Page 2

Chapter Two

I wake the next morning to the sound of the hotel room door clicking shut. Still groggy, I replay the events from last night over in my head. It’s one of the most perfect nights I can recall. My lip involuntarily pouts when I realize Cass is no longer beside me. He didn’t even say goodbye. That fucking sucks.

I drag myself out of the comfort of this hotel bed and bask in the shower until I’ve washed all the grime from my body. My agenda for the day is to take pictures and see the city. I pull on a pair of blue jeans and plain black tee, tie my hair into a high pony, slip my feet into my flip-flops, and head out the door. It’s noon and the streets of Houston are crowded with people on their lunch breaks. This is why I don’t live in a big city. I hate traffic.

I finally find a place to park that isn’t too far and walk to the Project Row Houses. The art depicted in and around the houses is beautiful. I snap photos of everything from every possible angle I can muster. Some shots require me to lay in awkward positions, but the results are stunning. My heart is happy with my camera in my hand, freezing time with the push of a button. I spend most of the day shooting, taking pictures of houses, and passersby on the street. After the amazing night last night, my mood has been much improved all day.

I can feel the glow radiating off me. Thoughts of the night with Cass play in my mind. I get to do what I love all day and when the sun begins to set, I pack up my things and head back to my room. The drive to the hotel is a bit hectic. Baton Rouge has nothing on Houston’s five o’clock traffic. After two hours, I finally make it back to my room.

I glance at the time. Shit. It’s seven-thirty. I was supposed to meet Cass at Skeeter’s an hour and a half ago. I set my camera equipment down and rush out the door. As I’m pulling into the parking lot, the knot in my stomach eases when I spot his blue Harley parked in front of the building. I walk to the door, trying to contain my excitement at the fact that he’s still here.

I open the door and step inside, spotting Lacey behind the bar again.

“Double Crown and Sprite, ma’am?” she asks as I approach the bar.

I nod and smile. “Yes, please.”

My eyes scan the bar in search of Cass. I find him standing by the same pool table we played on last night, shooting alone.

“Can I also have a Dos Equis with a lime?” I ask as Lacey hands me my drink.

“Sure.” She rushes off to fill my request. Cass had been drinking one last night and there’s a half-empty bottle sitting on the table next to him. He hasn’t noticed me yet and I don’t know why that makes me grin, but it does.

I grab the beer when Lacey sets it in front of me and walk over to Cass.

“Hey you,” I say.

He turns around, his eyes drinking in my entire body before focusing on my face. The corner of his lips tugs upward, a smirk playing on his face. His eyes close slowly and when they open, that same fire I wanted to play with last night is blazing in them.

"Hey yourself."

He pulls me to him, his arms wrapping around me. He kisses me lightly on the lips and pulls back, looking at my face. "You're stunning.”

“Thank you. Here, I grabbed this for you when I was at the bar.”

I hand him the cold beer in my hand.

“You’re pretty good, you know that?”

“Yes, I do. I sort of serve beer for a living, so I’d better be decent at it. Do you want some competition, or do you just want to keep beating yourself all night?”

"Rack 'em, rack girl," he taunts.

I kneel down and put the quarters that are sitting on the side of the table into the table and drop the balls.

“Oh, so it’s like that now? Hmm.”

Cass laughs a hearty laugh. “Yes ma’am.”

I set the rack in its rightful place beneath the table and step away. Cass breaks and runs the table on me, not missing a single shot.

“Ya got me,” I say, throwing my hands up in a playful surrender. I sit down at the table where our drinks sit and take a sip of mine. I gesture at the chair across from me, inviting Cass to join me. He obliges and downs the half of the beer he had left when I walked in. I watch his throat move as he drinks every drop, making me swallow hard.

I look away, averting my eyes before he catches me eye-fucking him from across the table.

“I thought you stood me up for a minute there.”

“No, I got caught in this hellacious traffic. Houston drivers can’t drive worth a fuck, by the way.”

