Last July

Chapter thirteen

When I walked into Tino’s I had half expected that we would probably have a full bar, not an entire crowd of people that I’d have to push through. It was the starting of july, the time when Bahiea Bay became more lively than it usually was during the other ten months of the year. That also meant the time when the shop would be full and I or rather we would be working overtime. Our work would be due to people either stopping in for the festival, drive through which will be where most of the work will be coming from and also from those who had the bright idea of spending the summer here.
I moved through the crowd nudging my way through a group of already half drunken men and edged closer to the bar in hopes of getting a drink. Shit! Everywhere was full and Tino was already over his capacity to serve the already clamoring hosts. I diverted to the back of the building going through the side door and walked into the bar serving myself since I couldn’t count on the bartender now and I was parched. Tino glanced over at me and shook his head.

“Mind helping out a little? I’ll pay ya”

“I would” I responded pouring  a shot of vodka down my throat.

When the crowd fially thinned enough for me to breathe without cursing I leaned against the wall cleaning a glass and tried to see if I could make out any faces. There was heather who thankfully had found a serious distraction and a few other of her work mates that were near to the back chatting and drinking away, mike and Louis from the grocery store, josh and Elaine with some other people I didn’t recognize and the lovely Governor’s daughter Toya who I was seriously wondering how she found herself in a place like this, at happy hour.

“You're that guy from the auto shop aren’t you?”

My head shifted trying to decipher where the squeaky voice I had heard came from. My eyes landed on a small woman who was seated three stools down eying me swirling her drink. I walked over, trying to decide what she was having. She took a long gulp and then set the empty glass down. A small smile formed at the sides of my lips. Ziploc. So she could talk. I

“Are you a bartender too?”

“Why do you want a refill?” I quickly swiped the glass and grabbed a bottle pouring in the transparent liquid before tossing a lemon slice into it and replaced it before her. "there you go”

She eyed the glass with so much scorn, that I’d never seen from a drinker then glanced back to me.

“I was fine thank you”

She pushed the glass back to me.

“No problem, you don't have to pay, its on the house”

She sat up then ran her hand through her short hair staring at me pursing  her lips again as I’d seen her do only a day ago. Her eye brows stayed nitted for a while before she looked away an then back at me.

“Are those real?”

I glanced down trying to understand what her questions was aimed at. "Are what real?”

“those” she pointed a long finger at my arm. “the thing that’s on your arm. Are they real”
I rolled my eyes. 

“It's called a tattoo and its not more than one” at least not that you can see anyway.

“I knew that” she responded. “but you haven’t answered my question”

I glanced down at the long drawing that glided down my bicep on my left arm. “I hope so, I’ve had it for years”

“ohh” she responded. “how old are you?”

I blinked and placed down my polished glass, folding my hands across my white shirt.
“old enough to get a tattoo” I replied. “how old are you?”

“thirty six”

“No” I shook my head. “you aren't thirty six”

“And why is that?” she countered her eyes still glued to my arm.

“For one a thirty six year old doesn’t gawk at a tattoo on someone’s arm and they definitely don’t freak out when someone pours water into their glass”
Her mouth fell and she looked away slightly embrassessed.  “I didnt freak out and how did you know there was water in it before?”

"No one drinks gin or vodka like water” I said looking around. “you didn’t stop once after placing the glass to your lips”

She smiled a little and I felt my gut twist.

“Fine” she said conceding. “I’m twenty six”

“You’re not twenty six either”

She folded her hands against her chest in defense. “if you must know I am twenty six whether you want to accept it or not. My birthday is in a few weeks so that makes me a much twenty as there is six”

“You’re not" I replied serving another customer.

“You haven’t told me yours” she said turning to face me as I poured another drink.

“I’m old” I said walking away. “very old”

I left Ziploc and headed home. I hated the twisted feeling I had seeing her smile. She’s too young Andrew, so very young. I couldn’t be attracted to a younger woman that was just ridiculous. I had to get to gale and sort this thing tout before I lost my damn mind.

Her phone rang out twice and then went to voice mail each time I tried calling since I got in. This time it went straight to voicemail. I redialed lockwood’s number and asked to speak with lucy since I knew more than likely they were with everyone.

“Hey Andrew”

“Hey have you spoken to gale lately?”

“No, haven’t you seen her yet?”

“No”

“Hold on, lemme ask the guys”

She screamed at them for a while then the line went silent.

“No sorry, none of them heard from her since she left the other day. Do you think she’s okay?”

“I don’t know”

“You sound a little pissed off Andrew”

No I wasn’t pissed, in fact the anger than was surging through me at the moment couldn’t be explained.

"Is she seeing someone?”

“Andrew!” said Lucy seeming someone what offended by my question. “we're talking about gale, what’d you mean if she’s seeing someone?”
“Is she above it?” I asked irritated by her saint-ship of gale. “after all this is the same person who neither of us can’t get a hold of for some unknown reason”

“yes but-"

I cut her off.

“No buts, if you manage to get to her before I do, tell her if she doesn’t get here before summer, no July ends” I said. “you can figure out the rest”
I hung up.