Something Real

by Allegra Johnson

  “I don’t hate you. I just don’t like you and your kind.”

  My kind? What the hell does that mean?

  Declan blew out a breath, shaking off the aggravation he was feeling. He couldn’t think of a single reason why she would be acting so cold to him. He had never done anything to her. He practically worshiped the ground she walked on, albeit from afar as the stars had never aligned themselves for him. All those years of wanting . . . He had to do something to change her mind about him. But what? He didn’t even know what he did wrong. His hands worked on autopilot, preparing the martini. He found himself shaking the drink extra vigorously before pouring it into a glass.

  Placing a napkin in front of Taylyn, he set the martini on it and spoke in a professional tone. “This is the Princess Martini. As you can see, it’s pink.”

  He took a step back and crossed his arms, waiting for her feedback. Taylyn took a tentative sip. Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled. She took a larger drink, sighing happily as she finished.

  “Oh, this is really good! It’s a contender for sure. What else do you have for me to try?”

  “Next up is the Frisky Fairy, a margarita made with tequila and coconut rum. The sugar on the rim would be pink for the party; I didn’t have any on hand today.”

  Declan retained his professional tone as he mixed several ingredients over ice. After another vigorous shake, he strained the drink into the sugar-rimmed margarita glass. He set it down on a fresh napkin and removed the empty martini glass in the process.

  “Yum!” Taylyn dove in for a second helping. “Oh yah, this one is really good. It’s like piña colada without the crushed ice. No ice cream headaches! This one has moved to the top of the list. You should add it to the bar menu.”

  “I have a couple more for you to try. One is a frozen cocktail made with rosé, and the other is basically a Sex on the Beach with a few minor tweaks.”

  “Ugh. No frozen drinks. Ice cream headaches kinda kill the vibe. But hey, I like Sex on the Beach, so bring it on!”

  Declan thought there might have been some innuendo to her last statement. She had certainly loosened up in the little time she’d been there. Declan worked his magic, getting the last sample drink made. His thoughts raced over Taylyn’s hot and cold attitude toward him. He really needed to get to the bottom of this before he drove himself crazy. He laid down a fresh napkin and placed the last drink on top of it, clearing away her empty glass.

  “And finally, the Naughty Nymph.”

  “Can I have another Frisky Fairy? I really liked that one!”

  Taylyn smiled at him, and his heart skipped a beat. Damn, she had a beautiful smile. What he wouldn’t give to see that smile every day for the rest of his life. But first . . .

  “What did you mean when you said ‘my kind?’”

  The smile from moments ago changed to a scowl, her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared. This was not going to be good. Was it too late to take back the question? Yes. Most definitely. Declan braced himself for whatever fury she was about to unleash on him.

  “You know exactly what I mean! All you pretty boys are the same. Love ’em and leave ’em. Toy with their hearts. Down to fuck, but shush, don’t tell anyone. I’m not having it anymore. Never.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about? I’ve never done anything like that to anyone. Especially not you! Don’t you know how much—”

  “Bullshit.”

  “You’re calling bullshit? How?”

  Taylyn’s expression grew angrier. Her voice was rough, firm, and cold when she spoke. “You have done it to me. You probably don’t even remember. I was just another girl in a long line of girls.”

  Declan was stunned silent. His heart thundered in his chest. He couldn’t have done that to her. Not her, not his Taylyn. Did he love her? Probably. But he never left her. They were never a couple. They never fucked. All he had was that one kiss. That one special moment when it was just them. That one time he got to hold her in his arms. That time when everything was just right. Perfect. His golden angel.

  “You don’t remember! I knew it! Let me refresh your memory while you make me another Frisky Fairy. It was late August, down at the lake. I was leaving, trying to find a—”

  “At the summer’s end party? The year I left for college? I remember that night perfectly.”

  “Bull—”

  “Stop that! I do remember. You were wearing faded stonewashed capris, a dark purple tank top with ruffles, and a pair of sandals. Your hair was in a French braid. You smelled like peaches. You were leaning against a white pickup truck, texting, and when you looked up at me and smiled, my heart stopped.” Declan saw her anger fade. Her body relaxed with each detail. He gave the second Frisky Fairy a quick shake before pouring and serving it to her.

  “Do you remember anything else?”

  Declan rested his arms on the bar top and leaned in closer. “I remember sharing the best kiss I’ve ever had with a beautiful blue-eyed angel that smelled like heaven.”

  “Bull—”

  He silenced her with a finger over her lips, shaking his head. “No calling bullshit on this one.” He straightened to his full height and folded his arms over his chest, staring her down.

  “It couldn’t have been the best. You cut it off. As soon as you reached my . . .” Taylyn bit her lip, looking toward James at the other end of the bar. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “When you reached my, uh, muffin top, you stopped kissing me. You pulled away. You pushed me away. You looked disgusted. You have obviously confused your perfect kiss with someone else. It wasn’t with me. I was just the fat chick you gave a ride home. Thanks for that, by the way. It would have sucked getting stuck walking in that thunderstorm.”