“You damn right they can’t. Anyway, I’m glad it was just the bad drivers and not a bad night last night, because I felt like it was a damn good night.”

“Last night was beyond amazing. I wasn’t sure you would be here, though. You left without saying goodbye this morning,” I state.

“Oh, darlin’, I did say goodbye. I held you this morning while you slept and kissed you on the forehead before I got up and left.” I search his eyes for any sign of joke or amusement and find none. Are you kidding me right now? He’s great in bed and a genuine sweetheart? Something has to be wrong with him. He’s got to have an extra toe or something.

My brow furrows before I quickly fix it and smile. “Really? I never knew. I was out. You drained me last night. I think a hurricane could’ve come through and I would’ve still slept through it.”

“I drained you? Woman, I couldn’t even get up afterward.” His grin widens.

"I've never had anyone sit up and ride me like that.”

" You mean all hundred and eighty women haven’t done that to you?"

Cass lets out a gut-wrenching laugh. “Oh, you got jokes!”

“Maybe a few.”

"Okay, well save your jokes for later. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a conversation, about you and not the hundred and eighty women I’ve apparently had sex with.”

“Talk away, I’m all ears.” I point at my ears, resting my chin on top of my hands.

“What brings you to Houston?" he asks.

"I took a vacation from work for two days, and I needed to get away. Besides, this place is beautiful, and I'm a photographer by hobby." I stare down at my drink as I stir my straw, making mini tornadoes in it.

"Photographer? Really?" Cass gives me his full attention, urging me to go on. He’s invested in our conversation and seems genuinely interested in hearing what I have to say.

“Yep! I went to the Project Row Houses today and got a couple shots. I read about them a few months ago when I was out here, but I didn’t have my camera with me. This time, I made sure that was the first place I went.”

“I think that’s awesome.” He slides four quarters across the table in my direction.

“Up for another game?”

“Only if I actually get to participate this time,” I tease.

"I might let you."

I rack yet again, before returning to my seat at the table.

“So, since you got to ask your few questions, it’s my turn.” I reach over to my pack of Marlboros and light one.

“I’m all ears,” he mocks, pointing the table.

“Very funny. All right Mister Motorcycle President, what do you do when you aren’t being a badass biker?”

“I work, just like anyone else. I do a lot of work for construction companies, and when I’m not doing that, I play the drums or watch documentaries on singers and bands.”

My jaw drops. I didn’t know what I expected his answer to be, but it wasn’t that. I snap my mouth shut in hopes that my facial expression hadn’t offended him.

“That’s interesting. The only musical instrument I’ve ever wanted to learn to play is the drums.”

“Who knows, I might show you one day.”

I almost spit out my drink. Cass isn’t going to be around after this trip, much less “one day” to show me how to play the drums. This is just a fling. Something to keep us both occupied while we’re in town. I can barely take care of myself right now. The last thing I need to do is worry about getting involved with someone.

I am only here, after all, because everything at home is falling apart. I have done my best not to let it plague my mind, but it always comes soaring to the forefront of my brain after a few drinks. I’m on the verge of losing my house because I’m not making the money to pay the rent, and the bar hasn’t turned out to be a very profitable decision. It’s hard to pay for anything when you aren’t making any money. The only reason I splurged and showed up here this week is because I know what’s coming and figured why the hell not. No matter how hard I’ve struggled to escape the reality of what my life is, it never quite faded away long enough for me to forget.

“Hey pretty girl, where’s your head at?” Cass asks, pulling me back to the here and now.

“Eh, it’s irrelevant. I think it’s my turn to rack. Again.” I brush off his inquisition and rack.

Cass walks around the table behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. He kisses my neck lightly before cupping my ass cheek, squeezing it tightly.

I turn my head to meet his and he kisses me gently, smiles, and walks back to his seat.

“I think we need shots,” I suggest.

“Oh yeah? What you got in mind?”

“How about something different. Something sweet, but strong.”

