Page 40 of Brews & Bartenders

“Not now, Eric.” I grunt. “I think something happened.”

“And you didn’t charge after her?”

Thanks for making me feel like shit. “She didn’t give me a chance, and I’m not sure if it’s my place with all of this being so new.”

“That sounds like an excuse, man,” he shakes his head and carries the cups to the kitchen. “You need to go after her.”

“It’s not like I know where she took off to. For all I know, it was something with her son and she’s rushing off to pick him up from school. I haven’t met the kid yet, and it’s really not my place if that’s the case.”

“You have a point there.” He sets the dishes in the sink, and I do the same. “Be sure to call her when you get off. At least to make sure all is well. And, if her son is sick, run by the store and get some things to make him feel better. That will definitely get you some brownie points.”

That’s the difference between me and him. I’m no longer interested in scoring points to win her over. I’m genuinely concerned about what happened. I think that’s something that comes with age. Playing those types of games no longer interest me. “I’ll call her later.”

Patrick grabs my attention. “She barely touched her food; do you want me to box it up?”

“Sure.” I doubt I’ll be seeing her to take them to her, but it’ll be a nice midnight snack for later.

I pull my phone out of my pocket to see if she’s text me. Anything to let me know she’s good. Instead, I send her one.

Carlos: Is everything okay? Let me know if you need anything.

She’s not likely to respond right away, and I shove my phone back in my pocket. Today is going to be a long day. Not because of the work. No, that goes by quickly, even when you’re dealing with repeat customers. The busyness makes time fly. But, because I’ll be looking at my phone at every opportunity, waiting for Caroline to respond. I only need to know that she’s okay. Every worst-case scenario flashes through my head and it’s torture.

The microwave dings and I pull out the wings. I’ve been home for two hours and still haven’t gotten the courage to call Caroline. Afraid that whatever she had to deal with today will ruin whatever it is we have together.

It hasn’t been long, but I feel like we’re making progress into more than fake. Into more than being together to keep people off our backs and her ex-husband from making her feel like shit. I’ve had girlfriends in the past, and sure there was attraction. But the more I’m around Caroline, the more I want to learn about her. The more I want to spend my time with her, and be a part of her life. And bring her into my life. It’s terrifying.

My mom and dad have always been my goal when it comes to relationships. Even though Mom doesn’t show it, I know him being gone hurts her deeply. They were the couple all my tias would swoon over at gatherings. Every photo, every shaky video from my childhood, has the two of them smiling, or dancing. They truly enjoyed each other’s company and I want that for myself.

And I think I’ve found it, under an illusion for others, and maybe even Caroline herself, but I want that with her. The fact she hasn’t called or replied to my text has those dreams dying one by one.

Fuck it. I set the plate of wings on the counter and grab my phone. There’s no need for me to wonder if she’s okay. I’ve been fine letting her take the lead, but I need to know she doesn’t need me right now.

I find her name on my phone and press call. It rings three times before she answers. “Hello?”

Her voice is scratchy and she sniffles. All is definitely not okay with her. “Hey, are you okay? What happened this afternoon?”

Another sniffle and a sigh. She’s about to push me out, I can feel it. “A bunch of stuff with Nathan. He showed up at my job, and then actually came to David’s practice tonight. I’m sorry, I just can’t talk right now. I’ll call you in the morning.”

“Okay.” The word isn’t all the way out of my mouth before the line goes dead.

I knew him showing up at the bar the other day wasn’t a good thing. I’ve seen his type before. It’s something you see often working in bars. He’ll do everything he can to make her feel like shit and unworthy of any sort of happiness. It’s not something I can stand around and continue to let happen.

Instead of rushing to her house because I’m sure David is still awake. It’s still early evening. I call my mom. She’ll have answers on how to move forward. In my eyes, she’s the gospel on romance and even though I know she’ll have a million questions, I’ve never been in this position before and I’m at a loss.

I press her name, hit call, and put it on speaker. This could take a while and I don’t want to hold my phone. “Carlos?” She answers after the first ring. Damn, did she have it sitting beside her? Or, have some sort of sense that I was going to need her today?

“Hey, Mom.” I lean against the counter and pick up one of the wings. “I need some help.”

“Oh, you do? I thought you didn’t need help with anything, and you live to make life easier on your mama.”

She acts like I’ve never asked for her help with anything. I think for a second, and maybe she’s right. Not since I was younger. Not even when Dad passed away. I dealt with that by piling on more hours at work, and pretending it didn’t happen. Knowing full well it isn’t healthy.

“Okay, I’m sorry I’ve never asked for your help before but it’s about a girl.”

“The one you’ve been seeing and refuse to bring for dinner.” I’ll have to remedy that soon. Especially if we can make it past whatever is going on with Caroline now.

“Yes, Mom.”

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