by Amy Vansant
Emily stared through the glass at Sebastian and realized the awful truth.
She couldn’t tell him.
A girl with a crush catches the rival girlfriend cheating? How convenient. No one would believe her. Even if Sebastian did believe her, the reveal would invade his privacy and stir drama. He might resent Emily. Kill the messenger.
She couldn’t tell him.
She wanted to scream.
Maybe I could send an anonymous letter, wear gloves as I wrote it, maybe buy the paper in another state and mail it from yet another...
“Emily!”
Emily heard her name and turned. A girl walked towards her and stepped into the light, revealing a head of bouncing curls.
“Hey Kady!” said Emily. “You will never guess what I just saw.”
“Joe is definitely cheating on me,” said Kady.
Emily’s jaw fell slack. Kady didn’t look as if she’d been crying, but she didn’t look happy.
“Oh no,” said Emily, hugging her friend. “Why do you say that?”
“I just know it. I was hoping you were here so I could just get my mind off it. I—” Kady glanced through the window of the Rover. “Oh my god. Who is that with Sebastian?”
“That’s Mark. My car part buddy.”
Kady shot Emily a look. “That’s the guy who asked you out and you turned him down?”
Emily nodded. “We’re really good friends now, though.”
“Are you insane? He’s gorgeous!”
“Yeah, by the numbers. He’s just not my type. I like them a little taller, a little slimmer...”
“A little more Sebastiany,” added Kady, smirking.
“Exactly. Do you want to go somewhere and talk about Joe?”
Kady was still staring at Mark. She didn’t answer.
“Or...maybe you’d like to come in for a bit and cheer up?” suggested Emily.
“Yeah, I’ll go in for a bit,” said Kady, already halfway through the door.
Mark and Sebastian sat at the snug bar.
“It’s over?” Emily asked.
Both boys nodded.
“He beat me,” said Mark. “He always did.”
Sebastian patted Mark on the shoulder. Mark jerked away.
“Sebastian, I think you know Kady,” said Emily. “Mark, this is my friend, Kady.”
“Hey,” said Mark, turning on his million-watt grin.
“Hey,” said Kady, shaking his hand. Emily saw cartoon hearts in Kady’s eyes.
“You play?” asked Mark.
Kady nodded. “But I didn’t bring my darts.”
“You can borrow mine,” said Emily.
Kady thanked her and snatched the darts from the bar.
“Let’s diddle,” she said to Mark.
Mark winked at her.
Kady giggled.
“Jeez,” said Emily. “Get a room.”
At ten o’clock, Emily hit the wall and wanted to go home. She hadn’t planned to stay out so late. Mark and Kady were playing their fifth game, and Emily had stayed to play wingman. It made her happy to see Kady happy.
Sebastian had disappeared. Emily assumed he’d gone home. She hoped at that very moment, he was walking in on Greta and her mystery man. It wasn’t a very nice thought, but poor cuckold Sebastian had to find out sooner or later and sooner worked for Emily. It was like peeling off a Band-Aid. Or makeshift nipple tape. Whatever.
Emily left the snug and weaved through the bar crowd toward the ladies’ room. She’d gone twenty minutes earlier for the first time since arriving, and now she’d have to go every twenty minutes for the rest of the night. She hated when she broke the seal.
Mission accomplished, Emily headed back to the front of house. She felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned and found Sebastian, bleary-eyed and buzzed. She wasn’t the only one who had stayed too late.
“You’re here!” Sebastian said. “Hey.”
“I am!” Emily said. “Hey.”
Sebastian paused to steady himself and then pointed at Emily with the hand gripping his cocktail. The pink liquid sloshed, each wave cresting at the lip of the glass, but never spilling. Sebastian was a professional.
“We should talk,” he said.
“Yeah?”
With his free hand, Sebastian raised his middle and index fingers into a “V” shape, like a backwards peace sign. He used it to point at his own two eyes, one finger for each eye, and then pointed the fork back at Emily.
“I’ve had my eye on you,” he said.
Emily laughed.
“Who, me?”
Sebastian straightened and stared down at her.
“You’re short,” he said.
“I’m not short! I’m five-five! That’s average.”
Sebastian stood straighter and patted Emily on the head.
“You’re cute. Like an adorable little Oompa Loompa.”
“You better watch it, bub,” said Emily, balling a fist. “You’re about to get Oompa Loompa’d.”
Sebastian snickered.
