Page 46 of David

“Hey… Take it easy. Maybe we should grab a bite before buying more drinks.”

In her bossy, confident way, she lifts her hand and leans over the counter.

“Do you serve food here?”

The bartender reaches under the counter and pulls a menu out.

She takes it without a word.

“What would you like to eat?” she asks while the man pivots to another customer.

“You pick something for me.”

She beckons the bartender to her.

“Two cheeseburgers with onion rings, two sides of fries, and pickles. And two beignets.”

He nods and collects the menu before Chloe and I pull to the side, out of the patrons’ way.

We’re both perched on bar stools at the end of the counter when we get our food.

We barely exchange words for the next few minutes as we’re busy with our food.

Klaus’ story may be in the rearview mirror, but David Moore comes into conversation again.

She tells me how he ended up being James’ business partner, but the story goes past my ears as I try to envision the lead man in my book being someone like him.

Unfortunately, my muse is a petulant child with her lower lip stuck out, her arms crossed over her chest, and her back half turned to me.

Things will only get worse when I have my laptop in front of me.

David Moore will never be my lead man.

It was easy for Rain.

She described what she had lived with him.

Her book read more like a memoir, despite altering parts of the story, using fiction as a literary vessel, and inserting a big disclaimer in her finished product.

“Man, this was good,” Chloe says before running a napkin over her mouth and asking for water.

“It was delicious,” I say, feeling better.

She orders water for both and snaps her gaze over her shoulder.

“Speak of the devil,” she says. “All that talk about him might’ve summoned him here.”

She tilts her head to the side, pointing to someone behind me.

“The boss is here,” she says.

Smiling, she chugs down water, gauging my reaction.

I smoothly shift in my seat.

Accompanied by a woman, David Moore talks to a man who can only be the club manager.They are not far from us.

The woman’s long dark hair almost touches her perky rear. She wears a skintight dress and heels.

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