Where We Meet Again

by Wilson, A. M.

“Nope. A. D. I. D. A. S.”

  “Ugh. The 90s called. They want their music back.” I meander back down the hall to retrieve my shoes from my bedroom. Kiersten follows.

  “They want their jokes back, too.”

  “My joke isn’t as bad as your sexual references.”

  “And that song isn’t as bad as your joke. That song was popular well into the 2000s.”

  Stuffing a few makeup staples into my black clutch, I shoot her a mock glare. “This is true. You win.”

  “Woo-hoo! First round’s on you!”

  I stick out my tongue.

  “Are Nathan and his friend meeting us here or there?”

  “Here. He’s our ride. We can cab it home. I just need to call him when we’re ready.” I sit on the edge of my bed and tug on my gorgeous shoes. After admiring them myself, I shove a foot in her direction. “Whatchya think?”

  She pushes my foot down and leans over to pull me up. Cocking out a hip, she smooths a hand beneath her chin, and runs her eyes over me from top to toe. “Freakin’ gorgeous!”

  “Thanks. You look fantastic too.”

  “I’m ready if you are. Give Nathan a call.”

  After circling the bathroom to make sure I turned everything off, I follow her out to my living room. “I’m on it.” I scroll through my contact list and tap his name. He answers on the second ring.

  “You ladies ready to roll?”

  “We sure are. Make sure you have the heat cranked in your truck.”

  “Already do. Just picked up Rhett. We’re headed your way now.”

  “Cool.” Nerves tingle along my spine.

  “See you soon,” Nathan murmurs and ends the call.

  Sadness tinges the edges of my mood, and I don’t want to think about why. I need to shake it off, not dwell on it.

  “Hey, you okay?” Kiersten asks, stepping up beside me.

  I smile. “Yeah. Hey, I have an idea. Since we aren’t driving, let’s have a quick drink. One for the ladies.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  Shot glasses mean extra dishes, so we bump from the bottle instead. I’ve just passed it to Kiersten when my phone buzzes with a text.

  Nathan: Get your asses out here ;)

  “They’re here.”

  She tucks the bottle back into my cabinet, and we leave, locking up behind us.

  * * *

  The bar is in the dead center of Main Street. Right in the middle of a business strip, it takes up twice as much square footage as any other building. The overhang with the sign Calypso’s! sports red and green Christmas lights, even though the holiday has passed, and will probably look that way well into January.

  The men drop us off at the big red door while they find a place to park, saving us from having to walk a good distance in the cold. We hoof it inside and into the warmth.

  Packed isn’t a word one would use to describe any place in Arrow Creek, but in regards to its regular weekend turnout, Calypso’s is packed tonight.

  The bar has entrances at both the front and the back of the building, with stairs leading to the basement on both ends. They run a full bar on both levels every weekend.

  The upstairs has more tables for dining in, not to say food can’t be ordered for downstairs (it could), and the basement has a side of pool tables and a dance floor. From what I can see of the upstairs, there isn’t much room unless we want to stand at the bar. “Let’s go down.”

  Kiersten changes her course and leads the way.

  Chilly air blasts us from the door opening and closing so we pick up our pace. I have a mission to get another drink in me before the next hour starts, and it’s getting dangerously close to nine o’clock. This is the one night a year I let myself get uninhibited and free, and I’m desperate to enjoy it.

  We find a table, and the waiter steps up just as Nathan and Rhett join us.

  “Welcome to Calypso’s. What can I get you? The next hour is ladies’ hour, so the girls’ drinks are on the house.”

  “Yeah!” Kiersten and I high-five over the table.

  “I’ll have a Moscow Mule and keep ‘em coming.”

  Kiersten grins. “Oh, that sounds yummy. I’ll start with one, too.”

  “Shit, how am I supposed to owe you a round when our drinks are free for the next hour? I don’t know if I’ll be able to do a round after this.” I giggle, though completely serious. I can hold my liquor with the best of them, meaning I almost never get sick. That doesn’t mean I don’t get drunk easily. It’s a double-edged sword.

  “Two rounds of tequila for the table, extra limes.” Nathan orders.

