Page 7 of Fractured

Jumping into answer, Harper slid an apologetic glance over her shoulder. “She is, and the best. You’ll have to see her play at one of her performances.”

A fist tightened around my heart. If there were many performances left.

By the time the fifteen minutes were up, Harper had dominated so much of the conversation, I’d barely had to say two words. As my best friend, she knew how much I struggled with small talk. And springing Brett on me, she probably felt a little guilty.

“Like I said, it was great to meet you. I’ll definitely be seeing one of your shows.” Brett smiled as he threw a few bills on the counter for his drink.

“I told you, your money’s no good here,” Kenzo called from his end of the bar.

“Yeah, yeah.” Brett laughed as he pulled Harper to her feet and nuzzled the side of her face. “Walk me out?”

“I’ll be right back, and then we can have our girl time,” Harper promised, then followed him in a different direction from where we’d entered.

After they were gone, I rotated on my stool until I stared at my drink. How was it that I could push my fears to the side while I was around others, but as soon as I was alone, they all came rushing back in again? Pressing against me and squeezing the air out of my lungs. At least today, I didn’t feel the crazy creeping into the edges of my mind. I doubted I could take two visits to Lauren in the span of a week anyway.

Sighing, I twirled the glass on the counter, mesmerized by the movement of the leftover cotton candy. It no longer made a complete circle, having dissolved where my lips had touched the glass.

“Why so down?”

When I glanced up, Kenzo leaned against his side of the bar. This time, he was closer, and I wanted to forget everything but the color of his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for starters, you were barely alive when Brett was trying to get to know you. Now that he’s gone, I briefly questioned if you were a robot.” He grinned and tilted his head to the side.

“No, no robot here.” I laughed weakly.

“Then why so sad?”

“It’s just been one of those days.” I lifted the drink and took a sip, just to give my hands something to do. Any time someone stared straight at me, I felt the need to fidget. What would he see?

A crazy person? A beautiful woman? Just a stranger?

“I know what you need.” He tapped two fingers on the bar.

“And that would be?” I hedged, unsure where this conversation was going. Kenzo was Brett’s friend, so he should be safe. But I knew from past experiences, not everyone was what they seemed. Look at Lauren, for example.

Then there was my dad too.

“Sex.”

I choked on air and turned my head to the side. “What?”

“Just kidding! Just kidding. I swear. Sorry, I have the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old boy. What I really meant to say was fun. You look like you could use some fun.” He pulled another glass with cotton candy from under the bar and mixed another drink for me.

“Starting with another drink?” The way his muscles flexed under his forearms made me want to reach across the bar and trace them as he worked. I glanced up and caught him smirking. Or I should say he caught me ogling.

“No. Although it helps. You need to do something to take your mind off of everything. Something you’ve never done before.” He slid the drink over to my resting hands, his fingers lightly caressing my own as he pulled back.

I wanted to flirt and say something sexy, or something that would make him laugh. But I nodded instead.

Chuckling under his breath, he bent deeper over the bar until his face was mere inches from mine. “So, you agree?”

“What am I agreeing to?” I croaked out. “Are you going to take me somewhere fun?”

A door slammed on the other side of the bar, and he straightened just as Harper came around the corner.

“Maybe.” Kenzo winked and poured a second drink for Harper before he went back to his corner. What was so special about that end of the bar?

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