Page 60 of Again, In Autumn

“It’s good to see you!” she says, crinkling her eyes into a smile. She wipes a hand flat against her black button-down dress. “Welcome to my establishment. Now that we’re not teenagers anymore, feel free to drink all the cocktails you want.”

I glance around. “Oh! You’re working with your dad now?”

“We’re mutual owners. I bought my share from David’s uncle.”

“Awesome! It’s looks great in here. According to Davey the bar had a ‘glow-up’ – his words, he’s very hip and cool – and I guess you had a hand in that.”

“Well, a small town will turn anything into gossip,” she admits. “But we’ve gotten so many more locals in now that the toilets get regularly cleaned.”

“Don’t tell me you mop the floors too and I’m not going to get stuck on my way to the bathroom,” I plead.

She laughs. “We do have a 99 rating on our latest health inspection.”

“Good for you!” I say. “It’s so nice to be here. I know Fran and I were just summer people, but with Dave’s friends we always felt like a part of the town. Kind of feels like being back home.”

“You are!” She nods her head backward. “Just ask your sister. She’s over there angling for free food.”

I grimace. “Sorry about her.”

“Trust me, we’re glad to have you guys,” she smiles. “First round’s on us, okay?” She drops her voice. “Also, that is Adam Kent with y’all, right?”

I freeze. “Uh huh.” A certain recollection pops into my mind.

Ashton nods, slowly. “Love his music. Saw him in concert last year! Whenever I saw him on Instagram or TV, there was always something so familiar about him and I couldn’t ever figure it out.”

My smile strains. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

She continues, “It totally didn’t dawn on me until he was on stage and I was half drunk that I remembered. I totally even yelled it out loud – that’s Vienna’s boyfriend!”

She’s yelling it out loud right now, too.

I glance around to make sure no one in my party heard that. I clutch her hand. “Ashton, he’s not my boyfriend,” I explain quickly. “And he wasn’t then either.”

She frowns. “It was like a scene from Dirty Dancing every time you two came in here.”

“It wasn’t that graphic,” I argue. I notice a body returning from the direction of the bathroom. “Hey, remember how I asked you to keep quiet about he and I that summer?”

She studies my face. Her attentions flies to Adam’s approaching form. Her eyes widen. “Ah. Say no more. A discreet waitress is now a discreet owner slash manager.”

I mouth, thank you, as she pats my shoulder and walks off.

Her tall, imposing father then joins the table with David and a collection of waitresses holding trays of appetizers.

Francesca comes up behind them, her arms spread wide. “Behold! We have crab dip!”

Chapter Seventeen

As the night goes on, I eat a considerable amount of chips, cheese and handheld food and down a few cocktails. I’m careful, however, because when I’m drinking, I’m not in control of my wandering eye or measured commentary. If I drink too much, I’ll blurt out the wrong thing.

I try not to watch when Kate collects Adam’s hand the minute he releases his drink or fork. I keep my head down when she drags him onto the dance floor. I try to appear unfazed when they return, Kate a little breathless each time.

“You didn’t bring any money, did you Vee?” David asks from over the top of his beer.

I stare right back, crunching a carrot.

Francesca stumbles around the table and clutches my face. She slams our cheeks together. “Oh, we’ll take care of you. You’ll be like our little baby tonight.”

“Let’s get you some water, Franny,” David orders.

---