Page 15 of Here's to Tomorrow

I stand in the bathroom, staring into the mirror, trying to get myself under some semblance of control. I glare hard at my reflection, striving to burn her image, her laugh, and her presence out of my head. She shouldn’t be in there. She can’t be. If I keep telling myself she can’t be in my head and that my obligations to Joey come first, then maybe I’ll believe it. I cannot ask her out. I will not ask her out.

I really want to fucking ask her out.

I shake my head, take a deep breath, and head back out there.

“You good?” I hear.

I turn toward the voice. Rae’s standing at the end of the bar closest to the bathroom.Was she waiting for me?

“I’ll survive.”

“You sure? You seemed a little…tongue-tied.” She gives a small shrug. Her lips twitch slightly, totally giving away whatever bullshit she’s about to spout. “But then again I’ve been known to leave men tongue-tied from time to time. It’s a gift.”

“Wow. Someone is totally full of themselves.”

“Or just honest.”

I laugh. “Fair enough.”

We stand there in silence for a few seconds.

“Can I apologize for earlier?”

“What do you need to apologize for?”

“Well, I kind of only pretended to not know who you were to avoid my friend giving me shit for kind of checking you out.”

“You were checking me out?”

“What happened to all that confidence?”

“It’s still there. Don’t avoid the question.”

“Yes, Rae. You’re a beautiful woman and I was appreciating that fact. I was also surprised to see you here. Tuck mentioned this place weeks ago and we only now had the chance to all get together to come out. He never said you worked here.”

“And knowing that would have made a difference?” she asks.

“Yes.”

My answer surprises me, and it surprises Rae too judging from the way her eyes widen.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.Oh.”

I take a step closer to her as someone passes by on the way to the bathroom. I’m sure I’m closer than I need to be, but she doesn’t back up, so I don’t either.

“You having a good night so far, Rae?”

“You know, it didn’t start out too hot. I have this coworker that kind of hates me and was mad I took her table, but it seems my luck has turned around. While she was off pouting or hitting on some poor unsuspecting customer, I snagged the best table in the joint.” Her eyes sparkle as she says this.

“Did you now?” I ask. “What table would that be?”

She steps closer and motions for me to bend down next to her. She leans in close, her breasts brushing against my arm. She smells incredible, clean and fresh, like rain when the sun is out.

I can feel her hot breath over my ear as she whispers, “You see that table?”

“There are a lot of tables, Rae. You need be a little more specific,” I tease.

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