Chapter 24

We walk into a different bar than we tend to frequent. This one’s called Joe’s Bar, which supposedly specializes in margaritas. We walk in and see lights hung up everywhere and music blasting.

“This is so much!” I shout, barely hearing my own voice over the music and voices. The room is just way too loud, and I immediately feel severely overwhelmed.

“It’s really loud!” Annie answers. “Why the hell?”

“This is way too much!”

“Do we want to stay?” Lily asks, also covering her ears.

I shake my head. There’s no way I can do anything in here, let alone hear.

“Let’s get out of here, go to Ransom’s Tavern!”

Annie rolls her eyes, seemingly annoyed, but we exit the bar immediately.

Once we’re outside again, I let out a frustrated sigh.

“I think we’re getting old,” I gasp, leaning over and feeling the ringing in my ears continue.

Lily shakes her head. “I didn’t think it was going to be like that!”

“Well, what a waste.” I flip some hair out of my face. Maybe we can even go home?

“Well, Ransom’s is at least a lot quieter,” Lily points out.

Shit. I was too hopeful too soon.

“Alright, let’s get moving.”

Fuck.

The girls start walking, and begrudgingly, I follow them.

When we get to the bar, my feet are absolutely killing me. It was only a short walk!

This dress is going to rip any second now, and the heels are going to snap under the pressure.

We plop down on the bar stools, my front falling onto the sticky table.

“Never wearing this dress ever again,” I growl.

“Why? You look so cute!”

“I am going to rip this dress like I’m the Hulk.”

“Which actor is that?” Annie asks, massaging her legs.

“It’s a superhero, come on,” I mumble.

“Sorry, I don’t watch your nerd things,” Annie replies as she stretches out her back.

“It’s common knowledge, dude, come on,” Lily rolls her eyes.

“How about we stop being bitches and start scoping out the hot men?” Annie shoves Lily impatiently.

“Fine, fine, I’m looking!” Lily scrubs at the top of her head where her bangs are while she surveys the crowd.

Annie and I do the same, all of us looking from face to face as we try to find someone.

“He’s got to be worthy of your flirting,” Annie reminds me as she pulls her hair into a ponytail. We’ve all begun to sweat a fair amount.

“That one looks kind of cute?” I state, jutting my chin out so my friends can see who I’m referring to.

Sitting at the bar is a relatively handsome man, drinking what looks to be bourbon or whiskey.

“He’s got to be, like, in his forties!” Annie says aghast.

“No he’s not,” I protest.

“No, he looks like he could be your dad, Esme,” Lily adds.

“Ew, okay, God!”

Lily points ever so slightly at another man. “What about the brunette at the table a few down from us?”

He seems closer in age than the last, on his phone typing.

“Seems like he’s doing work on a night like this,” Annie giggles, elbowing me several times in the arm.

Before we can say anything else, the man’s phone starts to ring, and he immediately picks up. “Hey babe, what’s taking you so long?”

I groan.

“Another one bites the dust I suppose,” Lily sighs, already feeling defeated.

“Fuck it, I’m getting a drink. Lily, you wanna come or sit here?”

“I’ll go with you. Maybe we just need to give Esme some room to work.”

“You make it sound like picking up people is a game.”

“Oh, but it is,” my blonde best friend insists. “Good luck!”

The two leave me alone, going over to the bar to get whatever it is they want to drink.

I’m somewhat grateful for the chance to be alone. This night has been feeling more and more overwhelming as it goes on. It’s not like when I spend time with Derek, and things feel natural.

In fact, he’s the only man I feel like I can actually be myself around. Eating dinner, chatting, watching random shit on TV, that was all easy.

But there’s no use pondering that reality, because while Derek might genuinely care about me as an employee and someone that dotes on his girls, I highly doubt he’ll ever sit by my side and tell me how beautiful I am.

As I feel myself getting lost in my thoughts of the other night, someone approaches me with a small smile and wave.

A tall red head man, probably about my age, holding a drink in one hand and a smile on his face. It’s interesting, he seems very chill.

“Sorry, I’m not usually like this, but I’m being honest—you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met.”

My eyes widen at this compliment, somewhat confused where it came from.

