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“Well, we’ll catch you around some other time.” Isabella waves at me. Martha does the same as they saunter out the door like two desperate small-town girls searching for trouble.
Maybe I just need a vacation out of this town.
Chapter 11
Nadia
Thisbartender’sajerk.Not once or twice, but this is the third time he’s tried to get me to take a shot with him, and now it’s time to close this tab. I sure hope not every spot in Evergreen is this pushy. A bartender like this should be talked to, written up, or fired.
He comes back with my card and a black Sharpie marker. Instead of making a fuss and asking him for a pen, I add a lousy ten percent tip and sign it with my initials. After all, there’s no way anyone’s signature can be legible on a small line with a Sharpie marker.
“Don’t have me chase you out of here, princess.” The jerk bartender by the name of Isaac jokes.
I have to remain calm. A girl just wants moments in town to meet some cool locals, and I get an asshole of a bartender. I note the bar,Oliver’s. I will never step foot in this bar while here again.
And where is my luck? Because as soon as I hop off my stool to leave the bar, Isabella and her teacher friend swing open the front door.
They both stare at me with mere shock as if I’m a child at the bar. They then exchange secretive glances before bellowing a twin-like “Hey!” at me.
I push out a sweet smile. They both are wearing similar blues. Isabella has a tight little turquoise dress that looks fantastic with her blonde hair, and Martha wears an Indigo blue that looks stunning with her shade of brown. Very color-coordinated. Interesting.
“Hi!”
“On your way out?” Isabella scans me over.
Perhaps I’m underdressed. I have a pair of short blue jean shorts with a strawberry-colored shirt and cream wedges. These girls smell like bath and body works, and their makeup and nails are styled for a wild time.
Martha jets off toward a table where a couple of guys are. Those guys stared at me like I was some piece of meat when I walked into this place.
“Yes, probably best to head back to grandma’s now.”
“Oh, I see. Well, yes. Best to head there. These streets are kind of wild tonight, especially that way.” She points in the direction I was hoping to check out.
“Why? What happened?”
“A couple of folks were fighting at Pepperfields, the big place with all the fairy lights.”
Oh, shit. The last thing I want to do is be stuck in the crazy Midwest amid a gunfight.
“Thanks for the heads up!”
“Absolutely. Trust me, you don’t want to see any guns blazing.”
I swallow to push my nerves down. I almost want to ask Isabella to walk me to my car, but I must put my big girl face on. I can’t let the nightlife of this small town get to me.
“That’s for sure. Thanks, Isabella. Have a good night.”
She wishes me one, too, before she rushes to the bathroom. I check to ensure I have everything with me one last time when I overhear Martha talking to the guys at the table.
“No, Pepperfields is a snooze fest right now. Just some cafe guy Isabella used to date, and out-of-towners are there, so let’s head around the corner to Shelly’s for some real billiards.”
My heart rate picks up.Of course, Isabella lied to me. The one person I’ve been praying to bump into is possibly at Pepperfields. I dash out the door and head toward Pepperfields before Isabella returns from the restroom. I don’t want her seeing me deter me. Her type of craziness is thick.
I’m genuinely satisfied that today’s weather is this gorgeous. I feel more at home when the sun shows itself. And I don’t mind the cooler temps. It honestly adds more texture to my life. Makes me see things from different perspectives. This entire trip thus far has opened my eyes in new ways.
From the outside, Pepperfields is a beautiful place. It caught my eye when I first hopped on Evergreen’s central strip. The colorful fairy lights and whimsical wind chimes that clink and dangle in a sweet melodic rhythm are festive. Once I get closer to it, I hear Ska music. And, as if programmed, there’s Joaquin, hiked up on the nearest bar stool of the bar. He lifts his head from his phone and turns right in my direction.
That sly corner smile spills across his face. Why does he look so irresistible tonight? His sweatsuit’s top is zipped to expose a couple of inches of his upper chest. He’s a big tease as I watch him squeeze his pint.
