all i need // l.p {au}

chapter one

I had arrived to work early again. I sat in my car, hoping for the time to pass by quickly but it didn't. It was hot, the sun still shining bright overhead. The air conditioner was broken in my car so I had the windows rolled all the way down, hoping for some breeze. It wasn't windy today though, so I was roasting. I grabbed my phone out of the cup holder and unlocked it, just to waste some time. I knew I shouldn't have left so early, but I did anyway.

After twenty minutes of sitting in my hot jeep, that I had gotten used a few years back, I stepped out into the shitty parking lot. I straightened out my short skintight skirt and readjusted my purple v-neck shirt that was tucked in. Running a hand through my brunette, almost black hair, I entered the bar.

"Hey, Logan," Tristan greeted me as I walked in. I smiled at him and walked behind the bar. I didn't have time for small talk; I had to get things set up before we opened. He still walked over though, leaning over the bar. "So, do you have plans after your shift?" he asked, his green eyes shining with hope. He has been wanting me to accept his invitation to go out for weeks. He just wasn't my type, not that I even had one. I didn't really believe in love, instead settling for one night stands every now and again.

"My shift gets done pretty late, so just sleeping into the middle of tomorrow," I told him.

His face instantly dropped, but he shrugged. "Yeah, same," he told me before going off somewhere, but I knew he was disappointed yet again. Tristan was nice enough, but I didn't want to have any relations with him since we worked together.

My life was pretty boring actually, just working and spending time alone most of the time. I didn't tell anyone much about myself, not wanting to get too attached. I learned long ago that people always let you down and I didn't want to waste my life on love that I knew wouldn't last.

After graduating high school, I moved to New York City and found work as a bartender. I lived alone for a while, but then decided to get a puppy to keep me company. My mom lived back in New Jersey and my dad was who knows where. He had left when I was thirteen, going to the store and then never returning. I cried about it for some time, hoping he would come back but I haven't shed a tear for my dad since I was fifteen.

"Open in five," my manager, William told me as he walked past. I nodded in his direction and leaned against the back counter. Soon, the bar was filled with regulars and some new people. It was pretty busy considering it was a Friday night.

"What is a pretty girl like you working in a place like this?" an older man asked me, trying to flirt.

I flashed him a smile as I poured him his whiskey. "Gotta make money somehow," I winked. I hated this part of the job, being nice to perverts like him. He had to be at least forty hitting on a twenty year old. It gave me the chills, but I knew I had to in order to keep the job. Not to be vain, but I think it was partly my looks that got me the job. There were other people interviewing for my position, probably people more qualified than an eighteen year old at the time but they got turned away.

I moved onto the next customer, a guy that I had never seen before. His brown hair was styled in a slight quiff and he was looking down at the bar, tapping his fingers on the smooth wooden surface.

"May I help you?" I sweetly asked.

"We'll have some shots of tequila," his blonde haired friend leaned over, patting the guy on the back. He didn't look up, still tapping his fingers. I poured them each a shot and walked away to help another customer.

I glanced back at them, noticing that he hadn't yet taken his shot. His friend's was gone and he raised it, motioning for another. I filled up the small glass and turned back to other guy.

"Not good?" I questioned and he finally looked up. I was taken aback by his strikingly good looks. It felt as though his brown eyes were staring into my soul. They looked sad, like he had gone through something tragic.

"Fuck it," I heard him breathe out and he tipped his head back finishing the shot. "Another," he announced, slamming the shot glass back on the bar.

"There ya go, buddy!" his friend exclaimed, hitting him on the back. "We'll take some beers now," he said to me. I went to fill up two glasses at the tap. I could hear them talking a few feet away, so it was hard not to eavesdrop. "You need to get over this. Find a rebound, ya know?"

The guy didn't have a chance to respond because I walked over to them with their drinks. "Here you are. So, are you guys new in town or just passing through? Haven't seen you around here before."

"New here," the blonde answered. He had a distinct accent, but I couldn't place it.

"Oh, where from?" I asked, leaning over the table a bit. I didn't mind that my cleavage was practically on display for them. There were men asking for my attention, needing new drinks but I didn't mind. These guys were intriguing me and I couldn't help but think back to how the one looked at me.

"Well, I'm originally from Ireland. Payne here is from somewhere in the U.K. We moved from London."

"I've always wanted to go to London," I replied, losing the flirty quality in my voice. The sentence came out more as wishful, soaked with longing. I gave them a smile, standing up straight. "Well, I gotta get back to work."

The night went on and they stayed seated at the bar. I refilled their glasses every now and then, but I also stayed busy with other customers. My boss gave me his usual hand motion at two a.m., closing time. I announced last call, refilling a few glasses. The bar was mostly empty except for a few stragglers as well as the guys, seated at the end of the bar.

"Need one more?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at them.

"Nah," the blonde one answered. "We better get going. Hangover is going ta be a bitch tomorrow." I laughed, waiting for the brunette to say something. He didn't though, as he nearly tripped getting off his bar stool. "See ya around!" the blonde called out as they exited.

As I cleaned the bar that night and drove home to my apartment, the only thing I could think of was wanting to be that guy's rebound.