Page 19 of New River Gorge(ous)
I think you need to come to Billy’s.
I grimace. I have no interest in going to the local dive bar and watering hole, even if itisour regular routine. I can’t drink before work anyway.
Beckett
I have to work tonight.
Logan
Not a suggestion. You need to come here.
Beckett
I just got up, it was a long night.
Logan
Billy’s. Just stop by for a few. Trust me.
Trusting Logan is probably the dumbest thing I’ll ever do, but we’ve been friends since childhood, and he was the one who helped the most after Addie. He called vendors and sweet-talked them into giving me a discount on goods we didn’t use. He made the announcement at the church, and he was the one who fielded all the questions from family and friends on both sides of the aisle about what went wrong while I stood there, too shell-shocked to open my mouth.
It’s four, which is just enough time to stop by, see Logan and whatever tourist he’s picked up this time, grab a bite to eat, and then head to work.
I groan as I stand and stretch out my sore muscles.
A quick bathroom trip and a tiny bit of hair gel later, I’ve smoothed down the bedhead and look decently presentable.
I throw on black joggers and a dark gray henley under a red plaid flannel. I thrust my badges and ID into my pocket before leaving for Billy’s.
Billy’s is made of old logs. It’s ancient, one of those dive bars that has seen better days and also not seen enough. No one would ever voice an idea to change anything about it, but everyone thinks it would be good to update. All the same, if you were foolhardy enough to voice an idea for improvement, you’d be chased out of town. At the very least, the food’s good, even if it’s decidedly unhealthy.
I push through the door and enter into the hazy atmosphere. The lighting is so dim that it always takes a moment for my eyes to adjust.
“Beck! Hey, man, over here!” Logan yells, and Ben lifts a cheeseburger in my direction.
I walk across the room, peeling my shoes off the sticky floor with heavy steps. Logan’s latest tourist is sitting on his lap and feeding him fries. Ben looks a little disgusted, but it’s par for the course with Logan. He collects girlfriends the way some people collect bottle caps.
“Hey,” I say as I sit in one of the empty seats at the table. “Why did I need to come down here?”
Just then, a waitress leans over. “What can I get for you? Something to drink?”
I turn to look at her. She’s pretty, but my heart doesn’t stutter. She’s wearing a V-neck, and I keep my eyes trained on her face, even though I know she’s trying to show off her cleavage. She’s also wearing very short and tight black shorts.
“Water, please,” I say and attempt a smile. “And a cheeseburger.”
“Ok, but we have three drafts from local breweries on tap tonight—”
I know it’s rude, but I cut her off. “Just water. That’s all.”
She frowns and walks away.
“You have a real touch with the ladies, you know that, right?” Ben elbows me.
I roll my eyes. “Why did you need me down here?”
Logan and Ben meet each other’s eyes for a moment before looking away. Ben gives it away when he stares after the waitress.
“Wait.” I blink. “You told me to come down here because ofher?” I hiss the question because I’m not the rudest man in the world and I don’t want her to overhear, even though she’s nowhere to be seen right now in the crowded bar.