Cass raises his eyebrows at me. “Whatever you order, I’ll drink. As long as it isn’t Jack Daniels.”

“Done.” I spin on my heel and make a bee-line for the bar. It doesn’t take long for Lacey to spot me.

“Whatcha need babe?”

“Give me two of the Blue Raspberry bombs.”

Lacey ushers off to make the shots while I watch Cass break. He’s leaned over, his chin resting almost on the pool stick in his hand as he studies the shot in front of him. He pushes through his shot fluidly, in full control of the cue ball as his solid falls into the desired pocket, lining him up on his next shot.

“Here ya go! It’s twelve dollars.” Lacey sits two bomb cups with blueberry vodka in the center and a blue energy drink in the outer rim in front of me. I pay her and carry the shots to the table. Cass eyes the blue liquid suspiciously as he swishes it around.

“What’s in it?”

“Blueberry vodka and blueberry energy drink.”

Cass cocks his head to the side, but doesn’t comment.

“Cheers to a good time with a beautiful lady.” Cass lifts his shot to me in a toast.

“Cheers.”

I spend the next hour taking shots and the more I drink, the worse my shooting gets. We talk about our love for music and when the bartender shouts last call, we’re both pretty lit.

“Excuse me, Miss. Would you like an escort to your hotel?" he asks.

Giddy from the alcohol and the great company, I play along.

"I don't know about all that. Big, scary biker man wants to bring me to my room and have his way with me. Let me think about that.”

I saunter toward him. My face is only inches from his when I answer.

"Abso-fuckin-lutely," I slur, pushing him against the wall and kissing him.

"Let's get out of here.”

He grabs my hand and leads me outside. I stumble out the door behind him.

“I’m not letting you drive. I’ll bring you to your car in the morning.”

He takes my keys from my hand and securely places them inside his cut off.

“Fine.”

"Fine," he retorts.

"Great!"

"I don't like reruns anyway."

We both burst out laughing. "You are so phenomenal. No one else would know where that quote is from!”

“I know my movies.” He directs me to his bike and opens the compartment on the side.

“What’s that thing called?”

“It’s a saddlebag.” He grabs the helmet I used last night and helps me buckle it beneath my chin. Straddling the bike, he cranks it and taps the seat behind him. “Hop on.”

I hold onto his shoulders as I struggle to get on the back. I had undeniably a few too many drinks. I slip my hands into the front pockets of his cut and hold on tight. I’m drunk. I do not want to fall off the back of this bike. That is a level of embarrassment even I couldn’t live through.

"Hold on, drunkie," he teases.

"Hey, hey. None of that,” I slur. I can hear myself slurring and it’s fucking annoying. I focus hard on not slurring but it doesn’t work. My words may as well be in cursive.

We take off toward our hotel, with me grinning into Cass’s back in my mixed state of drunkenness and complete and utter happiness. I pay careful attention to the way riding feels while I’m intoxicated. It’s nice without worrying about anything in the world. This whole wind therapy thing that everyone talks about really works. The night air is warm, but on the bike it’s comfortable and slightly cooler. I feel the air change in one spot and make a mental note to ask Cass about it later.

Cass pulls into the hotel and kills the bike. I sit here with my chin resting on his shoulder, not moving. I’m comfortable and also slightly scared that once I move, I may face plant onto to the concrete.

"Sweetie, you have to get off before I do," he says after we sit for a minute. Or five. I’m not entirely sure. I hop off and when my feet are planted on the ground, I get a little wobbly. Cass grabs my arm to steady me, laughing at my clumsiness.

"Somebody's got a buzz."

"Maybe just a little,” I reply, trying to unclasp my helmet. Why can’t I just unclasp this damn thing? I fidget with it until Cass reaches over and places a hand on mine.

“Here.” He moves my hand out of the way and undoes it for me. When he bends down to place it back into the saddlebag, I rest a hand on his shoulder.

After he’s taken off his own helmet, he grabs my hand and walks me to the door. Or, guides me, more so.

