After You

chapter nine

The look of indignation on Kyle's face is one I will cherish going into the weekend; Jack's reaction is just as great, with his mouth falling into a perfect 'O' as I cut in front of his friend.

As the bartender makes up my drinks, as I fish cash from my handbag and pay for everything, I say to Kyle and Jack, "I'll see you guys later."

Collecting six drinks in varying glassware is a feat unto itself, and I regret not asking one of the girls to come with me to the bar. But as I start manoeuvring the drinks in such a way to balance them within my grasp without potentially spilling or dropping them, I spy Kyle shift on the barstool beside me.

"Let me help you," he says, and just as I'm about to find the perfect combination, just as I'm about to reach for the gin and tonic, he plucks it from the bar and downs half the drink in one fluid motion.

I gape at him, and say the first thing that comes to mind. "Motherfucker." His blue eyes light with a mixture of mischief, of smugness, of triumph.

Jack raises a closed fist to his mouth, trying in vain to contain his laughter and chagrin at the situation. "Holy shit."

I'm not sure what to do next; annoyance bubbles up in my veins, because how could I not see that coming? How could I not expect him to retaliate? I stand frozen to the spot, trying to think of what I can do. Do I take the drinks and come back? Do I put the drinks down? Do I cause a scene?

During my moment of hesitation, Kyle continues to drink the gin and tonic that isn't for him. He doesn't seem to care at all about what he has done, but then again, for someone who has a lot of money, he wouldn't understand where my annoyance comes from. And besides which, it isn't my drink; the drink is for Liv. So it'd be bad enough if he'd taken my own, then I would kind of be okay with it.

He is so buying me another drink.

I turn and leave without saying a word, leaving Kyle and Jack at the bar. As I navigate my way through the crowd of people back to the table, paying no heed to the pounding bass of the current song flowing through the speakers, the girls all look up and exclaim some variation of, "Hey!"

"You're back!" says Shelby.

"Where have you been?" Jessica asks. "We thought you might've gotten lost."

"The line is huge," I say as I put down the drinks. "And I had a bit of an accident, so I have to go back."

Liv notices that it's her drink that's missing. "I'll go get it," she volunteers, and she starts to rise from her seat. "You stay here."

I shake my head. "No it's okay, I'll go back and get you a drink," I say. "Remember, first round's on me."

"Luce, it's fine, I'll go get my own drink," she continues. "You've hardly even sat down."

Nope. I need to go back and get her drink, and somehow get back at Kyle for messing this up. I'm not coming back until I'm successful at one or the other.

Liv must see my resolve because she doesn't say or do anything further. Jessica, Leah, Shelby, and Molly accept their drinks happily, before they launch into an anecdote that I don't want to know about.

"I'll be back soon," I say to them before I leave again.

As I make my way back to the bar, to where I last saw Kyle and Jack, I try and think of what I'm going to do when I see them. Do I do as Kyle did and take one of his drinks? Do I just ignore him and just get Liv's order? Or do I just do as I normally would and wouldn't even have had gotten myself into this kind of situation?

Kyle and Jack are where I left them. They are talking to one another, but their voices are lost to Bon Jovi. Between them is presumably the gin and tonic stolen from me, and four glasses of what I assume to be beer.

Whereas I was mildly annoyed before by Kyle's behaviour, the more I look at him, the closer I get to him, the more annoyed I become. He owes me a drink. No, he owes me two drinks because he's starting to piss me off.

How dare he start this thing. I was fine before I saw him tonight, because our meeting this morning was simply an accident and I was never going to see him again. But to show up here, to then antagonise me and play this kind of game, is not cool. He should've just let me cut in front and let me go. I wouldn't have bothered him again.

They both pay me no attention as I approach, sneaking up behind them as they continue talking.  The music makes it near impossible for them to hear my boots on the floor, and the dim lights help to hide me a bit, too.

In that moment I decide to do as Kyle did, so I sidle up and slip in between them, then help myself to one of the beers sitting on top of the bar.

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