Journey (3)

Chapter 5

"Isn't that like your fifth drink?" Natalie looks over at me, raising her eyebrows. 

"Maybe," I say, shrugging. "What does it matter? We're here for a night off, away from all of the other drama in our lives." 

The rest of the table nod their agreement to this. I give Natalie a triumphant smile. 

"I get it, I get it," she says. "But that's enough for me. I guess I'm not as strong as the rest of you!" 

"We'll excuse it," Maggie says, laughing. "Okay, who's going up to get the next round?" 

"Not me!" I say, quickly. I've been sitting here for a while now, and I don't really feel like getting up.

"Tessa, you haven't been up to the bar once," Natalie points out. "Even I've gone up twice." 

"Can't someone else go?" I ask, sighing. "I just want to sit here and not move for a very long time." I roll my eyes, resting my head on the table. 

"Come on," April says, nudging me. "It's right there. Go on, get us all another round." 

"Fine, fine, look, I'm going," I say, getting up slowly. "You're all going to regret making me get up," I warn them, laughing. 

"Just hurry up and go!" Maggie says, waving me away. "Don't procrastinate!" 

"Okay, fine," I say, giving in to them. I turn away, and make my way to the bar which is conveniently only a short distance from the table that we are sat at. 

I walk over to the bartender and reluctantly order another round of drinks. I can feel everyone from the table watching me intently. 

I turn around, giving them a joking thumbs-up. "I did it, are you happy now?" I ask them, raising my voice slightly across the bar. It gets a few strange looks from the other people around us. 

"I'll only be happy when you actually come back with the drinks!" April replies, grinning. 

I smile, rolling my eyes. "Be patient," I call back. "It won't be long!" 

As I'm talking, I hear a voice behind me. "Okay. Thanks." The voice sounds like it's coming from nearby. 

"Miss?" The bartender tries to get my attention. "Your drinks. Miss?" 

I turn around. "Thank you," I reply, doing my best to pick all of the drinks. 

Just as I'm about to walk back to the table with the drinks in hand, I hear the voice again. "What do you want?" I recognise that voice. 

Before I can even make the connection in my mind, he walks right past me. Connor. Really? Here, of all places, just when I was trying to avoid him?

"Sorry, excuse me," he says, edging past me, as if I'm just another person. For a moment, I almost think that he doesn't recognise me. 

I take a step back to allow him to pass. Behind Connor, follows a girl, walking close to him. 

He looks back at her, and for a moment, we make brief eye contact. "Just here," he tells her, gesturing to the right. 

That was an unprecedented development. I hadn't expected him to be here, the bar, of all places, and with a girl? That happened quickly. 

I walk back to the table, and set the drinks down. "Here they are," I say, passing drinks to each person. 

"What took you so long?" Natalie asks, laughing. "Or should I say...who took you so long?" 

"You saw him too, didn't you," I say, sighing. "Why, of all places, of all bars in Chicago, did he have to come here?"