𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝

Chapter Two

B E L L A M Y

There weren't a lot of bars in town, and I was certainly not ready to go back to the place I was fired from not twenty-four hours ago, so Maria and I took a cab to the only other option.

We never really went to Maisy's, because it was a little less...fancy—if you will, and the owner was a cunt.

I stepped out of the car in my short black dress, trying not to flash everyone in the process, and took Maria's arm as we walked up to the entrance.

It was quiet outside, but as soon as we opened the door, the loud music and conversations smacked us in the face, taking over all our senses.

The lights were dimmed and candles in bottles were lit, creating a beautiful ambiance in a not-so-nice bar.

"Whoa," Maria breathed out, leading the way to the bar. I rolled my eyes as we bumped into people, trying to push past them and taking ages to reach our destination.

"It smells in here," I said, refraining from leaning my arms on the bar that looked a little sticky.

Maria ignored me, gesturing to the bartender. Of course, the guy almost sprinted towards us when he saw her, and I rolled my eyes again.

Everyone fell in love with her as soon as they saw her. To be completely honest, I almost did too. I remember her walking up to me on the first day of college, hips seductively swaying from side to side and her dark brown hair flowing down her back. I was mesmerized.

After we got to talking, however, I realized our bond was going to be of a different nature, and we had been best friends ever since. We got even closer when Maria decided to drop out and make a career switch.

"Can I have four shots of vodka and two gin tonic's, please?" she asked the guy who was drooling at her, as I looked around the room for an empty table.

Most of the seats were taken, and I lowered my head when I recognized a few people from high school—a time I would rather not be reminded of.

"Yes," the barman said, giving Maria his biggest smirk before he started to show off with a bottle of vodka—doing all sorts of tricks before pouring our drinks.

I just looked away with a sigh.

After a little more flirting from Maria, we got our drinks on the house and made our way to one of the small round tables that were still free.

"So," I started, sinking into my chair and crossing my legs. "How's work?"

She smiled, sipping her gin tonic before she answered. "My kids are doing amazing, Bella."

I waited for her to go on, tell me about her love for teaching like she always did. Was it starting to become annoying? A little. But it was her passion.

"Sure, I can't wait for this school year to be over, but I couldn't be prouder of how well they're all doing," she went on, beaming with pride over her class. "I promise you, they're going to be great people one day. Important, too. And—"

"And when they're rich, they will always remember their fifth-grade teacher," I finished for her, reciting the line she always ended her work stories with.

She scoffed with a grin, her hand going to one of the shots. "Yes. Alright, let's do this, Powell."

We clanked our glasses together, intertwining our arms and taking our shots. The alcohol burned down my throat, but it was a familiar, good feeling.
The second one followed straight after, and the edge was taken off for the night.