Page 39 of Whiskey Neat

“Just a lay off, but I had no choice but to stay with my parents again. It feels like a big step back.”

“Ah. I would hardly classify myself as the eternal optimist, but even my jaded ass can see the beauty in Indy’s timing with this bar idea. I needed to get out of Paris and within two weeks of making that decision, Indy called with this crazy idea. Our friends were ready for a change of direction, and you ended up here again too. Kind of hard to deny the universe’s timing.”

His words settle over me, and for just a second, there’s a trickle of hope blooming in my chest. Maybe instead of comparing my current reality to my old one, I can figure out how to embrace this new direction. Making out with Indy certainly is a perk.

“I do have a tiny bit of advice though,” Lowen says.

“Lay it on me.”

“You wouldn’t be the first person in Indy’s orbit to insist they don’t want a relationship who eventually ended up desperate for more. If you truly don’t want that, and I suggest you stick with that approach, then guard your heart. He has a mysterious way of making people fall for him despite his own wishes. Who he is just makes men and women trip over themselves.”

“I appreciate the advice, but after what this little heart of mine has been through, even Chris Hemsworth as Thor couldn’t break past the barricade around it.”

“Not Chris Hemsworth.” He winks at me with a smile as he takes the exit at breakneck speed, slamming on the brakes when we arrive at a red light.

“And none of you ever fell for him?”

“Oh, I’m sure we all had our crushes at one time or another, but the benefit of being his friend is having a front row seat to his love life, and only a masochist would willingly sign up for that.”

“Damn. You make him sound ruthless.”

“Just the opposite. I think that’s why people fall. If he was a dick it would be easy to walk away. He’s a good guy. Just stingy as fuck with his emotions.”

I nod, mentally chewing over Lowen’s words. Lucky for me, I’m dedicated to the prevention of love and other misguided pursuits.

“We’re just having fun,” I explain. “It’s nothing more than that.”

Lowen glances at me, and I swear I see a glimmer of doubt on his pretty face, but it’s gone soon enough. “Sooo… I’ve noticed you have a femme vibe.”

I nod, glancing out the window as Lowen follows the GPS directions to the first location. “Yeah. I embraced it more when I lived in New Onyx. I guess I’ve been worried about how the residents in Willow Bay will take it.”

“Who gives a fuck? You’re a grown-ass adult and you can wear what you want.”

“Old traumas when it comes to this topic.”

“Oh?”

“Just bullies and disapproving looks, but that was a long time ago.”

“The landscape has changed, and honestly, I think the only way people get more comfortable with things is through exposure.”

“Good point. Have you always presented the way you do now?”

He nods, turning right into a parking lot. “In degrees. More subtle, then heavy, then more elegant as I found my footing. My industry helps. It’s not a stretch for an interior designer to be a bit flamboyant or eccentric.”

“Was your husband more masculine? Is it okay to ask about him?”

“Oh, it’s fine. That asshole. Alain Durand. Narcissist extraordinaire.”

“Your ex is Alain Durand?”

He scrunches his nose with a nod. “Sadly.”

“I used to follow his career more when I had aspirations to live in a fancy house designed by him. I lost interest a few years ago though. Maybe that’s why I didn’t know about you?”

“Likely. I enjoyed a lot of success but within niche circles. I had this grand idea of what success was and then I achieved it. It was incredible and brought me into Alain’s world.”

He pulls into a parking space and shuts the car off, but his expression is sad now, his eyes almost misty.

---