  Leaning to my left dramatically, I twist my neck to look at where he sits beside me. “You’re trying to get me drunk.”

  From the corner of my eye, I watch the waiter smirk and walk away to fill our order.

  His jaw drops open, and he raises his hands in defense. “I am not. If you don’t want it, I’ll just have to drink it. Then it’ll be you who’s getting me drunk.”

  “Unh-uh. I’m not the one who ordered.”

  “Says the woman who gets free drinks for the next hour.”

  I smile and fiddle with the wrapped silverware in front of me, enjoying the playful banter.

  “So, you all work together?” Rhett asks, joining in the conversation for the first time. I can’t help but notice the way his eyes stay trained on Kiersten, as if he finds her fascinating.

  “Nathan and I are partners on the ambulance. Kiersten works in dispatch. So, same field, yeah, but not in the same area.”

  “That must be fascinating. Do you ever get any crazy calls?”

  Nathan and I exchange a glance. “Crazy stupid or crazy annoying? There’s never a lull in the calls from people who should have called their therapist instead of 911. Kiersten gets the most interesting calls, though. We’re only routed to the ones that need medical assistance.” Nathan answers his friend.

  “Ugh. Just last night. A lady called to report a man wearing only his underwear, singing ‘Joy to the World’ while taking down the snowman her children made, Jet Li style.”

  “What?” Rhett laughs, then sits back as the waiter returns to deliver our drinks. “What does someone even do for that?”

  “A lot of times it’s drugs or alcohol, so the cops will check the person out for that. Although, there are times it’s just some random, impulsive person who felt like having a little fun. They most likely get told to go home with a warning.” Kiersten picks up her mule for a long drink. “Oh, it’s so good.”

  I agree after a long drink of my own. There’s nothing like a perfect mule. Cold, refreshing, with that coppery bite from the mule mug.

  “Last week, there was a call that someone had stolen the driver’s side door off some guy’s truck. And there’s this repeat caller who always thinks someone’s out to get him. He’s been known to put booby traps around his residence.”

  “What did he call for this time?” Nathan asks as he passes around shots and limes. I snag two glasses and he raises his brows at me, so I stick my tongue out at him. Then I pile two limes on my napkin.

  “Mmm.” She swallows her drink and sets it down, excitement shining in her eyes. “He thought someone had the blueprints to his house and was digging a tunnel for access.”

  “Holy fuck. That’s crazy. Who are these looney tunes so I can avoid them?” Rhett jokes.

  “Sorry, buddy. That’s privileged information.” She wears a wide smile of her own.

  “What is it you do?” I ask him. I know him by name from stories Nathan’s told, but other than that, this is my first time meeting him.

  He looks uncomfortable with my question. “I run a pest control business.”

  Kiersten and I turn to each other at the same time. My eyes slide away first. “In town?”

  “Yup. Chuck’s Exterminator. Chuck was my grandfather.”

  The problem with small towns is everybody is connected. In short, Nathan’s good friend is also a good friend of Law’s. Can my wo
rld get any crazier?

  Nathan lifts his glass and nudges me with his elbow. “All right, kids. Those of you brave enough to embark on this drinking quest, raise your glass.”

  The three of us comply, raising our shots to meet at the center of the table.

  “To letting go of the past,” Nathan shouts, his eyes sliding to glance at me. “To new friends, and a new year full of fresh beginnings. To love. And second chances. To trying something new and rekindling something you used to enjoy. Most importantly, to us. Family. Good health. And friends.”

  A lump of emotion swells in my throat. In so many ways, his words ring true to all the different aspects of my life. He and I. Law and me. Evelyn, Kiersten, and my life in Arrow Creek. Moving on from the shame and guilt of my past and learning to forgive myself. Opening up to a happy future, one I’ve worked toward and deserve.

  “Here!” Rhett cheers, and we all clank.

  As I lick the salt, I don’t miss the way Kiersten stares at Rhett while her tongue swipes her hand. Total flirt. She’s so going to home with him tonight.

