Page 53 of Stuck with the Grump

“Listen, Ty, there isn’t anyone else in the world who makes me feel the way she does. She showed up at that lake house and my whole world flipped. Yeah, she annoys the hell out of me, more than I ever thought was possible, but I still can’t imagine life without her. I’m more myself when I’m with her. And to be honest, I’ve been lost these past few weeks without her, too.”

Tyson was silent on the other end of the line for so long that I thought the call dropped.

He exhaled slowly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if you’re serious about her, then you need to fix this. Even though she hasn’t admitted it to me, yet, I know she has it bad for you.”

He paused.

“And, I’m sorry for being such a dick just now. She’s my baby sister and I still feel like I need to protect her. I just want her to be happy, you know? If that means you two are together… well, you could do a lot worse than Leigh. And I know where you live, so I’ll come and kick your ass any day if you break her heart.”

I laughed at that, relieved that Tyson was coming around.

“I am serious about her. I’ll figure out how to fix everything.”

“Good, because she’s acting like a lost puppy without you. Don’t fuck this up, okay?”

“Alright, man.” I chuckled.

I ended the call, leaning back into the chair. I looked up at the stars and breathed in the cool night air. A weight was lifted off my chest now that Tyson knew and was okay with this.

Leigh was my everything. Now, I just needed to figure out how to win her back.

I called Leigh again and was sent to voicemail once more. Frustrated, I headed into the city in search of a bar where nobody would know my name. I needed to blend into the background and feel normal for a bit before my face was plastered all over the news. Once I found one, I pulled down my baseball cap and planted myself in a seat at the bar, nursing a beer while the football game played in the background. I got lost in my thoughts of how to make things right with Leigh.

Why is she still avoiding me? I’ve been calling her, haven’t I shown her that I want to be with her?

I tipped the bottle back, swallowing more of the stale beer. The bartender looked at me, her smile becoming flirty as she leaned across the counter from me.

“Hey there,” she said, her voice close to a purr. “You look like you could be having a better night.”

“It’s alright,” I said, taking another swig of beer. “Could be better but there’s nothing too much I can complain about.”

Actually, there was a lot I could complain about, but I was determined not to be one of those people who went to the bar and told the bartender their life stories. No, I was here to have a few drinks and blow off some steam while I figured out how I could get through to Leigh.

“Well now,” she said, her fingers trailing along my forearm. “Sounds like there’s a story there. I would love to hear it if you’re willing to share.”

I laughed and shook my head, my stomach twisting as I thought about what Leigh was doing right now.

“It’s only a girl.”

“Isn’t it always?” the bartender said with a sigh, her smile still in place. “She your girlfriend or your wife?”

“No, just a girl I knew once.”

“Well, my name is Audra, and I am looking for somebody cute to take home for the night.” Her eyes trailed slowly up and down my body before her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip. “You seem to fit the bill quite nicely.”

I laughed and took another swig of beer, even as my stomach turned again. “Do you proposition all of your guests or just me?”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she stood up and shook her head. “Be careful, cutie, you almost seemed charming instead of mopey.”

“I’ll do better to seem miserable next time.”

“We’ll talk later, okay? I’m off in two hours.”

I nodded and took my beer away from the bar top, going to find an unoccupied booth in the far corner of the bar. People were laughing and talking, going about their nights as if I wasn’t there. It was nice. Normally, at least one or two people would recognize me in public. Once the first person pointed me out, the others would be quick to follow, all of them wanting a chance to talk with a billionaire.

It was exhausting.

Here, in this bar, I was just another lonely man looking for a way to pass the night. There was no pressure to be the billionaire bachelor that was always splashed across the tabloids. Here, I was just me.

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