Damon
We've been at the bar for hours. Laughing, betting, and eating fried pickles. Fried pickles are our favorite thing to order here because they are just so good. I personally don't drink, I don't like how it can change a person. The boys know not to drink or be drunk in front of me. So everyone here is sober.
"Boss, It's your turn to go get more pickles!" Patch laughs as he finishes the last one.
I wave him off and walk my way up to the bar. All the bartenders are busy with other customers so I take a seat and wait. While I do, I look at all the people at the bar. No one I know except my boys. But then a loud laugh fills my ears. My eyes follow the noise to two girls talking. One of them is a bartender, but the other one is Jane Doe. But it doesn't seem like her, she is happy. I move a few stools closer so I can hear.
"Really?!" Astrid laughs.
"Yea! It's true!" The bartender says with an obnoxious laugh.
"That's rich." Astrid laughs downing the rest of her drink. "Another?" She states. The bartender turns and then turns back, placing a drink in front of Astrid.
Then the bar woman whispers something I can't hear. "I know! I'm trying to ignore him." She says with a scoff. I laugh under my breath.
"Gimme a second." The worker says walking over to me. "What can I get for you?" She asks.
"A large order of fried pickles, please." I answer.
Astrid bursts into laughter and walks- stumbles over. "Fried pickles?" She repeats laughing.
"Are you drunk?" I chuckle looking at her glassy eyes.
She thinks for a second then counts on her finger, but then loses count and looks up to her friend. "Am I?" She asks.
"Only a little bit." Her friend answers. Her shirt says "Nicole".
"Just a little." Astrid repeats showing a small amount of space between her fingers. She goes to turn but almost falls, so she grabs my arms to brace herself. Then she says, "You are a strong boy." as she squeezes my biceps.
"Get a grip, Astrid." Nicole says.
"Yea Astrid." I tease.
"D? You comein'?" I hear Josh say walking toward us.
Astrid eyes light up when she sees Josh. "Ahhh! It's Joshy. He wrecked my car!" She laughs. "And! I can ride a bike better than him!" She burps, swinging her arm around his shoulder, but she is too short so it's more like around his back.
Josh laughs nervously. "Yea, sorry." She says.
Nicole hands me the fried pickles and Astrid goes hysteric all over again. I hand Nicole some cash, and extra for a tip and she puts it in her fanny pack. "Thanks." Nicole says with a warm smile.
"Fried pickles!" Astrid laughs. She almost falls over from both laughing and the drinks, but braces herself on both Josh and me.
"Why don't you sit down." I suggest handing Josh the pickles.
"You don't tell me what to do!" She snaps. But then looks at the fried pickles and laughs again.
"Alright Astrid. Let's get you home." Ncole says. "My shift ended a while ago."
Astrid wipes her head around and looks at Nicole. "No, no home." She says flatly.
"Okay? I'll take you to my place." She says.
But then we watch as Astrid walks over to her bar stool before and grabs her drink and downs the rest of it as she walks back over. She is stumbling all over the place. How is she even conscious? How many drinks has she had? "Oop. I gotta pay ya!" She says reaching for her pocket and hands Nicole a wad of cash. "Keep the change." Astrid stutters.
"Okay. Come on." Nicole says. "But we need to take your car. Elliot always drives me to work."
Astrid mumbles something as she reaches into her jacket pocket and jingles the keys handing them to Nicole. "But just be careful. That car is like my baby." She says like a toddler.
"I bet." Nicole says.
"It's hot in here." Astrid says out of nowhere. Then she takes off her jacket and rolls up her short sleeves into a muscle shirt. "Better." She says wiping her face and begins to walk toward the door, pushing through the people. "Nicole! Are you coming?" Astrid yells over the crowd.
"Right behind ya!" Nicole reponds grabbing her purse. Then they are gone. And I am once again left wishing she was still here by my side.
YOU ARE READING
Run, Fight, Repeat
Action" I lunge forward at him hitting his groin with my knee then right between the eyes. As soon as I do, he crashes to the ground, out cold. I go for more, but a pair of arms snatch my waist lifting me up. I kick my legs and flail my arms to get closer...