  We take down the tequila together. It burns, but slides down smooth, and I shove a lime slice in my mouth. After the first, we take the second, and a chorus of glasses thud against the wood table.

  “Enough of that. I need to go nurse my mule or I’m not going to make it past ten o’clock.” I chase the tequila with my other drink.

  “Amateur.” Rhett throws in with a smile.

  “Should we dance?” Kiersten frames it like a question, but she’s already out of her seat and swinging her hips to the tempo.

  My head swims with the amount of alcohol I’ve already drunk. Food would be good. A waiter walks by with a plate of wings at that precise moment, and my mouth waters. “I’m going to get a bite to eat. Then I’ll join you.”

  She gives a one-shouldered shrug. “Suit yourself. I’ll be over there by myself, if anyone wants to join me.” She looks pointedly at Rhett. With a sway of her hips, she saunters away.

  “Uh, yep.” Rhett slaps down a wad of bills on the table. “That should cover the drinks. Order me a plate of mozzarella sticks. I’m going to dance.” He wags his eyebrows at us before he follows my best friend.

  I throw my hand in the air to flag down our waiter and place an order, a double order of boneless buffalo wings and an order of mozzarella sticks, and turn to Nathan with a sip of my drink. After I swallow, I lick my lips.

  I don’t miss the way his eyes darken and follow my tongue across my lower lip. Crap. That wasn’t my intention at all.

  “What do you think the chances are they don’t come back?”

  His eyes shoot back to mine. He grins and takes a sip of the gin and tonic the waiter just delivered to him. “Hell if I care. Free motzy sticks.”

  Besides his subtle flirting, I’m happy he keeps the conversation light. We laugh a lot and joke over drinks. I end up with one more Moscow mule before ladies’ hour is over.

  By ten o’clock, after devouring a half a plate of wings, I’m officially drunk.

  Drunk, not sloshed. Definitely not hammered.

  “I’m going to the restroom and then to find Kiersten.”

  Vodka always does me in. There’s always that moment between sucking down drinks and standing for the first time where everything is fine. I feel tingly and numb, but my limbs still move like I want them to.

  Until I stand.

  Drunk skips toward wasted.

  As past excursions would predict, the second my feet hit the floor and I push myself out of the booth, I stumble on my skinny heels. Nathan’s hand catches me by the inside of my elbow, and he uses his grip to make room to follow me out of the booth.

  His lips find my ear. “Be careful.”

  I smile uncomfortably and politely free my arm from his grasp under the guise of adjusting my skirt. The only problem is the movement draws his attention to my hemline.

  This is so not working.

  “I’m fine. Thank you for stopping me from crashing on my face.”

  He tucks his hands into his pockets and nods.

  As I turn to go do as I said, he makes no move to slide back into the booth and watches me as I walk away.

  Sadness creeps back in. I don’t want this to be the relationship I have with Nathan. I want things to go back to how they were. The easy friendship and entertainment on long shifts at work. I don’t want to be responsible for turning him down until he turns bitter with resentment. I also don’t want to make him think he has a chance when I’m not sure that he does.

  My thoughts slam to a halt as forcefully as if I’d run into a wall. The air knocks out of my lungs.

  It appears I can’t go anywhere in this town without running into Law.

  In the last booth before the hallway that leads to the bathrooms, he sits with a woman. This one different from the last, a brunette instead of a blonde. I swallow down the bit of happiness I feel that he isn’t squished up beside her in the booth. His back is to me, arm resting along the backrest, but even from this angle, I’d know that messy hair anywhere.

  Okay, I can do this. Just walk by without looking at him. Easy.

  Straightening my shoulders, I adjust my dress and do just that.

  If he notices me, I have no idea. When I push through to the women’s restroom, I feel near a panic attack. I flip the faucet as cold as it goes and dip my wrists beneath the water. The paper towel holder clanks loudly as I rip a few pieces off and get them damp, dabbing them against my neck.

  New plan. Find Kiersten, hope she’s drunk enough to go home with Rhett, fake a headache, and call a cab.

  Easy.

  I inhale a calming breath and open the door to the restroom. Loud music assaults me, and I use it like a lifeline. The tempo gives me something to focus on as I attempt to walk by Law again without tripping on my heels.