Unlocking the main door on the side of the building, he leads me to the elevator again. I stumble in and everything starts spinning, making me realize the stupor I drank myself into. Oh no. No. No. No. Shit. I'm way too drunk.

I wake the next morning to find Cass sleeping next to me. I’m wearing an oversized tee and my underwear. My head pounds and all I want is a gallon of ice-cold water. And pickles. I groan as I roll out of bed. Standing up, everything is still spinning but I’m glad to see Cass is still here.

I have no memory of the night before we arrived at the hotel. Walking to the bathroom, I start the shower and brush my teeth. My stomach is empty and there’s a tingling in my fingers and toes. The hot water is soothing as it pours over me. I lean against the wall of the shower in an attempt to stop the spinning and let the water run for at least ten minutes longer. I don’t feel any less hungover, but at least I’m clean and that’s a start.

After my shower, I tiptoe into the room in only a towel. I shiver as the cool air hits my wet skin and try to keep my teeth from chattering. Cass is still asleep and snoring. I stand there for a moment taking in the sight of him sleeping peacefully. Something is different though. His face appears much softer than it did the past two days. I haven’t noticed it until now, but it looks as if a mask had been lifted from his face and for the first time, I’m seeing the man underneath.

I dress quickly and sit down on the bed next to Cass, rubbing his arm gently.

“Hey,” I whisper, trying to wake him up softly. He stirs under my hand and his eyes flicker open.

“Hi,” he says, his voice thick with sleep. I smile down at him.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

“Like I got hit by a train,” I say, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.

Cass’s half-asleep laugh warms my heart.

“You are a sight when you're drunk, Miss Summers. I had to carry you from the elevator to the bed."

As his words only further my embarrassment, the sudden rush of blood to my face makes my head have a pulse of its own.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize just how much I had to drink."

"It's okay. At least you didn't get sick," he adds.

"This is true." Oh, thank God. Nothing about that would have been attractive.

"What time is it?" Cass asks, sitting up in the bed.

I look at the clock on the bedside table. "Nine."

"Shit. I have to go. I'm going to be late."

He throws on his blue jeans and shirt, grabs his cut, and quickly laces up his boots.

“Come on. I have to get you to your car.”

I follow him out the door, wincing as soon as I see the sunlight. Cass drops me off, kisses my forehead, and tells me to meet him tonight at six.

I drive back to the hotel with the windows down and music playing softly, so as not to make my head worse than it already is. I’m happy.

I walk back to my room and jump onto the bed, landing flat with a thud. I immediately regret that decision as my head thumps harder with each beat of my heart. This trip to Houston is proving to be one of my best ideas yet. Thoughts of Cass dance in my head as I drift back off to sleep and I dream of him in my slumber.

I wake with a smile as I roll over to check my phone. I’ve barely touched it since I’ve been here. There were two texts from Mindy and a missed call from my mom.

Mindy: How is it?

Mindy: Lilly Amber Summers! What’s his name?

Grinning, I text Mindy back.

Lilly: Once you hear about the man I’ve spent the last two nights with, you’re going to freak. He’s sexy, he rides a motorcycle, and he’s amazing in bed.

I press send before switching to my call logs to call my mother back.

“Hey sweetie.”

“Hey Mom!”

“I was just checking on you. How was your drive?”

“It was good, Mom. I needed this trip.”

“Good for you, honeys.”

“How are things on your end?”

“They’re good! I’ve been busy working at the office all week as usual. David and I are planning a trip home soon, though. It’s too cold in Ohio for me, but he loves his job and I’m making the best of it. I miss you!”

“I miss you too, Mom. Let me know when y’all are planning on coming down so I can make sure I’m off work and in town.”

“I will.”

“I love you and I’ll call you tomorrow when I get back.”

“I love you too. And Lilly?”

“Yeah?”

“Be safe and call me if you have trouble staying awake or anything.”

