Page 32 of Two to Tango

Manny comes by checking on his drinks, saying hi to us in passing. “Dale, rubia. I need my drinks for table 32.”

T just ignores his comments, setting down the two drinks in question.

The night continues in a blur until everything starts winding down. The din of the restaurant falls into a more agreeable sound. Low murmurs, a slower rhythm. I should get back to my cases. I should work on some tonight. But for once I think,maybe tomorrow. Maybe this weekend. Tonight, let me enjoy this. Delfi and I are just relaxing, and I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere, to just sit in the pleasure of it. I’ve got a near-empty glass, and our snacks are mostly gone. T is quietly wiping down the bar, showing Gavin how to start closing everything.

“We’re headed next door after this,” T says to the guys working around her.

“Count me in,” Delfi says.

The restaurant closes at ten o’clock, so they will usually clean up and head over to the bar down the street. It’s tucked away off the main road and conveniently stays open until two in the morning. I always opt to go home, but tonight I’m feeling energized. A little more alive. A bit more enthusiastic than I have been in quite some time.

“Can I join?” I blurt out.

Delfi and T’s eyes widen, and I almost shrink down in my stool for asking.

“Fuck yes,” T responds enthusiastically, and my answering smile is quietly filled with relief.

“You look good, Julie. Something going on?” Delfina asks.

“Not sure how offended I should be by that question.”

“She’s just living life with her snazzy new haircut.” T winks at me. Maybe that’s it. Maybe I’m just playing the role of new me.Maybe once my hair grows back this rollercoaster might end, but for now I might as well hold on tight because even I don’t know what’s getting into me.

***

Delfina and I findourselves at the bar next door close to eleven, T trailing behind with Manny and some of the kitchen crew. They all wave to the bartender once they walk in, some lining up at the bar, some sitting on stools, others taking their drinks and snacks to the outside patio area. This bar—not fancy in the slightest, with a gaudy nautical theme and names carved into the wood tables—is a neighborhood and staff favorite.

“Hey Derek, let me get two glasses of the IPA on tap,” T calls out to the bartender, ordering drinks for her and Manny. She turns back to Delfi and me and asks, “What do you want?”

“Get us the same thing,” I answer.

Meanwhile, Trevor calls out, “Hey T, grab me a vodka Sprite,” before walking to the back patio with Manny and Delfi tagging along.

T’s eyes turn sharp at something over my shoulder, but she quickly swivels back to Derek at the bar, adding on to her tab.

“Hey everybody. I invited my brother, too, if that’s okay,” a voice behind me says. “This is Logan.”

Logan?

We all turn to find Gavin standing with his brother, who happens to be none other thanLogan, and when he spots me, his smile slowly grows wider. The crowd mumbles scattered “heys” while Gavin comes closer. And before this can escalate to allow something else to slip, I stick my hand right out and say, “I’m Julie.”

“Hi Julie.” He smiles, shaking my hand briefly, eyes lingering.

How the hell do I end up seeing this guy everywhere?

“We’ve got a table out back,” T says to them, balancing beers and mixed drinks expertly in her hands, then turning to walk away.

“I’ll grab the rest,” I call out as I set my elbows on the sticky bar littered with paper coasters. There’s a jukebox in the corner, a fancy one that you have to download an app for, playing an eclectic mix of loud music.

“What do you want?” Gavin asks Logan.

“Whatever you get is fine,” he responds as Derek sets the remaining drinks down in front of me. I can see their similarities standing this close—their tall and lean figures, their sharp jaws and broad shoulders. Gavin is still in his bartending uniform consisting of his white button up shirt and black slacks. He’s lost the tie, though. Logan is in a basic shirt and shorts, something simple, but he wears it so well. He’s effortlessly cool, so comfortable in his body. Maybe that’s the dancer in him, I don’t know.

I grab the drinks and hear Logan’s voice beside me. “Need help?”

“I’ve got it, thanks.” I lift one in brief cheers, then turn and walk to the patio.

The outdoor patio sits under an awning with several high tops and low tables around the perimeter and three pool tables off to the side. It’s surrounded by bushes and greenery, and twinkling lights hang from the awning. Manny found their usual high top near the pool tables and snagged one for playing. T is getting her cue set up while Manny racks the balls. I walk over to join Delfina, passing her a beer.

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