Page 10 of Drunk Girl

“Well, I hope things turn around for you soon. I’m sure a job will come through for you before long.”

“Hopefully,” she says, blowing out a big breath, one strong enough to flutter the hairs framing her face.

“If you want to hang around until I’m done, I can give you a ride home,” I find myself offering. “Save yourself the Uber fare.”

“That’s okay, I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”

“Not a bother. I’m the one that offered, after all.”

“Okay then,” she says, biting her bottom lip, and I find my dick rising to attention at that.

“It will take me a half hour, forty-five minutes, tops, to finish up my closing procedures. Would you like anything before I get to work?”

“I’m good. Thanks, Nick,” she says, smiling at me. “If anything, can I help do something so you can get out of here sooner?”

“We’re fine. Just pick a booth and sit back and relax. We’ve got a good routine,” I tell her as Katie and Kaiden both start flipping chairs up on the tables before we mop the floors.

I focus on cleaning the bar and restocking a few bottles I used up tonight. Once I have the bar all cleaned and ready for tomorrow’s opening crew, I check in with Kaiden, who’s already balanced our tills out for the night and dropped the cash into the safe we keep in the office until he can prepare the deposits after the weekend.

“Good night tonight,” Kaiden says, slapping me on the shoulder.

“It sure was. Steady all night.”

“It was fun being behind the bar with you tonight.”

“Yeah, it was,” I agree. We usually only end up behind the bar together on our busiest nights—Thursday through Saturday.

“What’s up with the chick?” he asks, motioning his head in Ashley’s direction. “You don’t usually take someone home with you at the end of a shift.”

“Just giving her a ride home. We met the other night and she’s had a bad week. Just trying to do something friendly,” I tell him honestly.

“So, you’re not tapping that?” he asks, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Nope,” I tell him, popping the P. “At least not tonight. She’s had way too much to drink to make that decision clearly tonight.”

“So, what I’m hearing is that you wouldn’t mind tapping that,” he asks, still boasting the shit-eating grin.

“I wouldn’t turn it down if offered under the right conditions, and her three sheets to the wind isn’t the right conditions,” I deadpan.

“I hear ya,” he says, looking around for Katie. “Been there, done that, brother.” He smacks my shoulder. “I’m off to find my wife and take her home. See you tomorrow.”

He walks off in search for his wife and I approach the booth where Ashley is sitting. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” she says sleepily, then yawns. “I almost fell asleep.”

“Well, then let’s get you home.” I hold my hand out for her. She accepts it and slides out of the booth, and keeping her hand wrapped in mine, I lead her through the bar and out the back door. I lock it up quickly and then escort her to my truck parked just a few feet from the back entrance.

“Where to?” I ask, once buckled in the driver’s seat. A few minutes later, with the address to her mom’s place programmed into my GPS, I pull out of the parking lot and onto the main street.

“Where all did you apply for jobs?” I break the silence filling my truck.

“A bunch of places in the mall and surrounding buildings. I don’t really care what I get a job doing, as long as they pay and it’s full-time, I’ll take it. I just need anything, at this point. I can get picky later, once I have a good job under my belt, and steady income.”

“Have you ever tended bar?” I ask, knowing we’re going to be hiring a new bartender soon.

“Nope, I’ve usually worked at diners that either didn’t have a liquor license, or only served beer and wine. Why do you ask?”

“We might be hiring for a new bartender. Thought I’d tell you about the opening, if you’d be interested in it.”

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