One Night Was All It Took: Season 2 "One Week Was All It Took"

The Bitchy Bartender

It feels amazing being mostly myself again. It's been a hell of a long time but being back to work and seeing my family and patrons again is a great feeling. The doctors have fully cleared me, and I haven't had any more dreams about sleeping with Rya...that I care to admit.

Natalia has been watching me like a hawk all night. I never should have mentioned that dream to her. It was just a dream. I mean, I agreed with the fact that yes, I would sleep with Rya if Natalia and I were not together, and I am starting to think I should have kept my mouth shut.

"This bar is busy again!' Rya says, rushing up for more drink orders. "Tell the newbie we need an order of chicken strips. They also want a glass of whiskey and sex on the beach...Speaking of sex. Natalia hasn't left you over that dream, so that's a plus."

"Well, obviously, she isn't happy." I admit while quickly spinning around to hand the order to our new 'temporary' cook. "But what can she truly do about it? It was just a dream. You and I aren't going to go off and sleep with each other."

"Yet." She says with a playful smile and begins walking away. "But I'm fair. I don't want to ruin a good relationship over my needs."

"Lacey!" Natalia says, startling me while gripping my arm. "I think you're about to have a fight in your bar!"

She nods her head toward the two gentlemen. Each of them are getting furious with one another, and both look like they are about to swing their fists. They both head toward the exit. I quickly look around at my staff, only seeing Jared also watching them head out of the bar.

"They are going to go outside and fight," I say, handing a glass of whiskey to one of my customers. "As long as it's not in my bar. And I mean...look at them. They both are stumbling. Neither one will probably get much of a fight in."

The sound of my swallow is loud and obvious to Natalia and Rya. I have so much to say to Natalia over such a stupid dream, but I don't know how to say it. Natalia is overbearing and acting like it happened in real life. It didn't.

"I've got five minutes," I say, putting down my list and pen. "Can we please discuss the elephant in the room and get it over with? It's obvious you are reading into this stupid dream way too much."

Chewing on her bottom lip and looking around the bar, it's obvious she doesn't want to argue, but it's also obvious that she has a big problem with the dream.

"I am reading into it way too much." She says, softly sliding her thumb across the top of my hand. But can you blame me? Everyone, and I mean everyone! Knows if you and I were not together-"

"Rya and I might actually sleep together?" I say, interrupting her and shaking my head. "So what? I'm not mad at you for trying to defend yourself over this stupid dream. But you need to realize that Rya and I would never do that! I would never hurt you and although she would sleep with me if I asked her to, she has strong feelings for you too! She loves you like a best friend! She wouldn't hurt you, so just drop it! It was a stupid dream!"

She looked surprised that I somewhat yelled at her. Her eyes are drawn closer together and she's beginning to chew on her thumbnail. There's almost a tint of nervousness coming from her. She knows I am right. She knows she cannot argue much of this at all because none of it is real. It didn't happen!

With a soft smile and a light glow on her face, she rests her hand on my shoulder. Even with the crowd of loud people, I'd swear I could hear her thoughts. Even as she looks into my eyes, her light facial expressions tell me she's sorry.

"You're right and I am sorry. I just..." She pauses and sighs, looking away from me. "I felt like that dream was real because after kissing Claudia, I became well aware of how easy it truly is for either one of us to get away with fucking other people, and although I know neither one of us would, it still lingers inside of me since I fucked up and now, I am the crazy one."

"No," I say and exhale a soft, calming breath. "You're not crazy. I am grateful for you, and I love you. It was only a dream, and I would hate to see us fight over such a silly scenario. And I am glad that you are seeing this my way now."

"I just...damn it you're right too. It is such a stupid fight. Such a stupid thing for me to get angry over. We both know...and have no fear of admitting that Rya is stunning, and an amazing friend to the point that in any stupid love movie, she'd be the reason for heartache, and I mean it!"

Natalia is not wrong, but that's not something I want to admit to her. Rya and Natalia could easily have been the ones hooking up when Natalia first came to this bar. After falling in love with Natalia there have been many occasions where Rya and I could have slept together, but we haven't.

Feeling a light tap on my shoulder, I spin around to Gemma and her always glowing smile. "Chicken strips are up!" She says, trying to slide around me with a tray of drinks. "Also, a man is trying to pay off an old bill?"

"Who the hell owes a balance?" I say while spinning around to look over at the bar.

Sliding my hand into Natalia's and intertwining our fingers, I feel this sense of relief now that we both got that stupid, small, and pointless argument off our chests. And now I can drag her with me over to the bar to see who supposedly owes the bill.

"How can I help you sir?" I say while analyzing the gentleman at the bar.

He's an older gentleman. Maybe in his early sixties. He's wearing a white dress suit with slicked-back white hair. He has another gentleman with him who looks like he could be or is a security guard. He plops a small briefcase on the bar countertop.

"You must be the infamous bitchy bartender...Lacy, correct?" He asks with a playful tone.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I nod. "Yes...I am Lacy...depending on what you are asking for."