Beyond The Fury

Chapter Thirty-Five

(Song- Best Years By 5sos)
———
*one year later*

~~~
Ivory's POV

I've thought about Hardin every single day for an entire year. How he smells, his smile, what he hates and what he loves. There's that word again. Love. The more I think about it, the less meaning it has. It's like when you repeat a word over and over, it loses it's initial purpose. 

I fell asleep that day cradled in Hardin's arms... and I woke up the next morning alone. I remember thinking it was the weirdest thing in the world, because he left without a trace. There were no reminders of him, no clues or crumbs. I found myself questioning if he was really real or not. Maybe I had designed myself the perfect love interest...

A year has passed and I still can't rid the English boy from my thoughts. As the days went on I thought about him less and less... but I still think about him. Even if it is once a day, maybe twice...

The bar is busy tonight, lots of regulars have come in to enjoy the crisp taste of our finest alcohol and I have never been happier to be busy- absent minded and working hard. Anything to keep myself from thinking too much. Thinking too much about him...

"Hello, Lucy! How are you?" I lean both of my elbows on the glistening counter top in front of me as I look at the lady stood at the opposite side of the counter. Lucy used to come in quite a lot with her son, but after his passing she disappeared...

"Ivory... Awh, it is so lovely to see you, Angel." She slides herself up and onto one of the barstools and she rests her old leather purse down onto the marble, "I'm doing good.. better. How are you, Cherub?" Her smile is soft and her eyes are warm with a hint of coldness. When I look at her I can see that something is missing...

"I'm doing great... I'm happy to hear you're doing okay." Comfortingly I place my hand on her arm for a moment or so before I retrieve my trusty notepad from my side, "Is there anything I can get for you at the moment? Our staff are a bit over run tonight but I'm happy to take your order."

For a moment Lucy looks puzzled, and then she glances down to the shiny name tag that sits on my chest.

Co-Manager
Ivory Carr

"Congratulations, Petal!! Co-Manager... about bloody time Bruce promoted you." She leans in close to me and I let my eyebrows knit together momentarily, "If I'm being honest, you are the only reason I keep coming back to this place."

Lucy giggles and my heart warms. A month or two after Hardin's disappearance Bruce promoted my position here at the bar to Co-Manager. Apparently he had heard about my accommodations struggles and wanted to help me find a nice place.

Part of me wondered if Hardin had forced him to give me this position, but I like to think that I earned it... even if I had a little help.

"You're too sweet, Now-" I pause and bring my pen up and into view. I click the point of the pen out, "What would you like?" I offer a smile but inside I am beginning to stress out. This place is getting extremely crowded and with its backstory I'm not too sure if that is the best thing to happen.

What if there is a gun fight, a drug deal... what if there are undercover agents lurking in the shadows? It's funny, actually, because I should be afraid of the Mob... but I'm not. I fear for them. Some of them are genuinely good people that were handed shitty lives and the only way out was to make money 'the dirty way'. I respect them and they respect me.

"Just the usual, sweetie." We have roughly around 100-200 customers come in and out of this bar daily, but I always remember the regulars orders. Always.

"Coming right up." I walk around the curve of the bar and pull Dylan close to my by the material of his shirt, "I need a Gin and Lemonade ASAP for that customer over there..." I point to Lucy and his gaze follows, she waves at us and I return the gesture before continuing to say, "No questions asked, I want that to be your priority right now."

Without any further hesitation Dylan is shooting off in the opposite direction from me to shake up Lucy's order. Bruce and I have recruited a few new staff members- including Liam!

Speaking of...

"Ivory, I am freaking the fuck out right now." Beads of sweat gather on Liam's forehead and I take him gently by both of his arms.

"Woah, woah... what's going on? You okay?" My voice has perked up with concern and Liam drags a hand down his face. He is stressed... and I don't blame him.

"There are so many people- I keep messing up the orders and I literally cannot hear a thing that anyone is saying and they are all getting so mad at me-" Liam's words are fast and extremely bunched together. I shake my head and grab his face to look at me.

"Go outside, take a breather for 10 minutes. I'll take your tables, give me your notepad." I hold out my palm to him and his shoulders slump with physical relief.

"Thank you, Ivy... thank you." Liam places his notepad in my hand and laces through the multiple people until he reaches outside.

I look down at the first couple of pages of the notebook and I hold back a giggle. His handwriting is usually so neat and collected but on the page the letters are curving off of the lined paper.

I notice his orders for table 1, 3, 5 and 13 have been switched around so I make it my priority to get those drinks - or food - to those customers immediately, starting with table 1. 

I head for the table and navigate my way through the dull bar. Ever since it's grand opening I'm not entirely sure if I should even call it a bar anymore- it's more like a massive restaurant alongside a stupidly big bar.

As I approach the table I am suspicious by the lone figure sitting at the opposite side of the table, his face is shadowed and it's hard to make out anything about him. By his relaxed posture it's not like he is making it his goal to stay hidden, but yet he remains that way.

"Sir..." I wave a hand in front of the gentleman's face and what I am met with leaves me feeling nauseous...