The Monster (18+)

Chapter 17: Why Not?

Chapter Seventeen
"Why Not?"

   My arms felt detached from my body as they moved, making four drinks at a time without pause. Similarly, my eyes glazed over the drinks sitting in front of me as I poured the alcohol, waiting it hit a certain spot in the glasses before moving to the next one.

   Next came the juice. The garnish.

   By the time I was blinking back to reality, I was bringing the drinks to their owners. They all smiled faintly before returning to their conversations. After I made sure no one else was asking for me, I leaned against the wall behind me and sagged.

   Sam was flirting with a customer on the right end of the bar, and forced myself not to aim a glare to the back of her head. I was too out of breath to even get angry with her.

   The clock was getting closer to midnight, and even though I've been here since nine, it's felt like hours more. That could be because it's a Friday and the bar is completely packed with tourists and New Yorker's alike. Thankfully, it was starting to die down, probably so people could bar hop. I've had to cut off two dozen people so far.

   "Savvy!" A high pitched squeal filled the room, despite it because loud from the conversations going around.

   My exhaustion quickly shot away as I lifted my head, already grinning before I met Annabelle's gaze. "Anna?" I sounded baffled, but I still pushed myself off the wall and strode through the saloon doors. She opened her arms for me, just as I shoved myself into her chest. "How—why are you here? Don't you have work?"

   Her arms curled around my shoulders as she rested her chin on top of my head. Her pointy heels gave her several inches on me.

   "I called in sick," she chirped non-nonchalantly before putting her hands on my shoulders to pull me back. She stared at me assessingly, but didn't lose her smile as she drawled, "Went on a date in Long Island. Did some shopping and thought, 'I should see my best girl.' So, here I am."

   I nodded absently, still in disbelief, but I managed to stammer, "A date? With who?"

   She smirked mischievously before plopping on an empty seat next to the bar. I watched her twirl it around, only to drift my gaze to her exposing short mini skirt and crop top. Unsurprisingly, her dark skin was glistening with sparkles, and her stomach completely flat and toned. I knew if I wore something similar, it wouldn't look half as good on me.

   She was wearing a dark brown wig, cut in a bob, framing her shaped face nicely. Her eyes were smoky, too, which only intensified her sultry face.

   "It was with a guy this time," she said, lifting her manicured nails to her face. "Mediocre. But he paid for these." She lifted a foot, showing off her Chanel boots with a growing smirk.

   My jaw dropped. "Did you meet him at the club?"

   She nodded and lowered her foot, but was still flexing her heel. "Enough about me, though," she dragged out while losing her smile. "Catch me up, Savvy. I haven't seen you in two weeks, and now I'm hearing from Luba that another man's in your life?" She tsked. "Bad form."

   "When did you have time to talk to her?" I gaped, but my cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I returned to the opposite side of the bar. "And there's no scandal—"

   Annabelle's sharp laugh cut me off. "Luba said you left our building because of him."

   "Luba needs to stop talking," I blurted, making her smirk, as if I just confirmed her theory.

   "Caffeine gets the girl talking." She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "She didn't mention any names, but she said ex-boyfriend. And I only know of one ex-boyfriend you had, and that was five years ago. The one you said was dangerous. The one who you hid from at my place for a month?"