AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her glossy lips curve up as she offers Mike and Owen drinks. “What can I get for you two fine gentlemen tonight?” she asks.
Mike, the bachelor who seems to be in some perpetual puberty, sits up at attention and throws her his best “Hey There” smile. “Scotch, neat for me. A Bahama mama for my friend here.”
Her head snaps to Owen as a chuckle escapes her.
Owen shakes his head at Mike’s request. “Thanks man. While I do appreciate his thoughtfulness, I’d rather have a beer. IPA?”
“Sure, we got some.”
“Okay, I’ll take whatever’s on tap,” Owen says.
“Comin’ right up!” She cheerfully spins on her heel and walks to the opposite side of the bar where she works on their drinks.
“Damn, she’s hot! What do you think, late twenties? Early twenties?” Mike asks as he practically eats her up with his eyes.
Owen looks her way, too, and gives her a quick look over. “Yup.”
She was a pretty girl, not drop dead hot as Mike made it sound, but pretty in that girl next door sort of way. Smooth skin, wide eyes and pouty lips.
“I always did like a tall girl. Look at them long legs.”
“Easy there, Mikey. You need a cold shower?” Owen slaps him on the back and laughs.
“Here you are, a Bahama Mama for you,” she says putting it in front of Mike. “And a beer for you. Enjoy!”
“Ah, you killed me, girl!” Mike cries, holding his hand to his heart in mock ache.
She winks at them and laughs. “You still have lots to learn, my boy!” she yells back at Mike as she walks to another customer.
Over the next hour, as patrons trickle out, the girl spends more and more time with the men. And as Owen drinks, the more talkative he gets. She’s from Florida, too. They find it incredibly exciting that two people would know about the same areas.
“You know Fort Myers? Oh my god, me, too!”
I roll my eyes as I envision them finding this as something to bond over. Fort Myers is huge! Lots of people are from there. But believe it or not, this is the commonality that nearly destroyed us. Not that they were attracted to each other, or that they had been through the same type of tragedy or even been to the same school. My mind may be making up half the shit, filling in lots of blanks, but this little beauty actually is coming out of his mouth.
After they’d gone on and on about it for too long, and after Mike had had one too many, he sputters something about leaving that neither Owen or Cassandra hear, and he leaves, feeling dejected.
It’s late, and all of the customers have gone, leaving the place empty and quiet.
The other employees close up the place, Cassandra and Owen too engrossed in their conversation to notice. Then, when they finally come up for breath, chairs are turned over tables, the floors are freshly mopped and the kitchen staff has left.
“Time to go! You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here!” someone yells, holding the door open for them.
Cassandra grabs her things and mimes, “sorry” to the guy, and they walk out into the lobby.
“It was really great getting to know you,” Owen tells her. “Maybe we’ll catch up again some other time.”
“Maybe tomorrow night?” she asks hopeful.
“No, I leave tomorrow. But we come here all the time. See ya!” he tells her and walks away.
“Owen!” she calls to him and he turns around. “You said Crawford Co. is looking for a receptionist? Could you tell me more about it? I’d really be interested in a daytime job. These night shifts kill me. My feet hate me and so does my back.”
“Well, it’s for the offices here. It would be best to inquire about it directly,” he tells her, bowing his head and making to leave.
She stops him. “Could you give me some pointers?” Pushing her thick hair behind her ear, she looks up at him with shy doe eyes. “Maybe some details I could use during the interview that would give me an advantage? I’d be so grateful. I could come up to your room for just a minute.”
My blood boils as he tells me how it is that she ended up in his room. Could he be any dumber?
