Fated Encounters

Chapter One- Neon Moon

7 Months Ago

Ren

I hummed along to the country song crooning in the small dive bar as I sipped my drink. "If you loose your one and only, there is always room here for the lonely..." I quietly sang along, tapping my finger on my glass along to the beat. Sighing, I picked up my glass and downed the rest of my rum. I winced at the slight burn, but motioned to the waitress. As I waited for her to make her way over to me, I eyed the other patrons. There was only a handful this early on a weekday. Six pm on a Wednesday certainly was not the peak time for this business.

"How are you hanging in there honey?" The waitress's sweet voice drawled, thick with a southern accent.

I handed her my empty glass. "I could use another one. Maybe skip the glass and just bring me the whole bottle? Hell, skip the soda too- I'll drink it straight on the rocks."

"If you keep this up, you won't see straight soon and likely end up somewhere you aint meant to me." She said, picking up my empty glass.

"That's the plan." I groaned.

"Honey," The waitress sighed.

"Please don't start. I was supposed to get married in an hour, so I'd rather forget this whole night. I deserve to be allowed like a broken-hearted fool for at least one night." I pleaded, sniffling loudly.

"What happened? Why are you here and not at the church?" She asked sympathetically, sliding into the seat across me. She placed her tray down to gently clasp my hands between hers. I opened my mouth to respond but a loud voice yelling across the room interrupted. "Celia Ann, you better not be slacking on the job!" A sweaty looking man with a thin mustache yelled from his seat at the bar next to the door to the kitchen. Rolling her eyes, Celia Ann got up from her seat. "I'll be right back honey, and you can tell me all about the shitty man that caused such a sweetheart like you to end up here all alone."

Celia Ann returned with another large glass of rum and root beer and placed it before me. Before either one of us could say anything, she was summoned across the room by a gaggle of giggling young college-aged girls. "Here's this, and if you need anything, just let me know."

I nodded and she left to take the giggling girls' orders. One was tall and tan with short black hair. The second was shorter with pale skin and long red hair. The third girl in their group was a curvy Latina with loose dark curls. I watched Celia Ann bring them over shots of tequila, salt, and lemon wedges. I sighed and wished I could be as happy and carefree as they were as they took their first shots. I pulled out my phone from a hidden pocket in my dress to check the time. I saw countless missed calls and text messages from Kyle. Scoffing, I took a long gulp of my drink, draining almost half of my glass in one go. I selected all of his messages without even opening a single one. I then deleted dozens of voicemails from him in the same manner.

I placed my phone face down on the table. Leaning back, I downed the other half of my drink and closed my eyes. I let the sounds of the bar and the music wash over me for several long minutes. I felt more tears slide free and I whipped them away. I opened my eyes to meet the stare of someone across the room. His piercing green eyes met mine with a startled expression on his face, large and broad frame frozen in the doorway. He easily stood at least a head over an average man. His black hair was trimmed short on the sides with the middle section a touch too long, styled in a way that looked too stylized for my liking. I wanted to run my hands through it, messing it up. His black button down shirt showed off his broad chest and powerful forearms. His dark blue jeans looked like they were worn in and comfortable from meaningful work and not designed. Heavy boots covered his feet.