Page 134 of Between the Blue
“Go ahead,” I tell her. “I’ll grab your drink and bring it back to the table.”
She answers the phone, mouthing “thank you”to me and waving as she makes her way towards the back door.
I take a sip from my drink, feeling the mixture of burn and sweetness that I know and love instantly warm me. I swallow it down, setting my glass on the edge of the bar, and, instantly, I’m aware of a presence behind me.
I keep my eyes forward as Ben comes to stand next to me, also keeping his gaze forward, but leaning on the bar, just enough in my direction to have an effect on me. To show some sort of power.
“What are you doing?” he asks, his voice low.
“Oh, I’m doing what everyone else here is doing,” I reply, nonchalant. “Thanks for asking.”
The bartender comes back with a shaker, nodding towards me as he starts to pour Caroline’s drink out into a glass.
“How’s your night going?” I ask him, batting my eyelashes a little more than necessary as Ben’s gaze continues to burn into the side of my face.
“Just fine, ma’am,” he says. “How about yourself?”
I glance down at his nametag, then hold up my drink. “You make a killer Old Fashioned, Jeff. So, I think this may be the best night of my life.”
Ben steps into my personal space, leaning down to talk just behind my ear. “You know what I mean. What are you doing?”
“I’m just having fun, Ben,” I say, barely glancing over my shoulder to look at him. “I know that must be a foreign concept to you. Maybe if you tried it sometime you’d be less of a dick.”
He takes a measured breath, and then, completely ignoring my jab, he says, “I think you’re trying to do a little more than have fun.”
“Now what would make you say that?” I ask, playing coy.
“Well, if I can make a pretty girl like you’s night,” Bartender Jeff speaks up, “it’s safe to say my whole day is made.” He smirks, sliding Caroline’s drink over to me.
I give him a smile, tilting my head for extra effect.
“Did you want to start a tab or–”
Ben suddenly slams a black credit card down so hard on the bar that it stops Jeff mid-sentence. He looks between Ben and me before raising his brows. “Okay then,” he whistles, taking Ben’s card and spinning around to the register on the other side of the counter.
“That wasn’t necessary,” I say.
“Yeah, well, it seems like we’re both fans of unnecessary gestures at each other’s expense tonight.”
I finally spin around to fully look at him. “I’m sorry. What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ben’s tongue pushes into his cheek, and he motions downwards with his head. When I raise my brows, he clicks his tongue in irritation.
“What?” I push him. When he still doesn’t oblige, I take a step closer. “Tell me what you’re referring to.”
“This goddamn dress,” he blurts out with a huff. “I’m referring to you showing up here like this, Che–”
He cuts off, running a hand over the lower half of his face.
“Go on,” I breathe, plucking the toothpick from my Old Fashioned. The one with the two cocktail cherries stuck onto it.I lift it to my mouth, plucking the first cherry off with my teeth and chewing it slowly. “Finish that sentence.”
Ben’s jaw shifts to the side, his eyes darkening as he leans closer, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear as he practically exhales the word “Cherry.”
“Hmm…” I hum, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. “Yeah, I did have a plan in mind when I put this dress on, now that you mention it.”
“Yeah?”
I nod, running my finger along his shirt collar, shifting up to my tiptoes. “I can’t lie to you, Ben. When I was slipping this on, I was just thinking of going home.”