  But when I round the corner, he and his date are gone.

  I don’t think about what that means.

  The dance floor is straight ahead, and I find Kiersten, Rhett, and Nathan immediately. Kiersten and Rhett grind on one another, dancing like two lovers who know each other’s bodies well. I move beside them and do my best to make it clear to Nathan that we will not be dancing like that.

  He seems to take the hint, dancing close but without touching me.

  Between the alcohol and the rapidly changing songs, I easily lose track of time. It seems like mere minutes pass before I’m ready for a break. My mouth feels stuffed with cotton, and the flush on my cheeks begs for something cold. I stop dancing to dig my cell out of my clutch to check the time. It’s just after midnight.

  The lack of movement gives Nathan the perfect opportunity to sneak up on me. Hands grip my hips and pull me close, and his forehead presses against my temple. When he speaks, I can smell the gin on his warm breath. His lips brush against my cheek when he moves them.

  “I don’t think I told you how fucking beautiful you look in that dress.”

  He shifts his hands to trace a single finger over the cutout beneath my breasts.

  “Nathan,” I warn. As I lift my eyes, I catch someone staring at us from over his shoulder. Law stands near the back of the dance floor, his eyes steady on mine. His date converses animatedly, but she’s lost his attention, just as Nathan has lost mine.

  He twists his head. “I’m sorry, Cami. I like you, and I feel like if you’d just listen to me, we could give this thing a try.”

  I shake my head, dislodging his weight from mine. “No. I’m sorry, but no.”

  Kiersten and Rhett have graduated to sucking face. I don’t want to bother them, so I quietly slip away, leaving the three on the dance floor. Four, if you count Law.

  I return to the back hall. It’s time to step outside to cool off and call a cab. A hand wraps tightly around my forearm and spins me around, pressing my back against the cool, concrete wall before I can make it that far.

  My eyes widen in shock. I try to pull my hand away, but in his drunkenness, he’s holding on too
tight. “Nathan,” I gasp, and a shiver of dread runs through me. “Let me go.”

  “Just listen to me.”

  “No.” I state firmly, keeping my eyes on his as steady as I can. Unfortunately, we’re both drunk and that makes matters worse.

  His forehead creases. “Why do you look so afraid? I’d never hurt you.”

  “You are, Nathan. Your hand is hurting me.”

  “I think I’m in love with you.” He speaks as if I hadn’t. As if he’s too drunk to hear me, which he probably is. His eyes turn lazy and the lids lower.

  “No, you’re not. You’re drunk and you need to let me go.”

  His thigh wedges between mine, forcing them apart, and the hem of my dress rides higher. He moves his grip from my forearm to my hand and snatches the other, pressing both tightly to the wall.

  He’s going to kiss me, and I’m powerless to stop it.

  His head dips, and without another word, he swallows my protest when his mouth hits mine. This is nothing like our first kiss. It isn’t sweet and exploring. It’s rough and stealing something I don’t want him to have.

  His body is abruptly ripped from mine and thrown against the opposite wall. Harsh breaths echo in the cramped, dark space. I can’t tell who they belong to. Law stands beside me, staring down at Nathan with his face a terrifying mask of rage.

  “Don’t ever fucking touch her.” He doesn’t shout. The words rip from him in a deep growl.

  Nathan looks between the two of us, and his shoulders slump. “I’m sorry, Cami.”

  Law doesn’t wait to hear what else he has to say. That, or he needs to leave before he loses control. He wraps his arm around my upper back and guides me down the hall to the exit.

  I’m trembling. He shrugs out of his jacket and wraps me in it. I breathe in his warm scent and use it to ground me. What the hell just happened?

  We ascend a flight of stairs, and he holds the door open. Bitter cold greets me, but I welcome it. My body burns from the mixture of alcohol, dancing, and the recent encounter.

  Words aren’t spoken between us as we walk. I don’t know where we’re going until headlights flash through the falling snow in front of us. He brought me to his truck. Opening the passenger side for me, he waits for me to get in, then rounds the hood to his door.