Page 75 of The Art Of Starting Over

Hayden walked the length of the bar, peering between people until he spotted Devy sitting at the end, next to some man who looked pretty into her. A bout of jealousy bubbled in his gut. He pushed it down. He had no right to be jealous. Devy could speak to or flirt with anyone she wanted. Even though Hayden wanted it to be him.

He worked his way through the crowd, bumping shoulders and jostling other body parts until he’d made it to the end of the bar. Hayden held his finger up, and the other bartender came over.

“What can I get you?” she asked.

“Water. On the rocks,” he said, trying to be funny.

The bartender didn’t laugh. The bar was busy, and the water meant no tip. Hayden threw a five-dollar bill down and got a smile in return.

He stood there for a minute, sipping his water and waiting for Devorah to notice him. When it didn’t happen fast enough, he slippednext to her free side and touched her hip. She turned and looked. Her glazed eyes took him in, inch by inch. A smile spread across her face when she met his penetrating stare.

“You’re really hot,” she said, slurring her words. “Like, really, really hot.”

Hayden returned her smile.

“Hey, man,” the other guy said as loud as he could.

Hayden leaned forward, pretending to give a rat’s ass about what he had to say.

“We’re sort of together,” the guy said, which made Hayden’s blood boil.

“Yeah, I don’t think so, buddy. She’s not going home with you.”

“I beg to differ.”

“The only thing you’re going to beg for is mercy when I kick your ass. She’s drunk, now get lost.” Hayden motioned for him to scram. The man opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it when Hayden set his water down. He threw some money onto the table and left. Hayden sat in the now-empty chair.

“What’s going on, Devy?”

She cupped his cheek and leaned toward him. “Hi, Hayden.”

“Hey. You doing good?”

She nodded, and then her lower lip quivered. “I hate him.”

“I know you do,” he said. “I think we all do. Why don’t we head outside for some fresh air?”

She nodded as he helped her off the barstool. He motioned for the bartender to come over. “If she has a tab, tell Colt. He’ll take care of it.”

“Got it.”

Hayden held on to Devy tightly and maneuvered their way through the crowd. At the door, she pulled him toward her.

“Wanna dance?”

“Another night,” he told her as he pushed the door open. As soon as they were outside, she started crying.

“He had sex with my best friend and humiliated me,” she said as she hiccupped.

“Yeah, that was a pretty shitty thing to do.” Hayden held her hand as they walked toward Crow’s.

“Men are pigs.”

That stung, even though she knew not all men were like Chad. Despite her strained relationship with her father growing up, Crow had always set a damn fine example of how men should act.

“Not all men cheat, Dev.”

“Do you?”

---