Hey Bartender

1: Hey Bartender

SOOKIE

For at least the twentieth time in the last half hour my phone starts to ring. It's Jessica again. I'm sure after her it'll be Tara or Hadley or Dawn. Right now I'm just happy Amelia is in New Orleans. I really don't need her shoulder to cry on. She's never been the commitment type, plus she warned me when I got involved with Alcide that it was a mistake.

Of course I thought she was crazy. Alcide Herveaux comes from a good family and he's got a reliable, trusted family business he's running since his father retired two years ago. I fell for his southern manners and gentlemanly approach to dating. After a string of boyfriends who treated me like shit in one way or another, Alcide seemed like just what I needed. Polite, kind, witty, charming and smart... all qualities that kept my interest.

I knew before he even asked me out about his ex-girlfriend Debbie. I'd met him when he brought her into the patisserie I work at to try out wedding cakes. Lala's is a popular bakery downtown. I never went to culinary school but I've always had a flair for baking and it turns out I'm a bad ass cake decorator too. Duff Goldman ain't got nothing on me. The day Alcide and Debbie came in they ended up arguing over the type of cake, the shape, the fillings... It was a disaster that ended when Debbie poured hot coffee on him.

A month later Alcide came back to Lala's for an assortment of donuts, muffins and bagels. I found out that he and Debbie had called off the wedding and she had moved out of the apartment they had been sharing for the last eight years on and off. He came back for some sort of pastry every day for another month before he finally asked me out. Amelia warned me that it was never truly over between Alcide and Debbie but after the things he said and the irrational behavior I'd witnessed with my own two eyes, I figured there was no way in hell that Alcide would ever take her back.

I was wrong.

We only dated for five months but it was long enough for feelings to grow and I really thought we were going somewhere good. It's been a little more than a week since I found out the hard way that he was giving Debbie another chance. I've gone to work, done my errands and that's about all. I know why the girls are calling but I'm not sure if I'm ready to go out just yet.

My phone goes off again and it's Hadley. They're persistent bitches, I'll give them that. If I don't answer they'll just show up here. I grab my phone and send out a group text to let Jess, Tara, Hadley and Dawn know that I'll be at a bar two blocks from my apartment called the Iron Horse at eight. That should get them off my dick for a few minutes.

While I'm going through my closet in search of my favorite plum colored mini dress the buzzer on my apartment security system goes off. I smile at the pattern of beeps since Jess is the only one who does that. I've decided that even if my nincompoop of a brother doesn't put a ring on it Jess is still my sister from another mister. So I go to the panel and push the button to let her in. I live on the fifth floor of a new condo building less than a mile away from work.

I find the dress and haul ass to the door when Jessica knocks. She has gorgeous red hair and long limbs. At the moment she's stuffed into skinny jeans and a top that displays her ample cleavage. Not too surprisingly, she's wearing flats and her hair is curled beautifully. If I'm being honest, I'm a little envious of her flawless skin, pale as it is.

"Hey Red," I smile and step back to let her in. "I'm guessing you were on your way to kidnap me if I didn't come willingly?"

"Yep," she smiles, popping the P. "Looks like my services were not needed, but I'll be your DD anyway."

She's a good friend.

"Awww but I like making Jase earn his paycheck," I pout. My brother works for the sheriff's office. He met Jess when he pulled her over for failure to stop and when he "frisked" her; he ended up giving her his number. Leave it to my brother to pull that shit and get a date out of it.