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“This is the first black card I’ve ever run a tab on. Think the charge will go through or be declined as fraud or something?” Lara played with Wilson’s black credit card, spinning it between her thumb and index finger while she leaned against the back bar at The Pub. He gave the card to her hours ago to pay for drinks for everyone who worked at Beautiful Hills Real Estate.
“The card will work.”
“Jude shouldn’t have gone back to the office.” Lara put the card back in the shot glass holding Wilson’s ever-growing tab.
“True, he is missing out on all the fun and is going to be surprised tomorrow when most of his property management staff calls in hungover.”
“You get Mr. Unattainable to buy a house, and Jude will not care. He is all about making bank!”
“Again, true!” I sipped the white wine I’d let get warm. Hanging out with Wilson at The Pub had been hellishly awkward for about fifteen minutes. Then somehow, he’d bribed Chuck to abandon the foosball table early for the night. There might have been a tidbit of hot dog involved. And, boom! Elmer’s barflies accepted him into the fold.
“The cat whisperer guy from California is pretty cool.” An exact quote from one of my crusty old neighbors. Astonishing.
On the drive over, I’d worried things might get ugly, but nope, Wilson fit right in with me, The Pub, and all my friends and neighbors. I’d found the unicorn of men, and he was “unattainable.”
Fuck my life. No point in even dreaming.
I emptied my glass and set it on the bar. I was getting maudlin; time to call it a night.
“You want another, or are you ready to break up the bro-fest?” Lara pointed to the dart board somewhere behind me, her eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth.
Wilson and the Beautiful Hills property management crew were playing and drinking like they were all in college. The sad part for Wilson’s middle-aged liver was that most of the crew Jude employed to maintain the rental houses were in college or recent grads.
“They still at it?” I didn’t turn. Watching Wilson was too tempting, so I’d kept my back to him. It was an exercise in strengthening my willpower, one small victory at a time.
“Oh yeah. Shelia just delivered another round of beers and one jalapeño martini.”
“Think they are playing for money?”
“Yep.” Lara giggled. She loved watching the locals clean the floor with a vacationer when one stumbled into The Pub.
“Think he’s losing?” I didn’t need to ask.
“Cami, of course.” Lara rolled her eyes at me like I was being ridiculous.
“Didn’t we tell Emitt and the rest of them they had to be nice to any out-of-towners that found their way to The Pub?”
“They let him stay.” She shrugged.
Valid point.
“Alright. Can you tab out Mr. Unattainable, please?” I stood and stretched, limbering up like I was about to dive into a pool for the hundred-meter freestyle. Lara poked at the register and then held out the bill folder to me.
I filled out the tip, being extra generous. If Wilson wanted to vacation in Elmer, it behooved him to have Lara and Sheila on his good side. He could thank me later. I scribbled a big W on the signature line and took his card.
“Go get ‘em, girl.” Glee shone in Lara’s eyes as she passed me my reserved set of darts from under the bar. Seeing men’s egos crushed was a favorite pastime for my best friend. A telling indictment of her baby daddy.
Tipping my head left and right to crack my neck a few times, I sauntered over to the dart boards.
“I’ll play the winner!” The collective groan sounded like heavenly music to my ears.
“Cami, no fair.” Emitt led the whining. The big baby.
The others from the property management team agreed. I wasn’t sure if they were complaining about me playing darts or the possibility I’d take their free drink provider away.
“You had all winter to practice; you’re telling me none of you got any better?” I twisted a dart between my fingers.
Emitt tossed back a swig of his beer. “We didn’t take all his money... yet.”
