12 Rounds (11 page)

He releases my hands and I shrug. “Yeah, I don't get it. I mean it's a Wednesday and its  not like its back to school or the holiday season or anything.”

Ryan squeezes his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose like he has a pounding headache. Pink flushes in his pale cheeks and he lets out a ragged breath. “The damn sporting goods store is having some kind of autograph signing and meet and greet tonight, so it's been like this all day.” Ryan opens his eyes wide and throws his head back in frustration. “Lucy's out there now and I've been helping her as often as possible, but the regional manager is coming in two days and I've been back and forth on the phone with corporate.”

“All right. All right,” I say as I tie the upper half of my apron. “Does this mean I'm going to have to stay over?”

A guilty smile crosses over Ryan's lips. “Maybe,” he croaks.

“Ugh,” I groan. “Really, Ryan? I take shifts for people all the time! Why can't you call them?”

“I already did. No one could do it, please, Hadlee. There's no way I'll be able to close alone. Not with this chaos.” There's a neediness in his ocher eyes that I just can't say no to.

“Fine,” I sigh. “I'll do it.”

Ryan pulls me into a hug. “You are a life saver. You have no idea!”

“I just need to let Lara know. She's my ride home.” I whip my cell out of the front pocket of my apron and type in Lara's number.

“You don't need to bother Lara. I can take you home if you need a ride.”

“That's okay Ryan, Lara,  will wait for me. She's closing Whiffs and Sniffs too.”

It's not that I don't trust Ryan to take me home, I mean I've worked with the guy for the last three years so I know him pretty well. He's kind, and sweet, and funny. It's that...Well...I know he has a thing for me and there have been times where he's been clear about it. Like when he hugs me a little too long, or stares at me longingly when he thinks I'm not looking, or tries to hold my hand. Once, he tried to kiss me. Yeah, that was awkward. I turned my head and he missed. He wound up accidentally getting slobber in my inner ear. Talk about the mother of all Wet-Willy's.

I shudder when I think about that moment.

He's not too forward to the point where it's creepy, so I usually just laugh off his advances, and as nice as he is I'm just not into him like that. I don't see him as anymore than a good friend.

“Are you sure?” he probes and lifts an ash colored eyebrow that matches the ash colored mop of  messy hair on his head.

“I'm sure.”

I text Lara.

Ryan needs me to close. I'll meet you at your store at 9:15.

A pause. My phone vibrates before I can close it.

I'll be waiting :)

Snapping my phone shut, I slide it into the front pocket of my apron and leave the break room amping myself for five hours of complete madness.

I can't even tell you how many cappuccinos, lattes, coffees, and frappuccinos I've served up in the last five hours. I started running a tally, but slacked off during the second hour of my shift. At least the one good thing about being insanely busy is that it makes the time go by really fast. I'm already wiping down the counter while Ryan counts the money in the drawer. “That was complete and total insanity,” I mention as I toss the washcloth in the steel, basin sink behind me.

Ryan holds up a finger while he continues counting all the fifty dollar bills. He stacks them neatly in a pile, writes the amount on the slip, then shoves them into the bank bag. “Tell me about it. On the plus side,” he lifts up the plastic tip jar and shakes it, “you made some good tips.”

“True.” Trust me, all of those ones and fives add up. One time during Christmas someone threw a twenty in there. That about made my day. And during the holiday rush, not much can make a person's day when you're a barista. “But I'm still going to have to split them with, Lucy.”

“Still,” Ryan says. “You each had to have made over twenty bucks.”

“Fantastic.” I snatch the container from Ryan, and start divvying up the cash. All together Lucy and I each made twenty-two dollars and some change. Not bad. Not bad at all considering on the drive here I assumed the mall was going to be dead. I take Lucy's cut and stuff it into a white envelope then write her name on it with a black sharpie. Stuffing my cut into the front of my apron, I hand the white envelope to, Ryan. “Will you make sure Lucy gets this.”

Ryan takes the envelope and sets it down next to him. “Absolutely.”

“Are you okay to finish by yourself.”

Ryan is now knee deep in counting the change in the drawer, so he just nods and waves me off.

