AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes! Ben seems like he’ll be a great fit around here and I bet you two will have lots in common. He’s new to town so maybe you could show him around?” Taylor had that gleam in her eye that Kayleigh loved so much, except when she realized Taylor was hinting at a potential romance between her and Ben. “I’m sure he’d really appreciate that,” Taylor added, sitting herself back behind her desk.
“Doubtful,” Kayleigh muttered under her breath. Taylor frowned and Kayleigh mentally kicked herself for letting her despondent mood turn her catty.
“Also, he hasn’t worked in a bar before so he’ll pretty much need showing how to do everything.”
“Anything else?” Kayleigh asked, trying to stop another catty response from leaving her lips.
“I missed you.” Taylor smiled sweetly and Kayleigh’s insides twisted.
“Missed you too,” she replied, swallowing around the lump in her throat.Like you wouldn’t believe.
With a wave, Kayleigh went back out to the bar and found Ben looking back and forth between the bottles of whiskey and brandy in his hands, his blond brow furrowed quizzically as he consulted the cocktail menu in front of him.
“Confused about which alcohol is which?”
Her words caused him to jolt and he nearly dropped the bottles. She took them from him and placed them back on the bar before turning to face him. He frowned down at her, then quickly turned his attention to an attractive woman who sidled up to the bar. Although Kayleigh couldn’t blame him—the woman was stunning—hurt that she had no right to be feeling pricked at her and her stomach sank.He’s just another man who is more interested in a prettier face.
She spent the next few hours showing Ben how to pour pints, mix cocktails and change a keg over. Several times she tried to engage him in conversation, but his responses were minimal.How on earth did Taylor think we would have lots in common?
Taylor was buzzing around them nonstop, like she couldn’t wait for the shift to be over. “Okay guys, thanks for tonight but you can take off now, I wanna close up!” She whirled around them, all frantic excitement.
“But it’s still ten minutes to closing,” Kayleigh pointed out, confusion pinching her forehead.
“I know but I’m eager to go and there’s no one here, so take some time back and skedaddle!” Taylor circled around them both and pushed them towards the door.
“I need my helmet.” Kayleigh scampered into the office and retrieved said helmet, grimacing when she realized it was her really old one that had a Barbie sticker on the front.
Taylor practically shoved her and Ben out the door. Once outside, Ben turned to face her and then laughed when he looked at her helmet.
He tapped the Barbie sticker. “Real cute,” he snorted.
Her pride stung and she grabbed her bike and swung her leg over. “See you tomorrow,” she called out, hating how her voice wobbled, and pedaled away as fast as she could. She thought she heard him shout something after her but she kept going, worried the tears she’d been holding back all day would escape. The breeze tickled her stinging knee and she looked down, taking in her tatty jean shorts, dirty white sneakers and boring white tank top.No wonder he isn’t impressed by you. No one is.
When Kayleigh made it home, she went straight to her room and got into bed, her mood the lowest it had been since the incident at the bar. As she lay under her blanket, her brain went to town on her, mocking her life choices, destroying her thoughts and her very last drop of confidence. She was twenty-six and what was she doing with life? Nothing. She never did anything exciting. Never did anything crazy or stood out. She didn’t dare, her lack of confidence crippled her from doing anything exhilarating. Fromliving.
She wasn’t setting the world on fire; she was letting her fear overrule her: Fear of speaking up and confirming who she was, fear of becoming the person she truly wanted to be. She was constantly afraid people would laugh or tell her she couldn’t do it, that her dreams were too big for a small-town girl.
But did Taylor care if she drew attention? Hell no, it was one of the reasons Kayleigh was so enamored with her. Maybe she needed a motto, like ‘be more Taylor’? Or an alter ego? Like how Beyoncé had Sasha Fierce.Kayleigh 2.0. She mulled it over in her mind. Either way, she needed to change. Now. Or her soul would wither under the weight of her inability to choose happiness for herself. She was going to do what she wanted, when she wanted, how she damn well wanted.
Urgency consumed her. An impulse to burn the world to the ground and arise from the ashes reborn tore across her spirit, firing her senses. Obviously, she couldn’t do that, but this energy needed to go somewhere.
She glanced around her room looking for a way to release this force. Her eyes caught on the scissors in her stationery holder and she leapt for them. She ran to the mirror on her dressing table and shoved herself down onto the chair, staring at herself. Her eyes wide,wild, with hope and excitement. Before she could change her mind, she grabbed a fistful of her mousey brown hair. She hacked away at it, feeling more rebellious by the second. Exhilaration burned bright inside her as her long locks floated down around her.
She laughed, a harsh choked sound, as she realized she had been her own oppressor. Then she looked at herself in the mirror as she cut in some bangs.Bangs! She was always told her face was too round for bangs, but Kayleigh 2.0 didn’t care if her round face clashed with her choppy, edgy bangs. She was doing whatshewanted.
Seconds later she was on her feet and running downstairs. Grabbing her purse and cycle helmet she headed for the door.
“Kayleigh, darling, are you going out?” her mother called.
Kayleigh paused, her mouth opened ready to assure her mother of exactly where she was going and when she would be back.
Just like she normally would.
Just like a good girl.
But Kayleigh 2.0 faltered. “Yep.”
“Where are you going?” Her mom, Maureen, appeared around the door frame, dish towel in hand.
