After You

chapter ten

I'm not a beer drinker, so it's hard to ascertain which one it is – but it's too bitter for my tastebuds, for someone who has such a sweet tooth that they need to have sugar in their coffee.

"Thanks," I say as I put the glass back onto the counter with the others.

The conversation between Kyle and Jack dries right up at my reappearance, at my actions. Jack is amused, like I'm an anomaly and he's never seen anything like it before. Maybe he hasn't, if he's of the same caliber as Kyle. Maybe he only deals with people who have some semblance of manners.

"You're welcome," Jack replies as he cradles his drink to his chest.

"You owe me a drink," I say to Kyle.

Kyle takes a sip of his beer. "I'd say we're even," he replies, face impassive.

"No, I'm pretty sure you owe me a drink," I repeat.

Jack moves into the space between us, retrieves the drinks from the bar – minus the one I drank from – and starts to turn away. "I'll leave you to it," he says. "It was nice meeting you, Lucy."

I smile at Jack. "It was nice meeting you, too," I say. "Maybe I'll see you around."

His response is simply a smile before he leaves, which now leaves me alone with Kyle. He remains sitting on the barstool, knees bent slightly as he rests his heels on the metal bar on the bottom of the stool; his fingers grasp the rim of the glass of half-full beer between his knees, like he can't be a normal person and simply rest it on his thigh or have it on the counter. His eyes never leave me, watching as I again take the space before him and whoever is now behind me as I lean against the bar so that I can give myself something to do.

My elbow is wet, but I don't care; I stare back at Kyle, willing him to say something.

"If you buy me a drink – if you pay for the drink that wasn't even yours to begin with," I say, "then I'll leave you alone."

Kyle's reaction is a cocked eyebrow, and a sip of his beer. "I find that hard to believe," he says. "You wouldn't leave me alone this morning, and you won't leave me alone now."

"Wow," I say automatically, because I don't know what else to say. "That's what you think happened? I think you need your brain checked."

"My brain works perfectly fine," Kyle replies. "Otherwise I wouldn't be where I am today."

I roll my eyes at the credentials he doesn't mention but I know that he's alluding to.

Because I can feel anger replacing my annoyance, I take a sip of the beer that I left on the counter between us, welcoming it's coolness, but hating its bitterness.

"Don't buy me a drink, and I'll just add it to the tab I've created," I say. "You can afford it, obviously."

His blue eyes go dark, the only indication that I'm finally getting under his skin. But his smirk reappears, like maybe that's his way of hiding his anger or handling an unpleasant situation. "Only an assumption," he says finally.

I flag down the bartender – successfully this time – and request two gin and tonics. I turn back to Kyle. "I think my assumption is correct," I say.

"From what I understand, you've only had that assumption for about twelve hours."

"Enough time to make a correct assumption."

Kyle rolls his eyes. "How old are you?"

I assume he's asking the question because of how childish our arguments seem to be. But I don't care, because basically as soon as I get pissed off, my first reaction is sarcasm and childish responses.

"Twenty four," I reply.

He doesn't say anything to that; rather he gets up off his stool and crowds my personal space. He lowers his face to mine, and says into my ear, "I'll see you next week", like it's a promise, like we know each other.

Then he leaves before I can say anything, following the same path as Jack back to the table somewhere else within the bar. The crowd parts for him, because even in their varying drunken states they recognise him.

I pay for my drinks and carry them back to the table. Liv accepts her drink – now drinks – gratefully, and after I sit down and she takes a sip, she asks, "What took you so long this time?"

Shelby has a knowing look on her face, and cranes her neck to look in the direction of where Kyle disappeared. "Did I spy you talking to Kyle Ward?" she asks conspiratorially.

"Maybe."

"No wonder you didn't want to come back," says Leah.

Now Jessica tries to see over or through the crowd to catch a glimpse of Kyle, even though he's nowhere in the vicinity. "Lucy, you're meant to tap that," she says seriously as she looks at me. "If you won't, I will."

I take a much-needed sip of my vodka and Red Bull. I've had enough of that man. I don't ever want to see or hear his name ever again. "Be my guest," I say. "Join the line of other women who seem to have the same idea."

Jessica looks up, brows furrowing as her gaze follows the said women who have indeed gotten up and followed to wherever Kyle is seated.

"I know we're all inner gold diggers but seriously," she says as she turns back to us. She looks crestfallen, however, but she doesn't say anything further.

"How about more drinks?" Liv pipes up. "We can drink to our inner gold diggers."