The Whiffs and Sniffs fragrance shop is located on the opposite end of the mall in the west wing while the coffee shop is located in the central corridor. I'm actually kind of glad that Ryan asked me close because fighting my way through a mass of people to get to the store would have been annoying. I window shop on the way down the  west wing corridor admiring some cute tops hanging in a few of the expensive storefronts. I work really hard for the money I make so from time to time I allow myself a few indulgences. When my Grams died she left me her condo, which sold for a decent amount of money, but after my attack, the hospital bills ate up most of that.

When I finally reach the Whiffs and Sniffs the chain curtain is already pulled down and the lights are turned off. Where the hell is Lara? Reaching for my cell, soft laughter wafts over to me and buzzes in my ears. I turn around and Lara is standing with a group of guys from the sporting goods store. I quickly shuffle over to them, and grab Lara's elbow. “You ready to...” I stop mid-sentence when I notice the blue-green eyes regarding me in unreadable way. Sean Reilly. My stomach bottoms out and I can't find my voice. I should have thought of this scenario earlier when Ryan mentioned an autograph signing and meet and greet. Shit. I will myself to breathe, but my lungs aren't cooperating. I'm all swept up in his intense gaze, muscular and tattooed biceps, stunning eyes, and enigmatic presence.

Breathe, Hadlee.
  I just need to breathe.

Lara finally acknowledges me. “Oh hey!” She nudges my shoulder. “How was the world of Arabica beans?”

I exhale. “Tiring.” Sean is looking at me. I can feel his eyes as they slice through my skin and it makes me nervous. “You ready to go?” I don't make eye contact with anyone else and give  Lara a pleading look.

“Well, Lee,” she says with a shrug. “The guys invited us out for a drink. Do you care if we go for a little while?”

I lean in close to her ear. “Can't you just drop me off at home first,” I whisper.

“They are leaving straight from here. JP and Ted said we could ride over with them.” She points to two guys one with blonde hair and brown eyes and the other has light brown hair and green eyes. Both guys nod in my direction and I nod back.

“You know the whole bar scene isn't my thing,” I tell her.

Lara holds up a finger to the group. “One sec, guys.” Then she grabs me by the elbow and yanks me to the side. “Come on, Lee. It could be fun. I know you have a hard time being out at night, but we'll be out with four guys.”

I glance over my shoulder and eye the three guys in red shirts with name tags. “There's only three guys.”

Lara quirks a vibrant grin and gasps, “Sean's going too.”

Oh no. These plans couldn't be anymore disastrous. Not only do I feel like a mess whenever I'm around Sean  because I swear he's beautiful and too captivating for his own good, but I don't feel like receiving hateful glares all night long. “I don't think its  a good idea for me to go if he's going.”

“What?” Lara laughs. “Why would you say that?”

“Because he hates me.”

Lara loses it over that. She laughs and shakes her head. “What makes you think that?”

I peek over my shoulder and meet Sean's gaze. He slits his eyes, tilts his head to the side, and scans me slowly. It kills me because every time I see him there is something so vaguely familiar about him. And it kills me even more because I can't figure out what it is. I keep my eyes on him and I think I notice a phantom-like smile cross his lips. I think. “Just look at him. He's got anger problems. He's always scowling at me.”

Lara slaps my shoulder playfully. “All I see is a hot guy who just has a little bit of hard edge to his persona. Just relax, Hun. We'll only go for an hour okay. And we won't ride with the guys okay? I'll drive us over there.”

“Okay,” I agree, knowing that she won't relent on wanting to go until I do.

That's one quality Lara has that irks me. She always has to get her own way. But I told myself along time ago that if she only has one bad quality hidden amongst the many good ones then it was something I'd just have to deal with.

The bar the guys chose is called Wing Palace, a small family owned restaurant that has an eating area in the front and a bar in the back. The group of us enter, the song
Layla
blasts from the speakers. It's not dead, and not too busy either. A few clusters of people are positioned around the bar chatting with one another as the guys lead us to a booth in the corner with red plastic covering. Giant flat screen televisions hang on every wall and the lighting is dim. I like the atmosphere. In a way it's sort of calming—soothing.