“I will, Momma. Love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

I press the end button and toss my phone on the bed beside me. I want to tell Mom everything about Houston, but I’m not sure of what’s even going on. How can I explain it to someone else when I don’t fully understand it myself?

It’s already two o’clock and I am in dire need of food. I pick up the room service menu and order a cheeseburger and fries. It arrives in record timing and for that I’m grateful. There’s nothing like a greasy cheeseburger to soak up a hangover. I scarf down every bite then lay back in the bed. I flip through the channels and turn on Criminal Minds . As badly as I want to go take pictures, the cold and dark hotel room is much more inviting than the bright and hot sun.

I waste the entire day in bed watching a Criminal Minds marathon. That was the sole purpose of this trip, to do whatever I felt like doing and not having to worry about the world back home for a few days. Tonight is my last night in Houston since I have to spend tomorrow driving home. And if it’s anywhere near as wonderful as the last two have been, I’ll be happy. Five-thirty rolls around so I head to Skeeter’s to meet Cass.

I don’t see his bike when I pull in, but I don’t let that disappoint me. He gets to be the late one tonight. I smile, thinking of him intentionally making me wait for him the way I had made him wait last night. Although it wasn’t my intention, I’ve started to catch onto his sense of humor, and I figure this is his way of joking back at me.

I walk inside and sit down at the bar, greeted by Lacey. “Good to see you again. How are you feeling today?” She asks, laughing lightly.

“Much better now that I’ve recuperated all day.” I hang my head, wondering if I did anything stupid last night in my drunken state that I can hardly remember, but the fear of embarrassment keeps me from inquiring.

"Where's your boyfriend at?" Lacey asks.

"Oh no, he's not my boyfriend. Just a friend. He’s on his way.”

"I sure couldn't tell. The two of you look like you've been together for years. Y’all just kind of fit." She says the words as she’s called to the other end of the bar by one of the already drunken patrons.

Lacey has planted a seed. Sitting at the bar alone, I lose myself in the thought of the possibilities of being with Cass in more ways than just the bedroom. I shake it off just as quickly as I’d entertained it because there is no way anything comes of this.

Hell, he probably has a wife and like eight kids at home or something.

"You want something to drink?" I look up to find Lacey standing in front of me.

"Ah. Um, yeah, a drink. Can I have that Blueberry Bomb? I may as well go ahead and bite the hair of the dog that bit me." I hand her a twenty. Lacey fixes the drink and brings me my change. Setting a tip on the bar, I walk over to the same table that Cass and I had sat at last night. We talked for hours, just the two of us.

I glance up at the clock hanging across the bar. Seven. He should be here any minute now. I get two dollars in quarters from the bar and shoot a few games of pool by myself, trying to kill time. I finish the second game and concede, walking back over to the bar. I order a shot and get a few more dollars in quarters. I spend the next hour and a half shooting pool and drinking alone. By the time nine o’clock rolls around, I am now convinced that Cass isn’t going to show up.

I don’t understand. Did I say something stupid while I was drunk that steered him away? If so, why hadn’t he just left last night instead of this morning? But he told me this morning he would meet me here tonight, so what happened? What changed? So many thoughts flitter through my head.

I give up and grab a seat at the bar.

"Lacey, can I have two shots of Crown, please?"

Lacey grabs the bottle and two shot glasses. Pouring the two shots, Lacey gives me a puzzled stare.

“Where’s your friend at?” Lacey sets the shots in front of me.

“I don’t know.” I down one shot and grab the second one before I can talk myself out of it. The bitter taste of the whiskey makes me gag on the second shot and I take a slow, deep breath to keep it down.

"Ugh, that's rough. I'm getting out of here. If, by chance, that mystery biker shows up, tell him I waited for four hours and I went back to my room."

"You got it, babe," Lacey chirps. "Have a good night.”

I walk out of the door with a slight buzz, nothing compared to what I was feeling last night. I make it back to my room and curl up in the empty bed feeling cold and alone. The empty spot beside me a constant reminder Cass stood me up. I snuggle into the pillow in an attempt to shake it off.

