by Vivian Wood
Cate comes back into the bar area, tying one of the stiff black leather aprons that I keep for staff around her waist. She puts her hair into a messy ponytail, which looks very punk rock to me.
She looks up from her grooming to see me grinning at her and narrows her eyes. “What?”
“Nothing. I’ve just never seen you wear your hair up before.” I shrug, amused. “It looks nice like that.”
She blushes, seeming not to know how she’s supposed to respond to that. “Uh… thanks?”
I lift a crate of citrus fruit onto the bar, eyeing her. “How would you like to try bar backing a little tonight?”
She comes a little closer, pushing onto her tiptoes to peer inside the crate. “What does that mean?”
“Bar backing? It’s the step between waitressing, which you’re already doing, and bartending. I know that when it gets busy we’ll need you and April to wait on tables. But before and after the rush, I could start teaching you the trade.” I screw up my face. “Plus I have to do a mountain of prep work today anyway, to get us ready for the weekend. But when you master this, you are ready to move on to bartending…” I wave my hands over the oranges, my tone turning silly. “You too could be the master of this citrus crate.”
She rolls her eyes but she smiles too. “Sure. Yeah, I would actually love that.”
I grin at that. “We’ll see how you feel after your first shift.”
She shakes her head, smirking. “Put me to work, Mister Boss. I’m ready.”
I nod to the crate of oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. “Let’s start here. We need five quarts each of lemon and lime juice. And one each of orange and grapefruit.”
Cate scrunches up her face. “I’m guessing that you have some way to extract the juice?”
I jerk my thumb behind me, to the juicer in the corner. “Right there. You start by cutting a bunch of lemons in half. Then you put them in the press and push down the top.” I smirk. “I hope you brought all your upper body muscles, because this is a really physical part of bartending.”
She lifts her eyebrows. “Show me how you do it. I’ll just copy whatever you do.”
I pull out two cutting boards and grab two kitchen knives. Then we set to work, cutting up citrus and juicing it into empty quart containers.
Then we make a lot of lemon and lime slices for garnishes, stocking the three wells of the bar with them. I add fresh thyme and whole oranges to the wells, then show Cate how to fill everything with ice from the back.
“That’s pretty much it,” I say, grabbing a stack of cocktail napkins. “Bradford probably has a more thorough routine but that’s the gist. Now, as a bar back, you’ll want to make sure that my ice wells are full all night. Clean and polish glasses anytime you have a free second. And maybe ask me whether there is anything we need from the storage room a couple of times.”
“Juice the citrus,” she recounts. “Do garnishes. Make sure there are ice and glasses behind the bar. I think I can handle that.”
I lean against the bar, grabbing a polishing rag for glasses. “Now just add a thousand customers into the mix and you’ve got yourself a proper shift.”
She purses her lips and narrows her eyes, but I can see the humor that she’s trying to hide. “I guess so.”
Customers start coming in after that, packing the bar and the tables. I put my head down and work, running the service well and attending to customers at the bar. A lo-fi garage rock band starts playing at some point, only increasing the noise level and the number of patrons waiting for drinks.
I lose myself in the work, pouring and mixing and shaking drinks. Cate checks in with me a couple of times and keeps pulling clean glasses out of the dishwasher. I run out of ice once but even as I am gritting my teeth, she comes in with a full ice bucket.
Alice shows up to wait tables for a few hours; she’s experienced and can almost run this whole bar by herself. She even jumps back behind the bar and makes drinks a few times. Once she’s here, I feel a little less pressured.
Owen pops his head out of the back during the rush. “You need help?”
“Can you just pour wine and open beers?” I ask, using the peeler and an orange to pull a long rind for an old-fashioned.
“Sure thing.” He eases behind me, heading to the other end of the bar. “I know it’s a Thursday, but it’s pretty slammed in here.”
I shake a gin martini, nodding. “Yeah. Luckily I have Alice and Cate.” I purse my lips. “And now you. Together we can do it.”
