The Barista

The Wrong Way

The sidewalk leads us to the front entrance to our apartment. "I never realized how tall the apartment complex is," Abby admits while looking up at the building. "That's got to be like thirty floors."

"And you're just now noticing?" I laugh. "We've lived here for a couple of years. How are you just noticing now?"

"Nah." She shakes her head. "I've noticed but I've never paid this much attention to it."

"Wait," I say, looking down the road at the one bar I've never been to in this town. "Wanna go grab a drink? Neither one of us has been to the one bar closest to our apartment."

Her eyes light up with excitement. "How the hell have we not been to that bar yet? We've been to every bar in this town."

I release the door handle. "Because that bar would have been too easy to go to and we wanted bars that were out of our reach and had to take taxis to."

"We didn't have to take any taxi to any of the bars..." She pauses. "That's a lie. We've taken several taxis before. But you're right. We've never thought about going to that bar. And I can't answer why. So, let's go."

"I can use a drink right now." I acknowledge as we walk toward the bar.

She raises an eyebrow. "What about your...Liam. Your friend. Sorry. I didn't want to offend you, even though I heard you two again last night."

My lips curl into a smile. "He's not my friend. He's my boyfriend."

She gasps, screeches, and playfully shoves her hands against my shoulder. "Yes! About freaking time! I knew you'd eventually cave in and give that beautiful man a chance. He deserves you and you deserve him. You two are like Bonnie and Clyde. If that...maybe not. Didn't they die? I take that back."

I open the door to the bar. "I get what you mean though. He and I have a lot in common and our passion is a connection I never thought I'd have. You know me. I've had very few boyfriends. And none of them gave me that feeling that I still can't fully understand."

Her eyes dance with shock and excitement. "But Liam gives you that feeling, doesn't he? He's that 'feeling' you've been looking for. So then, what does this mean exactly?"

"I don't know," I say as we walk toward the small crowd of people sitting at the bar. "But you and I both know it means something."

"No shit." She's quick to interject and slides onto a barstool. "Wait. Do you want a barstool or booth?"

I glance at the small group of men already eyeing us down like we are candy to them. "Booth."

She looks over her shoulder at one of the men who seems a little too close to her. She looks scared as she quickly steps away. "Good call."

I analyze the bar as we head toward a booth. "Maybe we did come here once. We didn't stay because we were too drunk and...Oh my God! Abby! I think we've been here many times but only in our drunken states and we just keep forgetting. This is the first time we've been here sober. Holy shit! My brain is trying to alert me."

"Ladies." A waitress greets us with two menus. "What can I get you to drink right away?"

I slide my menu toward her. "Oh, we aren't eating. Just here for a couple of drinks."

"Speak for yourself," Abby interjects, picking up her menu and licking her lips. "I'm starved..." She pauses and looks at the waitress. "Oh, and whatever I order is going on her tab. Don't let her fool you."