn’t like that as much as I do, but when he says it, it feels like dozens of butterflies are floating in my gut.
“Hi.” From his angle on the high-top stool, we’re face to face, and it is nice not having to crane my neck to look into his captivating green eyes. “You just made my night much less boring.” He gives me a crooked smile and plants one more kiss against my lips before releasing me.
“Evening, boys,” I greet the rest of the table. “I see we’re missing one.”
There is an awkward look exchanged between the four of them before anyone says anything.
“Uh, yeah, Conrad has some big test coming up, so he needed to stay home and study,” Mateo says. Although I can read straight through that lie, I don’t question it and take down their drink orders.
As I’m walking away, Camden brushes his hand down my arm and gives my hand a squeeze before letting me go. Walking away from him is harder than I thought because all I want to do is sit beside him and be in his presence all night. But I have another two hours of my shift and customers who need drinks and greasy bar food to fuel them while watching whatever game is on the TV they are near.
After getting the guys their drinks, I make my rounds to my other tables and end up helping Emree with one of hers. It’s a usual group of white-collar men who come here after work once a week. They’re polite, which is nice, but there are a lot of them, and she was struggling to carry all their drinks on one tray.
Camden and the guys opt for no food since they want to continue eating clean this week before their game. They all have given themselves a two-drink maximum for tonight, even Maddox, who keeps looking at me with remorse. I make sure to give him a reassuring smile. My head is completely fine after what happened last week and I want to tell him to stop worrying, but I know he feels guilty about it. Camden told me last night that his best friend hasn’t had a drop of alcohol since Saturday.
“Hey, Em, I’m going to run to the restroom real quick. Could you look out for my tables, please?” I shout to Emree, the noise from the TVs making it hard to hear near the bar.
She nods and goes back to putting her order in with Garrett.
Unfortunately, we don’t have an employee bathroom, so I’m stuck walking down the creepy hall past the utility closet and beer kegs along the wall. It’s quiet back here and it’s nice being able to hear my own thoughts.
After finishing my business and washing my hands, I step out of the bathroom and am immediately pushed against the closed door. Fear overcomes me as the smell of beer and BO invades my senses.
“Fuck, you are the hottest thing I have ever seen,” a drunken voice says from above me.
He’s tall. Too tall and the way he’s pressed against me makes it so I can’t lift my head. His entire front is touching mine, making it hard to breathe or move.
“P-please don’t d-do this,” I stutter, afraid because there is no one else back here.
