Font Size:  

“10 more seconds. Let’s go.” He’s quiet until we hit recovery, allowing us to focus, to push.

“Back it off.” I turn the resistance down and grab my water. “If you can push yourself in this room, you can push yourself in life. It’s not more complicated than simply making the decision that you believe in yourself, or at the very least you’re willing to try and find comfort in that. Alright, uphill climb for this next song. Resistance back up. Get out of the saddle.”

“I Gotta Feeling,” by the Black Eyed Peas, plays next. I’m instantly transported to Vegas and being in the club with Maci. My mind wanders right back to Troy. It keeps fucking doing that. We walked into that Speakeasy, and I was immediately taken aback by my attraction to him. Thank God I snapped out of it in the second it took Maci to slide in the door behind me. I practically threw myself into Nolan as a distraction. This stupid pull I felt toward Troy was so strong that at some point I had to physically get away from him.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast with Nolan. He’s a good time, but my mind kept wandering back to Troy. For no fucking reason. Like it is now. Maci made some offhand comment on the drive home about how Troy and I would probably be great together. That was the last thing I needed to hear after making him off limits in my mind.

I doubt I’m even going to see him again, so none of this matters. I turn the resistance up another half turn.

CHAPTER NINE

TROY

“Ican’tbelieveitwas so busy,” Lauren says as she hands me half of the tips we made tonight.

Not all the bartenders here split evenly. Most of them take their own sides of the bar and whatever cash comes with that. When Lauren and I are the only ones here, we have our own arrangement, one of two that works well for us. We communicate, we work hard, and we have a system for making the most each night. It mainly involves a lot of shameless flirting with the people who want it and toning it down for those who don’t. It seems contradictory to my new life motto of honesty first, but bartending is its own ball game, and I’m just here to give the people what they want.

“Yeah, I thought everyone would be too hungover from New Year's Eve last night. What did you do?”

“I tried out this new club in Hollywood with a couple of my girl friends. It was pretty cool.”

“No ending the year with a bang?” I tease, and Lauren looks up in time to catch my smirk.

“Oh, God no. Men were on the prowl last night like it was the end of the world instead of the end of the year.”

“The level of desperation was off the charts. New Year's Eve is not the same here as it is in Oregon.”

“Left unsatisfied too?” she jokes.

“Something like that.” I turn away from her, loading the last few glasses in the dishwasher behind the bar.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.” I need the image of Lexy out of my head, not to recall it. “You have plans tonight?”

“Just you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I was thinking we should remedy the dissatisfaction from last night,” I flirt.

“Yes, please. My roommate is hungover and whiny as shit though, so your place?”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there.”

Lauren and I have an agreement outside of work too. We’re basically fuck buddies. After one of my first shifts working with her, we got drunk together and hooked up. We realized immediately that while the sex was good and we enjoy each other’s company enough to hang out, it’ll never be more than that for either of us. She’s stuck somewhere between looking and not, and I have no desire to be in a relationship again unless the right person magically walks into my life which I doubt will happen while I’m in California. So, when this opportunity fell into our laps, we created a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Part of our deal is that if either of us happens to meet someone with dating potential, even if it’s on a night we are together, we get an out, no questions asked. She’s used her out three times in the past three months. The hall pass I took for Maci is the only time I’ve used mine, but I knew it was only a one time pass going into it.

By the time we both pull into my complex, it’s almost 3 a.m. By the time we’ve reached every level of satisfaction we both missed out on last night, it’s a little past 4.

“Am I more tired? Or hungry?” Lauren ponders as she comes out of my bathroom, towel wrapped around her from her shower.

I’m starving. “I think I have a frozen pizza.” I slide off my bed to head to the kitchen.

“I’ll put it in the oven while you shower.” With that she takes off, still only in a towel. I won’t deny Lauren is hot, and she’s fun in bed. If I had any sort of romantic feelings for her, I’d date her, but I don’t. I didn’t think friends with benefits could actually be a thing that works, but it really does for us. We wouldn’t click in a relationship, or anything more than what we currently have. No sense in ruining that.

By the time I get out of the shower, Lauren is on my bed sitting criss-cross in one of my t-shirts. She usually spends the night if she comes over after work since we close so late. It doesn’t bother me. She doesn’t want to cuddle or kiss me goodnight or anything relationship-y. She just doesn’t want to drive home in the middle of the night, especially after I’ve completely exhausted her. Can’t blame her for that.

I pull on my sweats and join her on the bed, leaning against my headboard and reaching for my phone while the pizza bakes. I rarely scroll Instagram, but my curiosity gets the best of me, and I pull up Lexy’s page. I started following her after Vegas last year but haven’t given her a second thought until last night. I was a little preoccupied finishing what I started with Maci.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com