The rest of the week we meet at the pub everyday after I get off, the normally come in ten minutes before I get off. We eat, and I have been going home with them. I have been taking earlier shifts, Dalton told me he needed me to work during the day Dean has been having personal issues. He has been taking night shifts.
I thank God when I see the ten-minute mark and just like clockwork Heath and Neil walk in. They both sit down in front of me and I get their beer, Dalton walks up to me. He arches a brow at them before turning to me as I wipe down the bar.
"Are you settling in, okay?" He asks.
"Yeah, it's been fine." I shrug.
"Are you planning on leaving?" He asks.
"I'm not sure yet." I look over at him. "Why?" I inquire.
"I was just wondering because you have been on my best employees." I shake my head.
"Doubt that." I turn to him. "I can give you a notification about three months in advance?" I offer.
"You're used to this conversation, aren't you?" He arches a brow.
"Very." I quip.
"I will take the notification then." He quips walking away.
"Hey." I smile at the both of them.
"Hey, Briar." Neil smirks teasingly. I take a couple more orders and when I look up it's time to clock out, Dean walks in and I go to clock out.
The guys pick up their beer and follow me to our normal booth. This time Heath sits beside me, he kisses me lightly and I watch a spark appear in Neil's eyes. The door opens to the pub and I see a blonde walk in, Heath sighs.
"Fuck." He mutters. "Why the fuck is she back?" He asks and Neil looks behind us. She doesn't look familiar to me.
"Who are we talking about?" I ask.
"Baby it's her." He urges.
"Her who?" I look over at him and he gives me a look it clicks. "Oh her." My eyes widen. It's Melanie, we used to call her Barbie until, well everything happened.
"Barbie is back." Neil quips.
"Yeah, well, if she's Barbie who's Ken?" I blurt seeing a guy walk in behind her wrapping an arm around her.
"I don't recognize him." Heath pulls me closer and she looks over making eye contact with me. She starts walking over and Heath sighs.
"Hey!" She greets. "Heath, Neil long time." She looks at me before arching a brow.
"You don't remember me?" I ask her.
"No...?" She trails off in question.
"Briar." I answer her and she freezes before her eyes widen.
"Yes, my mother told me you were back in town." The realization clicks. The man whoever she was with doesn't join her, he goes over to a table. "I heard you were with Neil is that not true?" She looks at Heath's arm around me. Neil starts smirking and Heath relaxes.
"Oh, I'm sorry did I just-?" She starts but stops when she sees my smirk.
"I am with him." I tell her.
"Heath, can we talk?" She asks.
"No." He answers her.
"Your girlfriend just admitted to cheating." Her voice gets sterner.
"My girlfriend just admitted she was with him too. And she is." He sips on his beer.
"I thought we had an agreement." She whispers.
"Oh, I'm sorry did you mean when you blackmailed me?" He asks her. "Yeah, if you have a copy of that video post it if you must. Hell, give it to me, I'll make us into a bunch of porn stars." He blurts making Neil laugh and her eyes lock on me.
"Do you have nothing better to do now that you're a grown ass adult? He never even said I was his girlfriend, so unless you knew something..." I go on to her. The man she walked in with walks up beside her and she looks like she wants to say something. She smiles abruptly.
"Hey, this is my husband." She blurts grabbing all of our attention. When I look at her hand, I don't see a ring.
"Ring?" I blurt and she looks down before covering her hand.
"Unbelievable." Neil grumbles.
"Hey, my name is Jeff." I start laughing automatically.
"Okay, yeah and Santa Clause is real." I blurt and he arches a brow.
I look at his suit, it seems new kind of too new. His hair is perfect almost too perfect by the way not a bit of it is out of place. He doesn't even seem to have a spark in his eye at all almost like he's playing a part. He seems really uncomfortable too, a little more than new people uncomfortable. Men dressed like this are normally the braggy type total douchebags, but he's really nervous.
"How much did she pay you?" I ask.
"What are you talking about?" He asks.
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" She asks the same but she's avoiding my gaze.
"Come on. The hair, perfect not a fucking piece out of place. That suit, is very new. No ring. He seems way too uncomfortable too." I point out and she scoffs.
"You've got to be kidding me." She shakes her head but I turn to look at him.
"Am I wrong?" I ask and he doesn't even answer. "Whatever she said she would pay you trust me she might not." I shake my head. Heath and Neil's eyes are wide.
"You have a lot of nerve-" She starts.
"Who did you come to see?" I ask. "I don't think it's Dalton because, you would have been spending your time bragging to him not us. So, is it Heath or Neil? Guessing Heath because of the whole grand 'uncovering' thing you were trying to do really classy." Neil pushes over the beer and I take a swig.
"It's Heath." The guy blurts and she elbows him. I start smirking and so does Neil.
"Yeah, might want to start running pal. Change your phone number and address and move on." Neil teases.
YOU ARE READING
Once And Now Forever
RomanceI moved back to the town I grew up in. I once thought I found the love of my life in high school, it all came crashing down when he betrayed me. It was the most brutal and cruel thing to ever happen to anybody and I got punished. His best friend was...