“Thank you,” I say in a low voice. “That’s really sweet of you.”

“I know you’re here with your friends, so I’ll let you—”

I hold out a hand, beckoning to the empty seats. “If you want to chat, you can stay a little bit. My friends won’t mind.”

In truth, the second they see the ginger sit down, they start celebrating together, while I roll my eyes.

“I’m Archer,” he introduces, holding out a hand to me.

“Esme,” I reply with a small smile.

“Is it really?” He seems incredibly fascinated. “I’ve never met an Esme. It’s a great name.”

I feel my cheeks warming up, looking down at my empty hands. “I’ve never once heard someone say that about my name.”

Archer’s dark eyes widen at this. “Well, seems like most men weren’t paying attention.”

This guy is actually pretty smooth. In the past, I could always feel the intention of the speaker—to fuck me and move on.

With Ryan, things were pretty perfect. Or at least, they did in the beginning. I wonder what Ryan would say now if we hadn’t separated and he hadn’t cheated on me with my own damn cousin.

“You’re pretty straightforward for a guy who’s only spoken to a girl for a few minutes.”

Archer huffs a laugh, looking at his own drink for a moment before looking back up at me. “I spent a lot of time just coasting through life. Now, at this point, it’s important that I make strong bonds with people.”

“Even those you just met?” I remind him.

He shrugs. “It’s just become a habit, I suppose.”

Annie comes by the table and drops off water and a wink, which I’m so damn grateful for.

“Oh, sorry,” Archer says to her. “Do you need your seat back?”

“Nope!” Annie replies before running off to the bar again.

He lowers his brows and contemplates what the two girls are doing, but I don’t think he’ll ever actually understand it.

“So, what do you do for work then, Esme?”

I open my mouth to answer when the door to the tavern swings open with a loud THUD against the wall it’s next to. I jerk around to look at the door, jumping just a small inch in my seat from terror.

It is not the door, however, that I should be worrying about.

It’s Derek.

What the hell is he doing here?

I turn back to Archer, attempting to ignore Derek altogether, because so far this is aftually going pretty well. No sex or anything has to be built on this conversation.

For all I care, it’s a nice conversation in a place where it’s needed.

“My job? Yeah, I work in business. It’s slightly difficult to explain exactly what I do, but I’m basically running around all day getting everything done that’s necessary.”

Looking at Archer is growing progressively more challeneging. Derek walks into the bar, and for a second, I’m worried he’s going to yell at me for something.

The issue is, there’s nothing that could have happened.

“That’s great!” Archer states, propping his elbow on the table as he looks at me again.

Derek, I swear to God, please do not see me here.

But as if a cruel joke, that’s what happened. Derek comes right up to the table and, to my absolute horror, sits between the two of us!

“Esme, how are you this evening?” Derek asks, as if seriously addressing something bad.

I raise a brow. “I’m…uh, I’m okay?”

He nods. “Wonderful. I wanted to go over the deal that we’re starting on Monday with the RTC’s group.”

My eyes go from one man to the other, and Archer is starting to seem not only uncomfortable but annoyed.

“Excuse me?” Archer asks, clearing his throat. Derek turns around and looks at Archer.

“Yes?” My neighbor asks.

“What the hell, dude? It’s after dark, and she’s not on the clock at all times.”

“I understand. But if there’s an emergency, it’s worth it to find my employee and speak with them immediately.”

I gulp quietly, wishing Annie or Lily would just jump in to help. But no one did.

Archer, clearly fed up already, leaves his glass on the dirty, sticky table and doesn’t even say a goodbye.

He just left.

When I’m sure no one can hear me within earshot, I finally angry-whisper to Derek, “Why did you just do that?”

“Because he’s a child, Esme. I see how hard you work and how strong you are. The last thing you need right now is another person entering the chat.”

“What?!” I blanche.

“You don’t bother keeping your heart close! You give, and you give, and nothing is ever given back to you; don’t you see how terrible that must be?”

I’m stunned and speechless because, in the past, that’s how I used to feel. But I know what I want to do, and furthermore, maybe someday, one final large incident will blow all other's expectations out of the water.

“Maybe instead of worrying, you take risks and new hobbies or other things? Why sit at a bar hitting on men you don’t want?”