  Declan’s stomach dropped. He couldn’t breathe. A loud pounding filled his ears. He tried to speak but couldn’t. That wasn’t right. That wasn’t what happened. He finally sucked in a large gulp of air and exhaled slowly. He didn’t trust his voice when he finally spoke.

  “Is that what you think?” The words were a hoarse whisper. He cleared his throat, took another deep breath, and continued. “I did not . . . You were drunk! I stopped kissing you because you were drunk. Is that why you’ve been so cold to me? I can’t believe you’ve thought that for all these years. Don’t you know how much it killed me to stop kissing you? Don’t you know that I lov—”

  “Yo, Dee! Come here for a minute and look at this inventory sheet. I think there’s something wrong with the count,” James interrupted Declan’s rant.

  Declan looked over at James and back at Taylyn. “This isn't over. You’re wrong.”

  So wrong.

  Declan made his way over to James, checking over his shoulder to see that Taylyn hadn’t moved. He was going to finish what he was saying, and she was going to listen. He had to make her understand. She was all he had left to hope for.

  “This better be good. Those aren’t inventory sheets, and I’m in the middle of something really important over there.”

  “Dude, you need to chill. She misunderstood your intentions. It’s no big deal. Take it down a notch, and for the love of all that is holy, don’t go throwing that L-word out there like that.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing, dude, trust me on this one. I didn’t hear what she said, but it’s clear that whatever it was hurt her deeply. She’s gonna need time to process that.” James finished his thought with a shrug. “Now go play nice. And don’t go saying you love her. Even if you do.”

  ♡

  Taylyn finished the Naughty Nymph, not even registering the taste. She was confused. Declan seemed so sure of himself. Had she remembered that evening wrong? No, she couldn’t have. She wasn’t drunk that night. She hadn't been at the party long enough to get drunk. She was leaving early after she saw her ex show up with his new girlfriend. He was wrong, and she was going to tell him that as soon as he got back. She picked up the Frisky Fairy, then downed a quarter of it in one gulp. These drinks were goin
g to be dangerous; they went down like water. Her favorite kind.

  “Now, where were we?”

  Taylyn looked up at Declan. She tried to hold onto her anger, but it was too hard when he was looking down at her with those caramel-colored eyes. She just wanted to forgive and forget and maybe try that kiss thing again. She shook that thought off. No. She needed to move away from him; she couldn’t think right with him here.

  “You were trying to make me believe your fairy tale about a perfect kiss.”

  “It wasn’t a fairy tale. It happened. I want it to happen again. Often.”

  Me too. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she did want that kiss again.

  “I was not drunk. I had maybe three Jack nips at the party. I may have had a buzz, but I was nowhere near drunk.”

  “Fine, you weren’t drunk. You had been drinking, and I have a rule. You don’t mess with girls that have been drinking. It’s wrong.”

  “Well, aren’t you just the perfect fucking gentleman. Good for you!” Taylyn stood up and grabbed her drink. “I’m gonna go shoot some pool. Later.”

  She left him standing at the bar, not wanting to hear anything else from him. She needed to think. She wasn’t wrong. He’d pushed her away because of her size. He could say what he wanted, but she knew the truth: pretty boys don’t date fat chicks.

  Chapter 10

  Declan had spent the last five hours watching Taylyn from across the room as he served the thirsty patrons. The happy hour crowd had started filing in shortly after she left him at the bar. Taylyn had switched over to pitchers of beer after finishing the Frisky Fairy. Not that she ordered them from him. She’d waved down the waitress instead. He was getting antsy wanting to finish their conversation but having no time with the bar so busy.

  Autumn had joined Taylyn at the pool table around eight, and Declan was glad to see her at the bar. She didn’t come by often, and with her living on the other side of town, he didn’t get to see her much. Ella had come in about ten minutes before. She talked with Taylyn, then made her way over to Declan at the bar to order two pitchers, one cola the other beer. Declan strained to hear what she was rambling on about as he filled the pitchers.

  Ella paused mid-sentence, staring out the large picture window. “Shit. Shit fuck no.” She turned away from Declan at the bar and quickly walked toward the door.

  Declan followed her path with his eyes, wondering what the hell she was up to now. With Ella, you never knew.

  The door opened, and Trent Miller walked in. Ella approached him and began an animated conversation that couldn’t be heard over the noise in the crowded bar. Looking in the direction one of her hands kept waving, he saw Taylyn returning from the bathroom. Stumbling a bit, she bumped into a pole. She appeared to apologize to the pole, causing Declan to laugh. The commotion at the door must have caught her attention; no longer stumbling, Taylyn started for the door.

  What the fuck is going on?

