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“I know. That’s whatbigbrothers are for.”
Ten
NATHAN
I CHECK MY PHONE for what feels like the thousandth time and see that there is still no text from Natalie.
This girl is becoming my weakness.
My attention turns to the old rusted brown grandfather clock that resides in the corner of the living room. Its loud, obnoxious chimes are letting me know it is now 8 o’clock.Time to go, it says to me over and over again. As I get up from the couch, a loud and disappointed sigh escapes me, causing Nick to glance over for a split second before returning his attention to the TV.
“What?” he asks. His eyes remain glued to the screen as he molds even further into the couch.
“Nothing.” I grab my jacket hanging over the back of the recliner and put it on. “Ready to go?”
He jumps up from the couch with ease and picks up his coat from the floor. “Want me to drive?” he asks as the two of us walk outside to my car.
“Not a chance in hell.” He only got his license a week ago, but the disappointment on his face causes me to cave. “How about you be the designated driver home tonight?”
His face lights up. “Works for me!”
When we get to the Lonely Tavern, I can tell the place is already packed since there are barely any parking spots left.
We walk in and both recognize plenty of familiar faces from around town. I take a seat on a stool at the bar, and Nick does the same next to me. He orders a sprite, and I order a beer, which the bartender brings over quickly.
No bartender in this whole town has ever asked to see my ID.
“Hope you enjoy it,” she says with a flirty smile as she leans on the counter in front of me, clearly trying to display her cleavage in the extremely low-cut top she is wearing.
“Thanks.” I take the beer and bring it up to my mouth. The cold liquid slides down my throat, helping erase the long and very draining day from my mind.
Nick finds the booth in the corner of the tavern where a group of his friends from school are sitting. “I’ll be over there.” He is about to get out of his seat when I stop him.
“Wait,” I say, “take this.” I hand him the key to my car. “Don’t forget you’re driving us home tonight.”
“Thanks, man.” He jumps off the barstool and heads over to his friends.
I keep my phone on the counter in front of me, hoping Natalie might text, but with every passing minute, it seems more likely that she will not be joining me tonight.
The baseball team on the TV screen above me scores another homerun, and cheers can be heard throughout the bar. I cheer along and bring my now second beer to my lips when I hear a soft voice behind me.
“Hi, Nathan.” I turn to find Natalie standing behind me. She’s wearing a low-cut black top tucked into a dark pair of skin-tight jeans. It takes all my self-control to remind myself that we are in a public place.
“Natalie, you made it.” My smile is probably too big, but I can’t hide how happy I am that she’s here.
“Well, I had nothing better to do,” she teases. “Is it ok that I’m here?” Her beautiful grey eyes look into mine for confirmation.
“Yeah, it’s more than ok that you’re here,” I respond. She blushes. “Would you like a drink?” I ask. “I can order you whatever you’d like.”
“Hmm.” She looks around to see what everyone else is drinking when she spots a girl in the corner with a pink frozen drink. “I’ll have that!”
“You got it.” I catch the bartender's attention and then point to the pink beverage in the girl’s hand for reference. The bartender acknowledges this and then walks away to make the drink.
Natalie continues to stand next to me, and I realize there isn’t anywhere for her to sit. I also notice all the men in here are eyeing her up and down. So I jump up and offer her my seat, which she takes, and stand over her, blocking the views of everyone in the bar. But the guy sitting next to her is blatantly gawking, so I give him a death stare as a warning, and he immediately gazes down at his drink in front of him.
The bartender hands Natalie the pink fruity-looking beverage, and Natalie takes a sip. “Wow, that has quite the kick to it.” Her eyes go wide as she swallows.
I laugh at her expression. “If you don’t like it, I can get you something else.”
