Page 12 of Daddy Vibes (The Anti-Bachelorette 2)

Chapter 5

Angela

I woke to a text from Killian on Tuesday.

Killian: Sorry about bailing last night. Let me make it up to you on Friday. Cover band playing at McFadden’s. I’d love to be cliche and bring you to an Irish bar where all my goons hang out.

I smiled at his text. He’s being sarcastic about it, but I see he texted me at 3 a.m.. What other job would keep you out that late? Was he beating someone up collecting a debt or something? My imagination may be getting away from me, but he never did tell me what he does exactly. I probably should be smarter and not hang around someone like that, but I need a distraction.

Me: Sure. I’d love to meet your goons. Make sure you warn them ahead of time I’m coming so you don’t have to kill anyone for looking at me wrong. *wink emoji*

I hear my phone ding an hour later and think it’s probably Killian responding to my message. I see the name on the notification and my heart speeds up at little even if I don’t want it to. Emory’s Hot Dad. I still haven’t changed his name in my phone. I don’t know that I ever will.

Emory’s Hot Dad: I’m sorry about last night.

I just stare at my phone for a minute thinking about whether or not I should respond. I decide against it. He obviously regrets trying to call me. That’s why he’s apologizing. I get that he’s attracted to me, but he obviously isn’t going to ever take things further than that, so it’s best if I just ignore him from here out. He’ll forget about me soon enough, and then we can both move on.

Besides I have a hot date lined up for this weekend. I shouldn’t be thinking about another man. I’m just glad I won’t have to see him anytime soon. I’ll just make sure to have Emory come over here when we hang out for a while so I can just avoid him all together.

???

Friday rolls around before I know it. I haven’t heard any more from Eric, and I really haven’t talked to Emory much either. We’ve both been busy at work, so besides a few funny memes we’ve texted each other, we haven’t talked much. She did call me the day after the banquet to talk about what happened with her dad, but I just shrugged it off like it was no big deal. I changed the subject by telling her I had another date planned with Killian.

She told me she was going to hang out with Alaric tonight, like that is any different from any night of the week, and to call her on Saturday to hang out so I can tell her all about how things go with the Irish bad boy tonight.

Killian is meeting me at the bar since he had some business to take care of pretty late and didn’t want us to miss the band. I throw on some black skinny jeans with a yellow crop top that stands out against my black hair and tattoos. I pair it with some sexy heel boots that lace up the front.

I take an Uber over to the bar so I don’t have to worry about my car, especially if I am planning on having Killian take me home tonight. I head into the bar even though he’s not here yet. He texted he was 10 minutes out. I figure I can get a drink while I wait.

I want to have a drink in me anyway, so by the time he gets here, I’ll be loosened up a little. I want to just try to enjoy him tonight and not be thinking about Eric the whole night long.

I order a drink at the bar and sit on the barstool waiting for my date. I suddenly hear my name from behind me. “Angela?”

I turn and see Emory and Alaric standing there with drinks in their hands. “Oh my gosh! What are you guys doing here?” Emory holds up her drink as if that answers my question. “Where’s Killian?”

I take a sip of my own drink. “He’s almost here. He had to work late, so he’s just meeting me here.” I look over at Alaric and then back to Emory. “You didn’t tell me you were coming here tonight. I thought you said Alaric only liked boring old people bars.”

She laughs, but I notice how it almost sounds nervous like she’s hiding something. It only takes me a moment longer to figure out why. I glance past her shoulder, and that’s when I see him. Eric talking to some blonde woman at the corner table. She’s pretty, but obviously much older than me. My mind can’t help but compare everything about her to myself in a matter of seconds.

What makes her so great that he is willing to date her? I almost want to laugh, but then I just turn back to Emory and give her a small smile. “Are you guys staying for the band?”

Emory gives me a guilty smile. “We were actually just heading out to get some dinner. We can stay until Killian gets here though.”

I smile back at her. Ahh, so that’s why she felt so guilty. They were only here to help Eric find a girl. “No, that’s okay. Go ahead. He’ll be here any second. I was going to run to the bathroom before anyway. Want to touch up my makeup.”

Emory starts saying her goodbyes and telling me about the new restaurant they are going to that we’ll all need to go to if it’s any good, but I can barely hear what she’s saying because when I glance back over at Eric, his eyes are staring back at me. Just like they were at the banquet. Like I am the only person in the room. His date is saying something, but he isn’t even looking back at her.

I swallow hard and then break the eye contact. I smile back over at Emory. “Sounds good. Have fun.” I give her a hug and they take off. I sit back down at the bar, and pull my phone out to pretend I’m busy doing something while I wait all by myself. Right as I do, I see Killian is calling me. “Hello?”

I hear men shouting in a language I don’t understand in the background and then Killian. “Please don’t hate me.” I already know what’s coming before he even says the words. “You know I wouldn’t do this unless it was an absolute emergency.”

I just sigh and take a big gulp of my drink. “It’s alright Kill, go ahead and take care of whatever you need to do. I actually just ran into Emory at the bar. Crazy right? I didn’t know they were coming out tonight. I’m just going to hang out with her tonight.” It was only a partial lie.

He sighs into the phone. “I’m such an arse.”

I just laugh. “It’s okay Kill. This is real life. Things come up. I’m not mad.” I take another sip of my drink and realize it was the bottom of the glass. I motion to the bartender for another one. Killian apologizes a few more times until the men in the background seem to get closer and louder, and then we hang up.

Now what? I start sipping on the second drink that the bartender just placed in front of me. Well, I might as well have a couple more before I go back home. I’ll have to call an Uber anyway since I didn’t drive. What’s the difference if I’m a little tipsy? Maybe I’ll just sit here and drink and listen to the band by myself. I glance around the bar. Maybe I can find a date here for myself.

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