Page 124 of Five Summers

“No lie, my friend.”

“Ladies, what can I get you?” The bartender asks.

“Surprise us,” Kit replies.

Neil lets out a laugh while grabbing his beer, and I can’t help but smile at the sight of this burly man laughing so freely.

“Don’t sweat it, dude. She’s always pulling that one,” Neil says, lifting the glass to his mouth.

The bartender studies Kit for a moment, before shifting his attention to me. After a moment, he turns away.

“I bet the shit hit the fan inside that limo,” Neil comments, leaning forward to look at me.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“Don’t let the asshole get to you. It's just his vibrant personality,” he says.

It's so weird to see him sitting here, all smiley, after that intense encounter we had earlier today where he couldn't even crack a smile when we locked eyes.

The bartender comes back with two glasses - one with ice and what looks like whiskey, and he puts it in front of Kit.

“Whiskey,” says Kit.

“Well done, man,” says Neil. “That’s what she always orders.”

In the bartender's other hand, there's a cocktail glass with a strawberry and a cute little umbrella.

"I made you a strawberry mango daiquiri," he says, placing it down in front of me.

I can't help but smile. The drink looks so good.

"I've never tried this," I say, meeting the bartender’s friendly, blue gaze.

I can feel all their eyes on me as I grab the cocktail, carefully putting the straw in my mouth, and taking a sip. My eyes light up with joy as I gulp down the refreshing sweetness.

“Thank you. It’s delicious.” I place my drink on the bar.

“Whenever you’re ready for a refill, just give me a shout,” he says, grabbing the cloth from his shoulder. He then turns and walks down the bar to dry a few glasses.

The three of us spend the next few hours chatting. Kit is absolutely right—Neil is like a big teddy bear. Once I'm done with my daiquiri, I'll switch to soda so I'm not even a little tipsy when I call my mom later to talk to Alex.

Meanwhile, Kit and Neil persist in ordering round after round of whisky and beer.

As the night goes on, Neil's voice trembles as he opens up about the heart-wrenching situation of not being able to see his son since he was five. That was seven years ago. He shares the pain of being excluded from his son’s life, all because of his ex-wife’s choices. As he talks about his pain, I can see the vulnerability in his eyes, evoking a deep sympathy within me for this gentle giant.

Kit too shares some heartbreaking news about her recent break up with her girlfriend of six years.

I can’t help but feel a fondness for the two of them. They are so genuine and down-to-earth. However, when they ask mequestions about my role in the band, I struggle to open up and often evade the topic about my history with Xander. Whenever the conversation turns to Alex, I carefully steer clear of bringing up the fact that Xander is his father.

It just feels right to keep that information to myself, as I don’t want to bring unnecessary trouble into Xander’s world. The fewer people who know, the better, especially considering that I’ll be leaving and Xander will continue working with these people.

As the doors of the piano bar swing open and the crowd pours in, we make our way to a booth, eager to soak up the music. Sitting there, surrounded by the cozy vibes, I feel soothed by the melodic piano music. The piano's captivating sound has always held a special place in my heart, completely captivating me.

My phone interrupts the peaceful serenity - it’s Reg calling.

I quickly swipe the screen and answer, curious about what he wants after the crazy limo incident earlier.

“Hello.”

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