Owen raises his voice to be heard over the band. “We should have scheduled you a bar back!”
Not three seconds later, Cate comes in with a fresh bucket of ice. “Hey Owen.” Her head bobs. “Do you guys need anything?”
“Just to take these drinks out to table twenty,” I say, nodding as I pour the gin martini into a glass. “Wait…” I pull a little sliver of lemon peel, twisting it up and dropping it in. “There you go.”
Cate doesn’t even blink. “Thanks.” She picks up the tray and starts carrying it off.
I look at Owen, who is considering me with an indulgent smile. “What?”
He smirks. “You like her.”
I clear my throat, giving my head a little shake. “No. I mean, I don’t hate her, but I don’t…” I stop. “You know what, man? Just shut up.”
Owen grins but doesn’t say anything else. He stays just until the rush ends, right as the band is done playing. After that everything wraps itself up pretty quickly.
Owen vanishes, Alice leaves, and I can finally fucking breathe a sigh of relief. The whole venue empties out pretty fast, leaving just a few people to finish up their drinks.
I look at the time. It’s already midnight somehow. I forgot how much faster life moves when it’s insanely busy.
“So…” Cate says, setting down a tray on the bar and stretching. “That was bananas.”
“Yeah, it was. You were a big help though.” I hesitate, trying to figure out where I am going with this. Am I just complimenting her now? “Er, you know. The whole staff helped. It was… good.”
Cate peers at me like I’ve grown a second head. “Okay… Well, what now? I would guess that we have to like… sweep and restock the fridges and stuff.”
“You got it. I’ll restock if you sweep. And keep an eye out for any customers that need to close out.”
“Got it,” she says, moving to find a broom in the back hallway.
Twenty minutes later, the bar is restocked, clean, and most importantly, empty.
“Finally!” Cate says, pulling her apron over her head. She finds a seat at the bar, kicking her shoes off. “My feet are killing me.”
I glance up at her, counting the last till. “We made a lot of money, though.” I finish sorting the tip money, then pull out two glasses. I pour two fingers of whiskey in each. “Here. Shift drink.”
Cate shrugs and takes the tumbler. As I come around the bar to sit beside her, she glances at me. “You’re awfully cool and collected after all of that.”
I smile, raising my glass. She clinks hers against mine and I take a sip, the amber liquid burns exactly the way it should on its way down. I make a satisfied sound, smacking my lips.
“Mmm. Tonight was busy, yes. But this is far from my first insane night at work. Besides…” I turn, pulling a little pile of money across the bar and pushing it over to her. “I did already say that we killed it, right?”
Cate’s eyes go wide. “This is mine?”
“Every cent.” I take another sip of whiskey. “The bartenders usually tip out the bar backs, in addition to whatever they make hourly. And in this case, whatever you made in tips as a waitress.”
“Whoa.” Cate puts the cash away in her order pad, then takes a big gulp of whiskey. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
My eyes sparkle a little. “Well, you are my wife. I guess if I’m going to roll the dice with anyone—“
Cate leans forward, stopping me by putting a hand on my chest and press
ing her mouth to mine. I’m a little surprised at first. But she tastes sweet and spicy, the whiskey on her lips like warmed honey.
I ease forward, sliding my arm around her waist. She opens her mouth under my explorations, her free hand coming up to bury itself in my hair.
God, how does she taste so damn good? How does her tongue against mine feel so fucking erotic?
Growling a little bit, needing more from her, I pull her closer. And she seems more than ready to give in to my demands, her breath hitching when I cup her tits through the thin dress she’s wearing. She blows out the breath she is holding in a low moan, letting me know that I have her full attention.
Well, that and the fact that I can feel her nipples harden under my fingers. My whole body tightens, my cock hardening.
I’m going to fuck Cate, right here at the bar. That knowledge slides through me, a hot knife twisting in my gut.
I pull away, just to suggest we move to a more private place. My office, right the fuck in the middle of my desk, for instance.