Ted, the guy Lara is always talking about, points between Lara and I. He smiles and I take notice in how perfectly straight and white his teeth are. Also the fact that he has dimples in his cheeks. “What do you guys want to drink?” Then I observe the heated look in his green eyes as Lara gives him her drink order and it's totally obvious that he likes her. He turns his gaze on me. “What about you, Hadlee?”

I mull over my options. Hmm. Wine, beer, or some kind of fruity mixed drink. “I'll have a beer,” I tell him. I'm not a big drinker, but I do occasionally enjoy an ice cold beer or glass of dessert wine. But something tells me this isn't the kind of place that keeps Moscato stocked by the crates.

Ted walks over to the bar and orders our drinks, when he returns he slides my beer in front of me. I try to pay him, but he politely refuses, so I thank him and tell him the next round is on me.  Lara and Ted immediately engage is some deep discussion and I settle into the crook in my corner of the booth, and focus on one of the flat screens. Then my attention shifts to the right portion of the bar. The two other guys that work with Ted are leaning against the smooth finish of the bar, and the hanging lights above it casts flickers of yellow against the shiny surface. Both guys who work with Ted are chatting up some scantily dressed coeds that I know I've seen around campus before. I go to a very small college, it's a lot like high school really. There's only 1500 kids total on campus. It’s  like that because it’s  so expensive and very few people are able to get a scholarship. I was lucky enough to be one of the few.

My eyes travel down the bar and I see Sean on the opposite end. For once he's not giving me an icy glare and for that I'm thankful. Now I have the opportunity to admire him from where I'm sitting. I have the opportunity to observe him. To see if he really is all hateful glares and harsh words. He's not drinking alcohol, he's drinking water and chatting with the bartender, who is a large man with a few tattoo's on his arms, rings on all of his fingers, and a medium length salt and pepper beard. The bartender is wearing black everything. Black jeans. Black shirt. Even a black bandana that covers what I assume to be a bald spot on the top of his head. The bartender says something to Sean and his whole face lights up. He's beaming and laughing and seeing him like this brings a smile to my face. He laughs harder and the boisterous sounds trails over to the booth and throbs in my ears. Suddenly I'm saddened by seeing this other side of him. I'm actually depressed over it. Why can't he be this way whenever he's talking to me? Why doesn't he ever show me his radiant smile? Why isn't he ever nice? What in the hell did I do to him in the three times I've seen him?

Red flushes my cheeks when I think about how much I'd like to have him look at me and regard me in such a kind way. Tiny tingles circulate through my stomach when I think of Sean's voice. I envision his lips against my ear, his words filling up every part of me and his voice embedding itself in my mind. He laughs again and my head snaps in his direction, but my heart sinks when I look at him because now he's flirting with two of the college girls that were in the group Ted's co-workers were talking to.

Looking away, I swallow the thick lump in my throat and Lara elbows me in the shoulder, wearing a cheesy grin. “See, it’s nice to get out every now and then isn't it?”

“It is,” I agree with a miniscule smile. However, I'm convinced I'd be having a much better time if Sean wasn't sitting across from me reminding me that I want him, but can't have him. “I think Ted has a thing for you,” I tell her. “He's been awfully attentive.” I lift both of my eyebrows in a joking manner.

Lara and I both glance in Ted's direction. He's joined his co-workers and they appear to be having a heated discussion about the on-going basketball game on one of the flat screen's. Ted keeps pointing at the television screen with a frustrated look on his face. One of his friends makes a comment and he throws his hands up in the air, turns away, then turns back.

“You think so?” She says with a bit of sarcasm while holding back a giggle.

I purse my lips and try not to giggle in return. “Sounds to me that you might have a thing for him too.”

In mock bafflement, Lara's mouth drops open, a smile tugging on her lips. “Is that right?”

Lara is really secretive about her feelings. It’s  not that she doesn't trust me, I know she does. She explained  to me once why she's tight-lipped when it comes to the way she feels.

I don't like to psych myself out for something I know might not happen,
she’d said.
I don't like to get all gushy like he's so amazing when I don't know where the relationship is going because then that's just like asking to have your heartbroken. You understand what I mean?

I do understand what she meant. She's not the type to put herself all out there when she isn't sure of what she'll get in return. What if he just wants a piece of ass? What if he's just tesing the waters? But at least she puts herself out there. Unlike me.