It isn’t like I thought we were going to the chapel or anything, so what did I expect? It was a one-night stand that lasted two days. Shit happens. He probably found someone else to stay with. Now that I think of it, I didn’t see his bike in the parking lot when I pulled in.

I try my best to block out all thoughts of Cass in a fugue attempt at sleep. I finally am somewhere blissfully between asleep and awake and the last image that flashes through my mind is Cass smiling up at me from the pool table.

I wake in a haze, still in the world of my dreams. Dreams of Cass and the last thing I recall was being in his arms. Reality smacks me across the face when I wake up and realize it was just a dream. I’m still alone and Cass still stood me up. With a lack of any creative motivation, I shower and head down to the main office to checkout. It’s time to head back to my own reality, no matter how uneventful that may be.

On my way out, I stop in at Skeeter’s. Lacey isn’t here, but I figure I could ask the girl behind the bar anyway.

"Hey, did Lacey say anything about a biker showing up last night to meet a woman in here?" I ask, without much hope.

"No ma'am. She didn't.”

"Okay. Thank you.”

I turn and walk out of the door. Of course, he never showed up. With that, I focus on closing that door.

My drive home is long and filled with thoughts of the wonderful man I had the pleasure of spending two nights with. I need to just be happy that I even got to meet him, and I won’t stress over this. Throughout our time together, everything meshed. We got along and really hit it off. I hadn’t realized that I may have wanted to get to know him until it was too late. He was gone. At first it was fun, but I didn’t even consider what it would or wouldn’t be after Houston. And now I’ll never know.

“Fuck!” I bang my hand on the steering wheel then force the thought away with the radio. I cannot harp on this, or it will drive me insane.

It’s two o’clock by the time I make it home. I drag my bags inside and fall onto the couch, exhausted. Before I know it, it’s five o’clock and I’m waking up on the couch in a puddle of my own drool.

I don’t have to be at work until six tomorrow night, but I want to see Mindy. Finding all the energy I can muster, I pull myself together and put on some makeup. I need to make myself presentable and feel a little better about what happened this week. I throw on a pair of my black dress shorts, a red V-neck, and a pair of black flats and head out the door. I feel hot. Too hot to be a sad girl about a man that stood me up.

Cranking up Betty, I point her in the direction of Creek’s.

When I pull down the long, bumpy gravel road to the bar and round the corner to the parking lot, there’s only one car out front. Mindy’s. Business has been pretty slow and there was talk of closing the place down. There were only a few regulars that were in every day, but no one wanted to drive down the gravel driveway to get there. If you didn’t have a four-by-four, it wasn’t worth it.

The parking lot is quiet, the only sound is the chirping of a cricket in the distance. A chill skitters across my skin as the breeze picks up. As soon as I step foot inside the bar, Mindy’s face lights up.

“Lilly!” She screams, running around from behind the bar and nearly tackling me when she hugs me.

“Hey, Min. Miss me?”

"Uh, yes! Okay, you have got to tell me all about this amazing biker. Spill it. Now," she demands.

"Slow down, slow down."

I laugh at her anticipation. Boy, is she in for a shock. I hate that I can’t even show her what he looks like. Miss Photographer didn’t sneak a single picture of the most amazing man I’d met in…well…maybe ever. Way to go genius.

“So, I met him at a bar, challenged him to a game of pool, he kicked my ass, and—"Mindy cuts me off mid-sentence.

“Wait, he kicked your ass in pool? Oh, I like him already,” Mindy says with an evil grin. “Sorry. Continue.”

"So, he kicked my ass in pool then told me he had to go because he had work the next day. About a minute after he walked out, the bartender brought me a napkin with a note on it asking me to spend some more time with him. I walked outside, we went for a ride, then I find out he's staying at the same hotel as me, but only after he followed me, and I thought he was trying to get laid on the slick."

