The Barmaid's Contract

25

The next morning, I was awfully quiet. Even Cally noticed it.

"What's wrong, Alex?" She asked me softly.

"Nothing." I answered. Everything. I've had shit sleep last night and I've yet to figure out why I got so mad. Usually people don't affect me, like I get mad, but Avery just grinded me against a grater. That he made me more unsettled than usual. It was an unsettling feeling.

"What happened last night?"

I took my water and sipped it.

"Did you have a fight with Avery? He can be such a tool."

Yeah, a blunt tool. I said in my head. "It's nothing, Cally. It will blow over."

Then she took my left hand. "Did you break up with him? Or him with you?" She shrieked. "Please no! Don't!"

I frowned at her. "What in the Lord are you talking about?"

"You're ring?" She cried. "I don't want you to go. I know he is a prick, but you'll sort things out. You have to. You are my sanity here."

I gave Cally a small smile. "It was too small." I let out. "The ring. It's getting resized." I lied.

Cally froze as she looked at me, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, ok. Good." She quickly recovered, wiping her face. "I mean, you are perfect for each. You keep him close with that personality of his. He is so much like our father. He needs you in his life. I mean, obviously you know that
But I need you in my life." Cally started rambling on.

"Cally." I called to her. "It's fine." I smiled and shook my head. "I'm fine." I took her hands and led her to the sitting room.

"Where's Bash?" I asked Cally and she shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe with friends." Came her absent answer.

"What did you do last night?" I asked her. "Kiss anyone? Stayed away from married men?" I jabbed, seeing her blush.

"Yes, I stayed away."

"So?"

"I went out dancing with a couple friends."

Dancing. It's a love hate relationship between me and dancing. Cally stood up and turned the speaker on, hooking her phone up.

I heard the room fill with music, the same stuff the club's play but not as loud.

I got up and started jumping around and we started acting like a pair of twelve year old girls, giggling and laughing, dancing in circles.

I never had siblings and I always dreamed that I did. Cally and Bash were the closest I've been to having siblings and this is how I imagined what my relationship would be like if I had a sister.

"You dance like this at a club?" I asked, giggling. "Are you trying to pick up a kid?"

Cally laughed. "Goodness no!"

I laughed with her when suddenly she stopped. Cally froze. I looked at her to see her vision was behind me and I turned around to see a large man at the entry of the room. He had beady eyes, thinning grey hair and a stomach about to fall over his belt. I had no idea who this man was.

He didn't look happy at all. He looked displeased, angry, infuriated.

"Calliope." He grunted out. "You were suppose to fly out last week back home."

Cally looked down at the ground, her hands clasped together in front of her. "I know." She squeaked out.

It was like Cally went to robot mode.