“How the hell did you know I’d want this information?”
“Blade, you’ve been frequenting her bar for over a year, and now you’ve involved yourself with her problems, putting yourself out for her. You need me to go on?”
Fucker knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.
“No,” I snapped.
“Where are you going now?”
“I’m gonna check in with my mother and then head over to see Madison. Call me if you need me or have anything else to report about Layla.”
“Will do,” he said, and we ended the call.
The more I learnt about Layla, the more I wanted to get to know her and spend time with her. At the same time, it confused the fuck out of me. Ashley still haunted me, and I knew in my gut I hadn’t dealt with that fully yet. To even consider opening up to someone new was madness.
Chapter Seven
Layla
Midnight.
Friday night.
I stood at the bar and surveyed the room.
Where the fuck was all our customers?
“You want a drink, boss?”
I turned to Jess. She held vodka in her hand: my usual drink. Not tonight, I decided. Tonight was a tequila night. I shook my head and pointed at the tequila. “Pour me a shot of that. And you’re having one with me. Damian can run the bar by himself with the amount of fucking people in here tonight.”
She grinned. “Hell, yeah.” She swapped the vodka for tequila and poured two shots.
After she passed me one, she raised her shot. “To good friends and good men.”
I raised my shot as well, and we drank them down together. When I was done, I lined my shot glass up for another and asked, “What’s with that toast? Good men?”
She poured more drinks and explained, “You need to get laid, and it’s been over a week since your man has been in here. Now, I’m not sure what happened there, so I’m toasting to good men in the hopes that either he comes back or someone else walks in.”
I didn’t wait for her this time; I threw the shot back, placed the glass on the bar and slid it her way for more. Eyeing her, I said, “Nothing happened with him, that’s the weird thing. He was all about helping me, and then he just disappeared.”
She shrugged and poured more drinks. “So odd. I would have bet money he was gonna make a move on you.”
Damian finished with his customer and joined us. “You ladies getting trashed tonight?”
Jess grinned at him, held her shot up and drank it. “Sure are. Boss lady is in the mood. I can’t say no to that.”
He rolled his eyes. “Jess, when have you ever said no to alcohol? Seriously, some days I worry you’re working in the wrong place. I often wonder how long until we’ll have to check you into rehab.”
She poked her tongue at him. “Very funny.”
I drank my shot and slammed the empty glass down. “He’s got a point, Jess.”
“Oh my god! I hate it when you two gang up on me.”
I clicked my fingers to indicate I needed more tequila. “Quick, get some more alcohol in you. It makes it all better.”
Damian muttered something under his breath and left us to take care of the customer now waiting at the other end of the bar.
Jess poured another shot. As she handed it to me, she asked, “Is Annie okay?”
“As far as I know. Why?”
“She just seemed a little quiet today.”
“It’s been a big week for her. She hasn’t had a job for so long now and I think she’s struggled a bit this week with learning it all.”
“She’s doing really well, though,” Jess said, and that meant something. Jess didn’t blow wind up anyone’s skirt.
“Yeah, I think so, too. Glad you can see it as well. My goal is to give her as much confidence as possible, and if she can master some new skills, that will help.”
“Are you going to call that psychologist you got the name for the other day?”
I drank the shot. “I called her today, and Annie has her first appointment early next week.”
She smiled at me. “You’re a good woman, Layla. She’s lucky to have you.”
I thought about growing up with Annie. She’d been my constant companion when our parents dumped us with babysitters so they could go out to parties. We’d been like sisters back then, sharing everything from clothes, to makeup, and secrets. Annie had been there for me every time I needed her. Looking at Jess, I said, “I can’t abandon her. She’s the only family I have, and we always look out for each other.”
“Yeah, but you seem to do all the giving in that relationship. Annie would be lost without you.”
“I don’t keep score, Jess. You can’t live your life like that. I’m here for Annie for whatever she needs for as long as she needs it. Who’s to say in five years it won’t be the other way around?”
“True.” She held up the tequila. “You want another one?”
“One more, and I think that will be enough.” The effect of the alcohol was slowly making its way through my body, and I was feeling much more relaxed.
Thank fuck.
I drank the shot she passed me a moment later, and as I downed it, my core clenched at the sight I glimpsed.