Page 37 of In the Pursuit of Haven
Was my face giving everything away? My cheeks felt numb, so maybe I’d gone horribly pale. “I guess I’ll find out,” I said.
Chapter Eleven
Lightning flashed outside with the falling sleet, matching my stormy mood as I pushed into Zak’s crowded tavern. The streets might be deserted because everyone was in here.
The patrons were eager to get away from the blistering cold, and like Jessie’s dad, eager to drink their troubles away.
With difficulty, I got my umbrella closed. I didn’t see Old Pete in here tonight. I looked around for Jessie next and froze when I saw him at the far corner of the restaurant in his red buffalo plaid coat over a jean jacket. He was in deep conversation with a beautiful woman with long black hair two shades darker than her skin.
Was this Divine?
Her name suited her. Jealousy burned through me.
Yeah, he was sure worried about me meeting up with trouble, alright; more than likely, he didn’t want me to witness what was happening right under my nose. Their foreheads almost touched while they talked urgently.
I collapsed into a seat at the bar, hiding behind the shifting crowd, my mind and heart racing. Did I have the strength to confront him right now? If I did, that would likely be the end of us. I couldn’t hide behind my ignorance anymore.
My hands tightened on the dripping umbrella while I tried to ground myself. Dollar bills from every country imaginable papered the red brick wall across the counter from me. The tavern was another of Salem’s oldest standing structures, and though it had its renovations over the years, they boasted the same fireplace, some of the same wood flooring, the same smuggling tunnels.
All a conspiracy, of course.
I wanted to throttle Jessie!
Zak’s broad shoulders were all I saw as he hurriedly mixed drinks with his back to all the action. Jessie’s good friend from high school had taken over ownership of the pub after his father had passed away a few years ago. Another one of Jessie’s gal pals poured drinks. How had Jessie thought it was okay flashing his “new love interest” in front of everyone we knew?
Did no one care besides Bette Ann? And what had she seen before Jessie had smuggled Divine inside to find shelter from the weather? Whatever it was, Haven’s friend had been disturbed enough to call me.
Zak approached me with a huge grin. “Roxy, I haven’t seen you in a while. Can I assume you’re here on purpose or was it the storm that brought you running in for this visit?”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice before I answered. “Zak, how could you think I wouldn’t want to see my old friends?”
He dimpled knowingly. “What’ll you have?”
If I wasn’t careful, I’d burst into angry tears in front of him. There was only one way to get him to back off while I tried to figure out what to do. “Clam chowder,” I muttered.
He laughed this time. “Coming right up, princess.”
I had no idea what I’d done to deservethatnickname. He disappeared into the back, while my eyes veered to Jessie and his “coworker.” She was in a little black dress. A plush and stylish snow coat was propped up behind her on her chair. The diva must not be from around these wintry parts.
She seemed to size Jessie up and gave him a challenging look, which I knew how much he loved.
Every part of me regretted I hadn’t ordered a drink so I could throw it in his face.
I swung away from them to get a grip on myself. Old artifacts surrounded me—a proud collection showing off this tavern’s past. An old jug of booze was nestled on the shelf next to contemporary brands. The date on the bottle said 1628.
Wait? Was that right? That time period didn’t have bottles that looked like that… this one was wider and stouter than the sleeker Genie-style bottles of that era—maybe it would be more accurate to say this one was from 1680? And for the importer to write a date on the glass? Normally, they only wrote the initials of who’d brewed it. It was a knockoff.
Nope, my nerd facts were doing nothing to calm me down. My mind was all on Jessie, and with some panic, I felt a tear slip down my cheek. I had to get out of here.
Zak returned with the clam chowder and set it down in front of me. “Hey, where’s Jessie these days?”
Unable to say another word, I planted my gaze on the counter and shook my head. Zak’s fingers ran across the polished counter and froze. Glancing up at him, I saw him staring at Jessie across the way.
His eyes found mine next. I gathered my purse. “I’ve got to go.”
“Roxy, wait.”
I didn’t want to hear his condolences. I threw some cash on the counter.