"Shut the fuck up. No way."

"Way. In the same building. On the same floor,” I smile as Mindy shakes her head in disbelief.

“I know. Crazy, right? Right. Anyway, he walked me to my room and I kind of might have pulled him in and had amazing sex with him. I'm telling you, it was one of the most powerful orgasms I've ever had."

"Ever?" Mindy’s eyes widen.

"Yes. Ever. ”

"And then?"

"And then we met up again the next night and I got too drunk and passed out before anything could happen. Well, I passed out in the elevator, actually, and he carried me to my room. He brought me to my car the next morning and that was the last I saw of him. He was supposed to meet me again at the bar that night but never showed up."

Mindy's face falls, all the excitement that was there for a moment before was long gone. "Wait, that's it?"

"Yep. Now fix me a drink and let's close this place," I demand.

"So, he just disappeared?" Mindy asks, pouring me a drink and setting it on the bar.

"Yes ma'am." I down half of my drink. I didn’t realize talking about Cass would put such a damper on my mood.

“Damn. Lilly that sucks, I'm sorry.”

“It is what it is. No big deal.” I fake a smile and turn my glass up, polishing off my drink. I slide it across the bar to Mindy who’s wiping down the counter.

“Anything happen around here while I was gone?” I ask, hoping to draw attention to anything other than the disappointment on my face that Mindy can read like a freaking book.

“Nothing of importance. Just the regulars. Oh, Kevin, the owner, did come in yesterday. He said something about an interested buyer. So, it might not be closing after all. But nothing is set in stone and he hasn't even met with the guy yet,” Mindy says, hanging her head. Mindy has been here for two years, and she has a sense of security here. I hate to think that could be threatened. Hell, I hate to think the place will close.

I’m behind on most of my bills and am on the verge of being homeless. I’m a month late on rent and I have until the first to come up with two months’ rent. I know it’s impossible, especially since business has been as bad as it has ever been, and I’m preparing myself to move in with Mindy, which is the only option I have if I lose my house.

Mindy finished cleaning and we walk out together. I laugh. “It’s a Monday night and the bar is closed before 10 p.m.”

Mindy smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Mondays suck everywhere.”

I hug Mindy’s neck, and we go our separate ways. The only thing I own in this life, right now, is my car. I guess that’s why I take so much pride in it. Betty is my baby and she’s all that I have.

The drive home is short since I only live ten minutes from the bar and by the time I put my head on the pillow, it feels like my brain is going to explode from the headache that kicks in. I take two over-the-counter meds and am asleep before I have time to think.

I sleep hard, exhausted from the trip and the hangover. When I wake the next morning, the first thought I have is Cass. I curse under my breath. I have to get him out of my head.

He’s nothing special. Let it go.

I grab my phone and shoot Mindy a text.

Lilly: Meet me at Astaire’s Seafood. I’m starving and need good company.

I take a quick shower to wash off the sweat from my deep slumber and leave to meet Mindy for lunch. It’s noon when I pull into the parking lot of Astaire’s and Mindy’s car is waiting for me in the parking lot.

"Good morning, sunshine," Mindy says sarcastically when I sit down across the table from her.

"Good morning." I rub my face, thinking I can somehow rub the exhaustion away.

Mindy insists on buying and is always trying to take care of me. She’s twenty-eight, four years older than I am, and she always says that the reason I am such a drifter is because the adult in me hasn’t kicked in yet. I beg to differ, but Mindy won’t hear it.

“You work tonight, huh?” Mindy asks.

"Yes, unfortunately," I groan.

"Hey, none of that. You need the money and even if it isn't much, it's something."

"Yeah, I guess you're right.”

We eat the rest of our meal in a comfortable silence. After we finish eating, Mindy stares at me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just tired.”

"No, bullshit. You can tell anyone else that bogus excuse, but I know you. That is not, in fact, what is wrong with you, Lilly Amber. Now if you don't want to tell me, then fine. But I know you're lying."