  Then he remembered—Trent! The cheater. Declan hurried around the bar and raced to Taylyn before she could get to Trent. He almost made it.

  Taylyn shouldered Ella to the side and grabbed Trent by his shirt, slamming him into the wall with enough force that his head bounced off it twice. Declan winced just thinking about it, but he smiled internally that his girl was the one that did it.

  She’s not your girl. Yet.

  He took hold of Taylyn’s arm mid-swing, catching her before she could connect her fist with Trent’s face. “Hey, stop that!” He tugged her arm again, pulling her closer to himself. “Tay, come on. He’s not worth another case. You’re already in enough trouble.”

  She pulled out of his grip and took a step toward Trent, mumbling something that sounded a lot like “fuck off,” but he couldn’t be sure with the noise of the crowd forming around them. Declan quickly moved in front of her, wedging himself between her and Trent.

  Dammit!

  Not knowing how else to defuse the situation, he grabbed Taylyn in a bear hug, lifted her a few inches off the ground, and marched to his office, fighting his way through the crowd. He winced at the twinge of pain in his knee. He shifted Taylyn’s body slightly for a more comfortable grip. He looked back to see Ella in another animated conversation with Trent, most likely trying to get him to not call the cops. Declan knew that was fruitless. He was sure either James or his second bartender had called the cops when the ruckus began as was the policy. Declan sighed. This was the first time he’d have to deal with Silverton’s finest as the bar’s owner. He was not looking forward to it.

  Taylyn wiggled around on his shoulder, trying to break free. Her fist slammed his back. “Put me down! I’m gonna kick his ass!”

  Declan slapped her denim-covered ass, “No, you’re not! You’re coming with me to my office.”

  He dropped her down in front of the door, forcing her up against it while he punched the code into the lock. The door clicked, and he pushed Taylyn into the office, slamming the door behind him. Leaning against it, he watched Taylyn as she started to pace the room like a caged tiger.

  “Tay, calm down, please. He’s an asshole and not worth it. Tay, just stop.”

  “Stop what? You already stopped me by dragging me in here!” She waved her hands around to indicate her current confinement.

  “I didn’t drag you. I’m not a caveman. I carried you,” he answered in an amused tone, then flinched at the angry glare he received.

  There was a knock on the door. Declan cracked it open to see Ella looking just as angry as Taylyn. He stepped back, opening the door to let her in. He could see a large crowd still gathered by the front door and James looking haggard as he tried to settle everyone down. Declan closed the door on the noise and was instantly assaulted by Ella’s swiping hand.

  “Was there vodka in any of those drinks you made her?”

  “Yes?” Declan tried to remember. He thought maybe the first one had vodka.

  “Oh my God! You cannot give Tay vodka! Bad things happen!” She pointed toward the bar area while stomping her foot.

  Overdramatic much?

  “Is this like a Gremlins thing? Don’t feed her after midnight, don’t get her wet?”

  “This isn’t funny! Bad things, Declan! Bad. Things.”

  “Okay. No more vodka. I’m sorry, she didn’t come with a warning label.”

  “She is right here and can hear you,” Taylyn snapped. “She doesn’t have a problem with vodka. She has a problem with a cheating ass motherfucker coming into her spot. She also has the problem of not having a drink in her hand, and that’s pissing her off. Ella, go get my drink for me.”

  “NO!” Declan and Ella shouted in unison.

  “No more alcohol for you. You’re shut off. I should have shut you off two rounds ago. There’s soda and water in the cooler over there.” He waved a hand toward the vintage beer cooler in the corner.

  Declan ran his hands through his hair. What a fucking mess. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to Taylyn again after the taste testing. He had hoped to get some time alone with her. This was not what he had in mind though. He looked for Taylyn and saw her sitting on the couch with a bottle of water. At least she’d stopped pacing.

  “Okay. Ella, go get your car, and drive around to the back door here. Pick up Tay and take her—”

  A knock on the office door cut off Declan’s words. He opened the door a crack and saw two officers standing there. He stepped back to let them in.

  Fuck.

  The police officers looked around the room and went straight for Taylyn. One officer was already taking her handcuffs out.

  “I need you to stand up. You’re under arrest for assault and violation of a protective order.”

  “No, wait! She didn’t assault anyone. I brought her in here before she could. What protective order?” Declan spoke up even as Taylyn stood and turned around for the officer to take her into custody.

  “Fuckwad has a restraining order on her. He’s scared and feels threatened by a girl,” Ella supplied.


  “Then Trent is the one that broke the protective order. Taylyn has been here since four o’ clock. Trent just came in. That’s how it works, right?”

  “Not to mention this is Taylyn’s spot! It was even listed as a place she might be at to be served the order. It listed her work address, the college, her apartment, and JD’s.”

  “She’s been here all night?” one of the officers asked.

  “Yes, she came in around four for a taste testing. After that she was playing pool. It’s also karaoke night; she’s always here for karaoke night.”