Then I hear the creak of the front door.
“Hello?”
I freeze. “Chloe?”
Chloe peeks her little blonde pixie head out of the back. She’s as gorgeous as she ever was and she’s beaming at the sight of me. “Hey! I was hoping you would be here!”
I feel Cate withdraw a little, clearing her throat and patting her hair. She’s still breathless; hell, I am too.
But then Chloe runs over to hug me, wearing a ridiculous combination of a sparkly barely-there skirt and an oversized gray sweater. “Hey! How are things?”
She hugs me for a second too long, then turns to Cate. “I’m sorry, I’m Chloe. I worked here for the first two years it was open.”
Cate clears her throat again. “Hey. I’m Cate.”
No explanation. No territorial behavior. If Madisyn were in her shoes, she would’ve oozed all over me physically and made a big deal out of the fact that we were married.
Technically married, but married nonetheless.
And Madisyn would also somehow know that Chloe and I were almost an item… that is, until she got a great job offer in Portland.
Chloe grins at both of us. “Amazing. Well, I’m in town for the next few days and I just wanted to stop by—”
“Chloe!” Owen barks, appearing from the back.
Her eyes light up. “Owen! Ah!”
She runs over and hugs him. Something sour stirs in my belly, though I’m careful to smother it.
“It’s so great to see you!” Owen says. “I want to hear about the new bar you opened up down in Stumptown.”
I look at my watch. It’s after one. “Hey, why don’t we take this somewhere else? The cleaning crew should be here any minute…”
“How about your place?” Owen says. “It’s the closest place that doesn’t have a last call.”
I see Cate make a face, but I shrug. “Okay, sure. If Chloe will come, that is…”
“I’d follow you two anywhere,” Chloe says with a wink.
And just like that, Chloe, Owen, Cate and I are headed to my house.
17
Cate
We get to Luca’s house a few minutes ahead of Owen and the bubbly, beautiful Chloe. The ride home has been mostly a silent one, with Luca glancing at me every few minutes and then sighing.
My stomach twists every single time he does. I saw the way that Luca and Chloe looked at each other. If by some miracle they never slept together, I wouldn’t bet on things staying that way.
And yeah, maybe Chloe also made eyes at Owen… but my guts aren’t tied up in knots over how she acted. I’m only worried about him.
See? This is why I’ve been alone since my parents died. I just don’t have the sheer amount of time that feeling angsty takes up in my life.
As we get out of his Porsche, he tries to explain.
“You know, Chloe is just a friend.” He pulls out his keys and unlocks the front door.
I shake my head. “Okay.”
“Really, Cate. There was a time where maybe she could have been more… but she moved away. Madisyn came after her.”
“Okay.” I bite off the word, sighing. “I think I’m just going to go to bed.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be a party foul. Stay downstairs. Have a drink with us.” He throws his coat down onto the back of a couch.
I cross my arms, feeling like a little girl. “Have you thought about how you are going to explain my presence to her?”
His surprised expression tells me that he hasn’t. “Uh… no. I wasn’t planning on explaining anything to her unless she asks, I guess.”
I run my tongue over my teeth. “Owen is in the car with her right now, alone. Who knows what little facts she’ll be filled in on by the time they get here.”
Luca shrugs. “So what?” He pats the sofa. “Come here. Take off your coat. Sit down. I’ll make us a round of drinks.”
Wrinkling my nose, I soften to his suggestion. If he’d been weird about Chloe finding out that I’m his wife, I probably would have stormed off. But he was totally chill, so I feel stupid not accepting his offer.
“Okay,” I say at last. “But can you please make me something fruity? Enough straight whiskey. That stuff is so harsh.”
Luca grins, already heading for the kitchen. “Your wish is my command, princess. I’ll be right back.”
That word, princess… it raises the fine hairs on the back of my neck. Luca is gone too fast to say anything back, but I can see him still through a large cutout in the kitchen wall.