"I just can't get mystery biker out of my head," I confess, knowing if I don’t tell her what she wants to know, it’ll just irritate me longer the more she pries.

"Lilly, you've had one night stands before. With men that were sexy as fuck and none of them ever got to you. What's so special about this one?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that he stood me up. Maybe I really liked the person he was, or at least the person I thought he was. That could be it. I hate surprises, so maybe it’s because he threw a curve ball when I wasn’t expecting it. Anyway. I'm going home and getting ready for work." I rise from the table, setting my napkin over my plate.

"Lilly, don't shut down on me. When you close tonight, which I'm sure will be around nine or ten, go home, get fixed up and let's go out. We're getting you drunk and finding someone to occupy your mind."

"How about we just play it by ear? I'm in to drink, but I don't know about this whole ‘finding someone to occupy my mind’.”

After leaving Mindy at Astaire’s, I spend a few hours at home, unpacking from my trip and getting ready for work. I make it in a few minutes early. When I walk inside, Kevin is sitting at the bar.

“To what do we owe the pleasure, Kevin?” I ask, pulling up the chair next to him.

"I'm calling a meeting tomorrow morning. I need all you girls here. I have some news, and I'd like to share it with the three of you at the same time."

"Okay. What time?" I ask, concerned for whatever this news is. My stomach is in knots. I hope he isn’t closing the place down. The thought alone makes me want to vomit.

"Well, we open at eleven, so let's say nine-thirty,"

"All right. Sounds good."

"I'll call Mindy and let her know and I already told Carly,” he says, pointing at the girl behind the bar.

The night goes by fast, with only five customers coming in. I shut it down around nine and Mindy and I have agreed that since there was a meeting early in the morning, we would postpone going out drinking. I’m glad. I wasn’t feeling up to it anyway and I’m happy to utilize the meeting as an excuse to be alone. I only made thirty dollars tonight and knowing that won’t be near enough money to make rent, I decide that I’m going to ask Kevin if I can crash in the lounge area for the employees in the back of the bar. It has a full kitchen, bathroom, and a couch. All of the necessities.

It’s a long stretch, but maybe he would let me until I figure something else out. I’ll need to pick up a second job. I should’ve before now, but it’s been so difficult to find anyone hiring. I think on it and decide I’ll ask after the meeting tomorrow. I gather my thoughts and formulate an approach. I hate having to ask anyone for help, but my options are limited, and I know eviction is in my near future. Being realistic, I have time. How much, though, I am uncertain. Surely, Kevin will understand. After all, it was due to his business that I can’t afford to pay my bills.

I know that Mindy’s is an option, but I hate to impose on her space. I stand in my living room when I get home and look around. Even though I have made very few memories here, the ones I do have are dear. The place has started to grow on me. I’m not ready to lose it now, especially after I worked so hard to move in here in the first place. Mindy and I have had some great times here, from jam sessions while we cleaned and got the house ready for me to move in, to nights that lasted well into the morning with a few empty bottles of wine. Most of all, I’m not ready to lose the only sense of home and comfort that I’ve had since my dad passed away three years ago.

I’ll pack everything up tomorrow and I can store it in Mindy’s attic. Sighing, I glance around at my things in my small, cozy space. This one is going to hurt, mostly my pride, but hurt nonetheless.

I have been so engulfed in worrying about my real-life problems that I haven’t thought of Cass for the past few hours. Of course, I knew the thought of him would creep back in when the silence sets in.

All I can think about is wanting to be held while I break down and cry over the changes that are coming and for some strange reason, the only person I want to hold me is Cass. The man who disappeared without a trace and didn’t even have the decency to tell me to fuck off.

I crawl in bed, defeated. I’m restless all night and by the time my alarm clock chimes, I feel like I haven’t slept at all. Looking in the mirror, my reflection confirms that theory. I hope this meeting is short and to the point. I’m crawling back in bed as soon as it’s over. I slip into a pair of yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt and walk out the door.