During the Thunderstorm (Natural Disaster) ✔

Chapter Eleven

Ally entered the bar with the widest grin ever as she strode toward the back of the room.

The place was relatively empty, seeing as it was Tuesday and 3 PM. Actually, she was a bit surprised to find a few people nursing bottles of beer and hard liquor. But it was 11 PM someplace in the world, so...

If she wasn't still overwhelmed by the overexposure of social situations (old lady), she would have approached them and brightened their day. Because they must be having a shitty day to be drinking disgusting whiskey before nightfall. No one should put themselves in such suffering unless there was a greater pain—actually, she wouldn't talk to them, either drunk or sober, miserable or happy; she'd like to pretend otherwise to feel like a better person—But she wasn't ready to interact with anyone but her close circle.

And she was very glad when she witnessed Alexander manning the bar with a scowl (as usual) and Hunter sitting on a barstool, chatting (no surprise there either).

"Good evening to everyone!" Ally said, approaching the guys. "Hunter, I hope you made Alex's life miserable in my absence."

Hunter turned in his seat, a wide grin spreading across his lips, his dimples popping out. "Hey, little rascal. How was California?"

"Hellish. I don't know how people live in such heat."

"Like here?" Hunter raised an eyebrow.

Ally smiled. "Yeah. Still don't get it."

"Then move out," Alex answered with a grunt as he slid a pint to Hunter and leaned over the bar.

"No, I couldn't do that to you. I already promised you I wouldn't leave you," Ally smiled. "Besides, I missed you too."

He growled which Ally interpreted as a me too. And then he opened his mouth to complain. "You couldn't wait another day before you came back to ruin my life?" And Ally knew it meant, why haven't you come earlier?

Or at least, that was what she hoped he meant.

"No," Ally shook her head. "I would have come yesterday but I was too exhausted. I didn't sleep at all the previous night, and my nerves were spiraling during the flight," She slid into her barstool as she shuddered at the memory. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt specks of saliva on her cheeks and forehead. She inhaled and forced a smile. "But here I am, brightening your day. You're welcome."

Alexander grunted and Hunter smiled.

Hunter raised his pint and took a swing before settling it down on the counter. "You want to drink something?"

She crunched her nose. "Not at this hour. Besides, Alex promised me a Margarita in Happy Hour."

"I didn't do that," Alex narrowed his eyes and glared at Ally. He crossed his arms over his chest in a menacing stance. Ally couldn't be less scared right then. She could chuckle at his attempt.

"You did because you feel bad since you didn't pick me up at the airport, and I'm Aunt Lauren's favorite. Talking about her, is she at the office?" Ally shot a glance at the door behind Alex. It read personnel only, but Ally liked to pretend she was above rules in this bar; and whenever possible, she crossed the prohibited door to a hall that led to a small kitchen at one side and to an office at the other. She liked to spend a few hours holed up in the office with Aunt Lauren, laughing about embarrassing stories of her, Nina, and Alex when they were little.

However, she had to admit what she looked forward to the most was hearing stories about Aunt Lauren and her father when they were kids.

"No," Alex's scowl softened at the mention of his mother. He could be a grump, but he didn't fool anyone, he was a Momma's boy through and through. If anything, he was a bit protective of her, which was endearing. "She has a headache. She left a few hours ago."