Page 57 of Sunflower Persona
“Oh, Kori, I’m sorry.”
I try not to flinch as she wraps an arm around me and pulls me in for a hug. This group seems keen on the whole touchy-feely thing. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Thankfully, it doesn’t last too long, and when she pulls away, she has a devious smile on her face.
“Oh, I’ve got a great idea.”
“You do?” I ask, swallowing back the nerves that look inspires.
“Yes,” she says with a firm nod. “We’re going to go to Cutter’s and show Gage exactly what he’s missing out on.”
“I don’t know…”
“It will be perfect. We can get dressed up, flirt with cute guys, and not look in that jerk’s direction.”
“I—”
“And if the guys are awful, we can dance like Jamie, Chelsea, and I used to. That always turned heads. Plus, I miss dancing. It feels too awkward to do it on my own.”
She looks so excited about the prospect, I can’t bring myself to say no.
“Fine. No to the flirting, but I’ll go dancing with you.”
“Perfect,” she says with a happy squeal. “Let me text Karis and find out if he’s working tonight. Oh, I’ll invite Jamie too. This is going to be so much fun.”
Call me crazy, but I have a sinking suspicion it will be anything but.
Chapter 18
Gage
“Crazy weather, am I right?” Nathan asks as he watches the rain pelt the front window.
The weather? Really?
I don’t even justify his comment with a response.
I’m sure he has better things to do at eight thirty on a Wednesday night—like work on his thesis or literally any of the half a dozen women in this bar—but he’s wasting it keeping me company. The same way he has every night this week, and he ran out of actual things to talk about halfway through yesterday’s shift.
He hasn’t said it, but I know he’s waiting for me to melt down again over the whole Kori thing.
I’m fine.
Nothing in my life is different than it’s ever been.
I’m still just as alone as I was before she embedded herself in my life like a fucking thorn. It turns out roses aren’t the only flowers you need to watch out for. Who cares if the world feels even bleaker now without her petals in it? I’m sure I’ll adjust.
I drag a damp cloth over the bar top to give my hands something to do. The damn thing is probably the cleanest it’s ever been with how many times I’ve wiped it down tonight, and it’s not like we’ve had enough customers to make a mess of it in between each pass. But it’s something to do—and an excuse to ignore Nathan’s mother henning.
Soft, dreary rock drifts from the speakers, mixing with the steady battering of rain against the glass to echo my mood. The lack of patrons makes it even more depressing, but we have the weather to thank for that.
No customers. No tips. No joy.
It’s nothing less than I deserve.
Thunder crashes overhead as the door swings open and Karis steps inside, soaked to the bone and glowering like that fact personally offends her. She looks around the bar and shakes her head, spraying droplets of water into the air.
“Damn, this place is dead.”
I hand her a clean rag as she joins Nathan, but she ignores it, reaching over the counter and grabbing a glass to pour herself something from the tap like a goddamn heathen instead.
