Once the drinks are on the bar, Jessie raises her glass to me. “Are you ready?” I nod. “Fuck ‘em,” Jessie says, before we clink glasses.
“Fuck ‘em,” I repeat back as we both down the contents in our glasses again before ordering more.
I’m already starting to feel slightly tipsy, so I know the next one has to be sipped slowly.
Jessie lets out a whoosh of air. “Jesus, that’s strong stuff.”
Just then I feel a presence behind me, so I look round. “Hi, Ana.”
I stare into the eyes of my last and only one-night stand. “Hi, John, how are you doing? John this is Jessie, Jessie, John.”
Jessie gets up and shakes his hand. “Oh, you’re the John,” she says, giving a slow, methodical wink. John smiles, and I elbow her to shut up.
“I hope whatever Ana told you has all been good?”
Jessie spits her drink back in the glass and starts coughing, but I don’t give her a chance to respond. “Not working today then, John?”
He shakes his head. “I was actually hoping to bump into you. I’m just here with a couple of friends, Trevor and Jackson.” He points to a couple of men sitting at a table, and we give them a little wave. They take that as their cue to make their way over to us.
“So this is the famous Ana you won’t stop talking about. I see your reputation precedes you. You’re a stunner.” I shake hands with Jackson, who’s not shy in making his feelings clear as he rakes his eyes all over me.
John thumps him on the arm. “Knock it off, Jackson.”
I shake hands with Trevor. He seems a lot nicer than Jackson, who is now pouring all his attention on Jessie.
“So how have you been?” John asks.
I nod and sip my drink. “I’m fine, thank you, same old, same old. What about you?” Same old couldn’t be further from the truth, but I don’t want to get into details with John about this.
“Well, but I have this problem. This girl I really like didn’t come out with me on Sunday, and I never heard from her when she said she would call.”
I grimace. “Sorry about that. A lot has happened since then. Things have changed and—”
“I like you,” he interrupts. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that night. I kind of feel bad because I did take advantage of the situation. It was only because I wanted you so much, though. Not because I’m an asshole or anything. I felt even worse when Mr. Bennett showed up at my apartment and started shouting at me. Boy, is he intimidating.”
I wince a little, remembering just how bad it all sounded. “I’m really sorry about that. I only recently found out myself that he did that.”
“It’s okay,” he smiles. “I felt I deserved it, to be honest. I thought it was a good idea to stay away from you for a while until the dust settled. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, though. I want us to hang out. Wait. I’m not doing this right. I mean, I want to ask you out … you know … on a real date. I know I said we could interact just as friends, but I really do like you. A lot.”
Oh, dear. Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea. To give myself a few more seconds to answer, I down the rest of my drink. I hate being put in these situations. First Tony, now this.
“John, I can’t. I have to be honest with you. I’m seeing someone.” The look of disappointment rises on his face.
“Oh, I see,” he says, looking away. “You didn’t mention it Friday.”
I bite my lip. “I didn’t know until Saturday that someone I really liked also liked me. I’m sorry.”
Jackson takes that moment to make his presence known. “John, you’re not doing your job properly. Look, the lady’s drink is empty. What will you have, lovely Ana?”
I jump as a familiar, sexy voice comes from behind me. “She will be having nothing from you, asshole. I’m taking her home.”
Oh, shit, am I in trouble. I spin my barstool around and notice John moving a couple of steps away. He really is intimidated. Jackson, however, doesn’t seem the type to know when to quit. “Hey, who do you think you are, ordering a grown woman around like that?”
Jackson puts his hand on my shoulder, and I immediately clam up. Oh, double shit.
Wrong move, Jackson.
Jake—as if on cue—moves over to the man and grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly. Jackson’s bravado is immediately lost.
With Jackson bending over in agony, Jake leans over him to whisper in his ear. “You keep your hands off her, or next time it will be your balls I grab. Do you get what I’m fucking saying, asshole?”
Jackson nods frantically, and Jake lets go of his hand. He glares over at John—a look of thunder on his face. It makes John inadvertently step back even farther.
Jackson’s face is as red as a beetroot as he frantically rubs his wrist. He’s out of breath and looks completely embarrassed by being overshadowed by the monster now hovering over me.
“Out. Now,” he seethes through gritted teeth. I sit, rooted to the chair, and just about everyone in the bar is watching the spectacle. Jessie’s completely stunned but utterly fascinated by the whole thing. I still sit. “Do as you’re told,” he orders.
I can’t help myself. It must be the alcohol making me brave. I smirk at him.
Big mistake.
Jake grabs my waist, hurling me over his shoulder. “Jessie, you too. I’m taking you home,” he orders as I squeal in protest.
Jessie quickly does as she’s told, grabbing both her bag and mine. Jake throws some money on the bar for Sam and drags me out of the premises despite all my protests.
He crosses over the road with me still propped up over his shoulder. Jessie is running along—silently amused—behind us. People honk their horns and cheer as Jake stalks towards his car.
Once we’re at his car, he sets me down and looks at Jessie. “I thought I could trust you of all people.”
Without warning, anger erupts inside of me. “Do. Not. Take this out on Jessie. She has done absolutely nothing wrong. You are a fucking control freak!”
Jake, red-faced, glares at me, waving his finger. “I would rather be a control freak than find you dead in an alley somewhere. You got that? And stop fucking swearing.”
“I hate you sometimes!” I scream.
“Good. Now, get in the fucking car. You too, Jessie,” he barks.
We both get in, me slamming the door a bit more forcefully than necessary.
Jessie scoots to the middle of the seat at the back then moves forward to talk to us. “Jake, don’t be mad at us. It was just a quick drink, and those guys at the bar were harmless. We weren’t going to accept a drink from them. They hadn’t been there long before you came in.”
“Put your seatbelt on,” he barks, looking in the rearview mirror to make sure she’s doing it.
Once safely fastened, Jake starts the car and makes his way out of the parking lot. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Jessie, but your efforts are just going to be wasted on me at the moment, okay?”
We all sit in uncomfortable silence for what seems like an eternity until Jake finally pulls in to the Sunnyside apartment complex in Fairfax. I immediately get out of the car with Jessie while she thanks Jake for taking her home.