He bounces around, in a good mood despite having worked for a solid eight hours, on his feet the entire time no less. I scowl.
What does he have to be in a good mood about?
The front door opens behind me. I turn to see Chloe and Owen letting themselves in.
“Hiiii,” Chloe says. She holds up a bottle of amber liquid. “Look what we brought…”
They come into where I am in the living room, shedding their coats. Chloe sits opposite me in a chair, winking at me.
“Let’s make the men get us drinks,” she stage whispers, giggling.
“I just need some glasses,” Owen says, plucking the bottle from Chloe’s grasp. “Where’s Luca?”
I incline my head toward the kitchen. “Getting drinks.”
Owen frowns. “I should help him.”
He heads to the kitchen, leaving me and Chloe alone. She smiles at me, clearing her throat. “So… you and Luca, huh?”
I turn redder than a beet. “Oh no. Luca and I… that is, we aren’t like… romantic or anything…”
Chloe’s perfect brows rise. “Is that right?”
Scrubbing my suddenly damp palms across the bottom of my dress, I nod. “Yup. We are like… totally, completely just friends.”
She makes a face. “That’s not what Owen says.”
“Well, Owen is wrong,” I declare. Meanwhile, I wish that I could crawl under this couch and die. Then I decide to finish with, “Luca’s a total jerk! Ew, who would want to kiss him?”
As soon as I say it, I become aware that Luca is approaching with a tray of drinks. I catch his eye and he scowls but he doesn’t say anything.
“Here, the first round is something fruity,” he says, handing me a glass. “Cate requested it.”
Chloe accepts her glass, looking at me oddly. “Well, if Cate requested it…”
My cheeks burn. I sip my drink, which is pink and frothy and honestly tastes exactly like a pink starburst.
“Mmm,” I say, almost involuntarily.
Owen takes a big gulp, then winces. “Oh man, this is so sweet. I’m definitely going to regret drinking this tomorrow.”
He sinks onto the couch beside me, forcing Luca to choose a chair at the end of the couch.
“Well, I like it,” Chloe says diplomatically. “It reminds me of summer in a glass.”
Luca pulls his chair closer before he sits down. “Thanks. It’s an older Trader Vic’s recipe so you know i
t’s actually really fucking strong.”
Owen nods, taking another gulp. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
“So…” Chloe sits forward in her seat. “God, tell me everything that I’ve missed in the last… what, almost three years? I can’t actually believe any time has passed at all.”
I sip my drink, watching a tense look between Luca and Owen.
“I got my pilot’s license,” Owen says.
“Yeah. And I was engaged and then dumped pretty spectacularly.”
Chloe hesitates, looking puzzled. “Owen said you and Cate are married, Luca.”
I flush again. For several seconds, I’m waiting for Luca to try to worm out of our arrangement. But he surprises me.
“Owen is totally right,” he nods, setting his drink on the floor. “You know what this party needs? Some music.”
Owen rolls his eyes and looks at me. “That’s his nervous tic.”
“I heard that!” Luca declares, walking over to a long mahogany sideboard. He opens it, revealing a very nice record player. He just starts the record that is already on the table, dropping the needle.
Rock music starts playing. Luca turns, looking pleased. “That’s better,” he says.
Chloe looks at me, biting her lower lip. “Cate, tell me about yourself.”
My cheeks color and I sip my drink. I’m starting to feel the effects now, a warm pleasant buzz. “What is there to tell?” I shrug. “I was raised here. I went to college with Luna at Marymount University…”
“Ah! So you know Luna, then?”
“Yep. We’ve been friends for years. Like since middle school.”
Chloe looks between me and Luca, pursing her lips. “And how did you two end up getting hitched, exactly?”
“Booze,” Luca says.
I shoot him a look, smoothing my skirt out. “We were drunk. I actually don’t remember anything from the night that it happened.”
Luca tips his glass all the way back, finishing his drink. “Yeah, all we have are the photos.”