Page 22 of Begin Again
I know I’m going to regret this. This is a bad idea, but how can I say no to Joseph? This man took me in when I had nowhere else to go, no questions asked—okay, maybe a few questions asked, but not really—and he hasn’t asked much of me outside my normal workload. I owe him this much…
“You have no idea how much I appreciate this, Xavier!”
I grunt in response, turning my back to him to put my tools away. At least I have one thing going for me…I’m not the person who has to tell Charlie that I’ll be her babysitter tonight. Joseph can do that.
“I cannot believe my dad is making you come tonight.” Charlie huffs with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. That’s at least the third time she has said it since we left the ranch. I’m sure she’ll say it at least one more time before we get to Layne’s Dive Bar. “I’m a grown woman. I don’t need someone tobabysitme.”
My eyes remain on the road ahead, ignoring her. I haven’t responded the other times she has said it, and this time isn’t any different. Because that’s what she wants…She’s baiting me, hoping I’ll say something to add fuel to her fire, and I will not fall for it.
“I’m not a child.”
I roll my eyes and mumble, “Sure are acting like one.”
“What was that?”
Great. Good job, Xavier. You weren’t supposed to say anything. Now look what you’ve done.
“Nothing.” I toss a sweet smile over my shoulder, pulling into the parking lot.
Charlie barely lets me pull the truck to a complete stop before she jumps out, making a beeline for the front door.
“You owe me, Joe,” I whisper, rubbing my face, and climb out of the truck. This is going to be a long night, the kind of night that is bound to have consequences. What those consequences would look like…I’m not sure, but I know they can’t be good.
The heavy metal door sticks when I try to open it, requiring a good tug to free it. No one had gone in behind Charlie, andwhile the door might be a little sticky sometimes, I can almost guarantee this extra-strength hold is intentional. When I finally get inside, I spot her auburn waves leaning halfway over the bar, pointing to something on the wall before batting her eyelashes at the bartender.
Oh, for the love of God.
Is this what I have to deal with all night?
The bartender offers a wink before he starts mixing her drink, keeping his attention solely on her. Charlie swings her hips from side to side against the edge of the bar before throwing her head back in laughter. She’s really laying it on thick.
Before I even step up to the bar, I catch the eye of the bartender. He turns on a dime, focusing on whatever drink she just ordered.
Charlie glances over her shoulder to see who so rudely interrupted their conversation and rolls her eyes, climbing off the bar. “What’s it going to take to make you go away?”
“Sorry, Char. You’re stuck with me.”
“Can you at least try not to be a buzzkill?” She groans, swiping the drink off the bar. The bartender set it down and walked away without a second glance. I barely registered him to begin with. “I know my dad sent you to—”
“Your dad only sent me to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.” I shrug, stepping up to the bar. “You wanna get wasted? Be my guest. Just don’t do anythingstupid.”
Charlie steps into me, looking up from underneath her long lashes. She gingerly places the straw against her tongue and sucks. “What constitutes stupid?”
My lips pull into a firm line, staring down at her.
“I’m kidding!” She doubles over in laughter. “C’mon, since I can’t get rid of you, I guess I should introduce you to my friends.” Charlie drags me toward the farthest corner of the bar,where a few people have already taken up residence near the billiards tables.
“And who is this?” A blonde girl purrs, and it’s hard to miss the glare Charlie sends her way. “Is this the—”
“My dad made me bring him,” Charlie cuts her off. “He promised not to get in the way tonight. Right, Zay?”
“It’ll be like I’m not even here,” I say.
“That’s a bit hard to imagine when you’re right there,” a different blonde says.
I’m going to call them Blonde #1 and Blonde #2. That seems easier than trying to remember their names. I’ll never see these people again, so why do I care?
“Is that such a bad thing?” I ask Blonde #2, earning a glare from Charlie. It’s a threat, telling me to be nice to her friends. “Whatever, I’m going to get a beer.”
