Page 80 of Mr. Infuriating (Mister #1)

Gretchen

“Troy said what ?” Laura screeched as she picked her martini glass up from the lacquered high-top table where we were perched in Louie’s Bar and Pub.

One of the few alternatives to Flannigan’s available in Lancastle, although the Sunday crowd was thin compared to the cars in Flannigan’s parking lot.

“He said he knows he has his work cut out for him, but he’s going to win me back.”

“Did you laugh in his face? Please tell me you laughed in his face.”

“No, I didn’t laugh in his face.”

“You should have,” she grumbled. “So, what did you say?”

“That if he’s serious about having a relationship with Jake, I’m all for it.”

“Really?”

“Jake needs his dad in his life.”

She set her glass down and cocked her head at me.

“Does he really need Troy , though?”

I slumped back in my bar stool in defeat. I’d been wrestling with that same question.

“You should have seen him with Gabe. He ate up his attention.”

“Yeah, well so did you, that doesn’t mean you should accept any ol’ man in your life just because you have a history with him. You need someone special who’s worthy of you and Jake. ”

“I’m thirty-one, Laura. I don’t think I have the luxury of being too picky.”

“Well, you sure as hell aren’t going to allow yourself to get treated like crap.”

“I’m not getting back together with Troy. And honestly, I haven’t heard from him since Wednesday, so I’m not expecting him to pursue a relationship with Jake.”

“Good. He’s a deadbeat, babe. He signed away his rights to his son. Who does that?”

I shrugged. “He seemed remorseful about that.”

“And yet, you said so yourself, he hasn’t followed up about seeing him again.”

“I know.”

“Are you sure there’s no chance you and Gabe are going to get back together?”

I felt my eyes tear up and shook my head sadly.

“Positive. I haven’t heard from him either. Brayden was the one who texted me about tutoring this week.”

“I thought you said Gabe had to make some finishing touches on your kitchen?”

“I’m sure he’ll work on it this week sometime. I’m tutoring Brayden Wednesday and Thursday with our final session of the year on Sunday.”

My friend studied my face in the neon glow of the lights reflecting off the bar mirror.

“You need to try online dating.”

*** *

Gabe

“Five nights in a row! This must be a Mitchell Brother record!” Dan, Derrick’s bartender and right-hand man, called when I took my usual seat at the bar.

He grinned when he tossed a coaster in front of me. “Even Beau isn’t in here that much.”

“It’s either this place or stay home and type out text messages I’m never going to send.”

That’d been my daytime habit all weekend.

“Why don’t you just make up with her?”

“Because we want different things.”

“Sounds like you need to move on, then.”

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

I tried to keep the snarl out of my tone when I replied, “Thanks for the advice. How about a beer?”

Dan showed why he was a good bartender, because he nodded and said, “Coming right up.”