there Friday and Saturday nights when Emma’s at my sister’s in Jersey.” I made no effort to hide the fact that I was disappointed I wouldn’t see him.
“Okay then. Looks like you and I have a date on the rooftop tonight, around nine?” He stepped onto the sidewalk.
“Text me. Depends on the kid.” I smiled. His willingness to respect my daughter made me happy.
He gave a little jog back up to where I was standing and planted a quick, soft kiss on my lips, never taking his eyes off me. “I’ll text you.” He put his hood up and jogged down the sidewalk. I watched him as he crossed the street, dug my smokes out, and lit a cigarette. After he was out of my sight I sat on the step and waited for Emma to get home from school.
“I have to go to the bar for a few minutes. Want to come with or stay here?” I shouted to Emma from the kitchen as I finished cleaning up from dinner.
“I have homework left, I’ll stay here,” she yelled back from her room.
I walked to her bedroom. “Okay, I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
She got up from her desk and followed me to the door.
“Lock it,” I told her with a quick kiss on the cheek, closing the door behind me. I waited for the click of the lock and checked it.
“I know how to lock a door, Mom.” I heard her muffled words through the door, and I laughed as I left. When I got to the bar I glanced up at the clock. It was six ten. Oopsie.
“I said five o’clock,” Rachel chastised me from behind the bar, but I couldn’t see her. She popped her head up from below.
“You needed to talk to me?”
“Yeah, I need to make an order, but I didn’t know if you wanted to add that new lager in this order or the next. Also, I wanted to see how you were. I couldn’t help but notice the rooftop was lit up last night when I left here.” She twisted her lips into that sarcastic lip pucker thing she did and slapped my arm.
When I didn’t take the bait, she added, “That wouldn’t have anything to do with Ol’ Mr. Sexaaay pants coming in here at one A.M. looking for you would it?” She eyed me playfully.
I put my hands on both sides of my face, gasped, and pretended to be shocked. “You know me better than that, Rachel!”
She belted out an evil laugh and threw her head back and when she snapped it forward, her face was serious. “I thought I did.” She busted out laughing again.
“Short version, he didn’t leave because of my issues, he just thought I needed some time to myself. He came here looking for me. I just happened to wake up from a nightmare and was on the roof having a smoke. I heard him talking to his friend out front. I didn’t mean to say anything but I just blurted something out because I was pissed.” I snickered at the memory. Word vomit. “He came up, and we talked until Emma’s alarm went off.”
She was staring at me like she’d left her brains in the shitter, like she was waiting for more. Finally she blurted out, really loud and frustrated, “Okay, and ?”
“Jesus Christ, lower your voice,” I growled through my teeth, sinking into the bar stool as I shot an embarrassed thin-lipped smile to the group of businessmen seated at the end of the bar gawking at us.
But of course Rachel dismissed what I said and stared intently at me some more.
Ugh, she is incorrigible . I rolled my eyes and focused back on her. “Fine, we kissed.”
She let out a squeal and began to jump up and down in place, clapping her hands like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Oh my god, you freak, stop that.” I laughed, embarrassed, and looked down at the floor.
She ran around the bar and threw herself around me in a tight hug. “She’s back! My fierce biotch is back!”
“Looks that way,” I replied, smiling. Why shouldn’t I smile? I felt amazing.
After she released me from her death grip, I hopped off the barstool. “Got to go, ho. Em is upstairs doing homework.”
“When are you going to see him again?” Her eyes were still all lit
“Okay then. Looks like you and I have a date on the rooftop tonight, around nine?” He stepped onto the sidewalk.
“Text me. Depends on the kid.” I smiled. His willingness to respect my daughter made me happy.
He gave a little jog back up to where I was standing and planted a quick, soft kiss on my lips, never taking his eyes off me. “I’ll text you.” He put his hood up and jogged down the sidewalk. I watched him as he crossed the street, dug my smokes out, and lit a cigarette. After he was out of my sight I sat on the step and waited for Emma to get home from school.
“I have to go to the bar for a few minutes. Want to come with or stay here?” I shouted to Emma from the kitchen as I finished cleaning up from dinner.
“I have homework left, I’ll stay here,” she yelled back from her room.
I walked to her bedroom. “Okay, I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
She got up from her desk and followed me to the door.
“Lock it,” I told her with a quick kiss on the cheek, closing the door behind me. I waited for the click of the lock and checked it.
“I know how to lock a door, Mom.” I heard her muffled words through the door, and I laughed as I left. When I got to the bar I glanced up at the clock. It was six ten. Oopsie.
“I said five o’clock,” Rachel chastised me from behind the bar, but I couldn’t see her. She popped her head up from below.
“You needed to talk to me?”
“Yeah, I need to make an order, but I didn’t know if you wanted to add that new lager in this order or the next. Also, I wanted to see how you were. I couldn’t help but notice the rooftop was lit up last night when I left here.” She twisted her lips into that sarcastic lip pucker thing she did and slapped my arm.
When I didn’t take the bait, she added, “That wouldn’t have anything to do with Ol’ Mr. Sexaaay pants coming in here at one A.M. looking for you would it?” She eyed me playfully.
I put my hands on both sides of my face, gasped, and pretended to be shocked. “You know me better than that, Rachel!”
She belted out an evil laugh and threw her head back and when she snapped it forward, her face was serious. “I thought I did.” She busted out laughing again.
“Short version, he didn’t leave because of my issues, he just thought I needed some time to myself. He came here looking for me. I just happened to wake up from a nightmare and was on the roof having a smoke. I heard him talking to his friend out front. I didn’t mean to say anything but I just blurted something out because I was pissed.” I snickered at the memory. Word vomit. “He came up, and we talked until Emma’s alarm went off.”
She was staring at me like she’d left her brains in the shitter, like she was waiting for more. Finally she blurted out, really loud and frustrated, “Okay, and ?”
“Jesus Christ, lower your voice,” I growled through my teeth, sinking into the bar stool as I shot an embarrassed thin-lipped smile to the group of businessmen seated at the end of the bar gawking at us.
But of course Rachel dismissed what I said and stared intently at me some more.
Ugh, she is incorrigible . I rolled my eyes and focused back on her. “Fine, we kissed.”
She let out a squeal and began to jump up and down in place, clapping her hands like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Oh my god, you freak, stop that.” I laughed, embarrassed, and looked down at the floor.
She ran around the bar and threw herself around me in a tight hug. “She’s back! My fierce biotch is back!”
“Looks that way,” I replied, smiling. Why shouldn’t I smile? I felt amazing.
After she released me from her death grip, I hopped off the barstool. “Got to go, ho. Em is upstairs doing homework.”
“When are you going to see him again?” Her eyes were still all lit
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