I Lost Control

8. BPD

SUMMER
TWO AND A HALF YEARS EARLIER

A smirk pulls at the corners of my lips at the gentleman on the other side of the bar. I've been serving him all night and his compliments keep getting more intense with each Manhattan he shoots back. I don't give him much to go on since I'm not interested, but he's cute and I'm having fun.

"You really are the sexiest thing I've seen in quite some time." His words start to slur and I giggle.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" I ask. "Who's taking you home?"

"You." His expression is serious as a heart attack and I roll my eyes.

"Okay, you've definitely had enough." I take the glass out of his hand and pour it into the sink below the bar. I look over at Melissa and she's laughing to herself.

The bar is quiet on this particular Tuesday afternoon. It's still early, the sun has yet to go down and I know the crowd will change as soon as it's dark. I'm happy I've been working day shifts bartending rather than night shifts dancing, though the money hasn't been quite as good.

The door swings open, allowing some sunlight in and the cigarette smoke is like a wall as the light shines through it. My eyes flicker to the door as a woman walks in and sits down in front of me at the bar. It's not rare for women to come in alone to drink here, so I think nothing of it. She stares at me for a moment before speaking.

"I'll have a shot of tequila, please."

"Top shelf or well?" I ask without looking up.

"Top shelf. Make it two, actually." Her demeanor seems timid, like being her makes her uncomfortable.

"Sure. Do you need a lime or salt?"

"No, thank you." I reach for the shot glasses as well as the bottle of Patron. I pour the shots and set them in front of her. "$12." She passes me a few bills and shoots back both shots without any time between. I raise an eyebrow at her before smiling.

"Rough day?" I ask as I take the glasses from in front of her and rinse them out in the sink.

"You could say that."

"Need anything to sip on? Long Island, beer?"

"I'll just take a cherry Coke if that's okay." There's a kindness in her eyes that I don't see often at the Blue Moon. Most of the women who come in are either trying to drown their sorrows or trying to keep their man from straying. There's not much in between.

"Whatever you need, hun." I turn to grab a can of cherry Coke from the fridge behind me.

"You're Summer, aren't you?" I pause with my hand on the door, confusion written all over my face. I turn back around, the drink forgotten.

"Who are you?" I snap.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Val." My eyebrows scrunch before I realize why that name seems familiar. It all falls into place as I realize where I've seen her face before.

"You're Matt's ex wife." She nods her head as she looks down at her hands laced together on the bar top.

"I wanted to meet you, talk to you."

"About what?" I step closer to her to hear her over the music. I can't figure out what she would have to say to me. They've been divorced for almost a year. It's not like Matt and I dating has anything to do with her.

"Is there somewhere we can go to talk in private?"

"The only private place around here is one of the VIP rooms."