Around them, people yelled to be heard over both the music and other screaming drunks, oblivious to the magic happening in their midst.
“Are you dating Mark?” Sebastian asked.
“What? No, I—”
Sebastian cut Emily’s protestations short by putting his index finger against her bottom lip as if to hush her. Slowly, he gently pushed her upper lip against her nose. He continued to push her lips around with this finger until she started to giggle.
“What are you doing?” Emily tried to get her words past Sebastian’s manipulation of her lips.
“Chh!” said Sebastian.
Emily remained still, curious how long Sebastian’s shushing would continue.
“Sebastian...”
“Cchh!” snapped Sebastian again. “Hush now. You hush.”
Unable to contain it any longer, Emily burst out laughing and slapped his hand away.
“What are you doing? You’re drunk.”
“Me? Drunk? Nooo...”
“Lil’ bit,” said Emily, pinching the air with her forefinger and thumb.
Sebastian imitated her gesture just inches from Emily’s face.
“Lil’ bit,” he echoed.
Sebastian wiped his face with his hand and shook his head like a wet dog.
“We should talk,” he said. He looked around the bar. “You want to go somewhere quiet?”
Emily nodded. “Okay. I need to get my dart pack. It’s behind the snug.”
“Okay. Pack it up!”
Emily scurried towards the snug to get her things. She shook with giddiness. This was it. This was the moment. Sebastian was going to tell her that he and Greta had broken up and the two of them were a green light. Maybe the expensive, day-glow handbag had been a consolation prize?
Emily pushed through the crowd to the front of the bar. It was like squeezing into a Japanese subway car at rush hour.
She grabbed her dart pack and paid her tab. She battled back to where she had left Sebastian.
He was gone.
Emily stood on her toes and scanned the bar. Sebastian was tall; surely, she would spot his head bobbing above the crowd.
Nothing.
Maybe he had followed her to the front. Maybe he was standing outside waiting for her. Steeling her resolve, she cut through the crowd until she spotted Benny.
“Benny!” she said, grabbing his arm. He was slobbering over a girl in a red tank top. She didn’t seem impressed, but Emily didn’t have time to give Benny pointers.
“Have you seen Sebastian?” she screamed over the noise.
Benny pointed to the door. “He left.”
Emily shot a look to the front door to confirm Benny pointed to the exit.
“What? When?” she screeched.
“A while ago. He does that. Once he hits a certain level of drunk, he just disappears without saying good-bye. He pulled a runner.”
“No!”
Emily whirled and burst out
of the bar, certain she would find Sebastian waiting outside, leaning against a pole, smoking a cigarette like a wobbly James Dean.
The sidewalk was empty except for one stumbling couple weaving their way home.
No Sebastian.
Sonovabitch.
Chapter Eighteen
Sebastian pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called his brother Garrett.
“Hello?” answered a sleepy voice.
“Hey. You awake?”
“I wasn’t. I guess I am now. What’s up?”
“I’m walking home from the Rover. This part of town is a little sketchy so if I drop the phone and you hear gunshots, come get me.”
“Got it.” Garrett yawned. “You drunk?”
Sebastian nodded and then realized his brother couldn’t hear his nod.
“Yeah. What was your first clue? That it’s midnight or because I left my truck at the bar and I’m walking home?”
“Yep. Those.”
Sebastian heard the sound of a door opening as he passed a house and quickened his pace. He glanced behind him. No one followed.
“Don’t you work tomorrow?” asked Garrett. “Why are you out so late? Is Greta with you?”
“No. We’re done. Been weeks.”
“Yeah? I figured when you started showing up here more often. Sorry to hear that.”
Sebastian scowled. “Really?”
“No. I couldn’t stand her.”
Sebastian hesitated, trying to decide how much he wanted to get into his story. He still had a long walk ahead of him.
“There’s this other girl...” he began.
“Uh oh. You got caught?”
“No! I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life. Unlike Greta...”
“She was cheating on you?”
“Yeah, pretty sure. Not that it really mattered. We have nothing in common.”
“No shit. I could have told you that months ago and saved you some time.”
“Whatever.”
Sebastian weaved too close to the edge of the curb and slipped. He caught himself and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. It was dark. He walked faster. The city needed to install more streetlights in this area. Should I write the paper? Or write the mayor...or maybe the department of public works? Is there a department of public lights?
“Hello?” said a voice.
Sebastian looked at his phone. Someone was on his phone.
“Hello?”
“So who’s the new girl?”
“Oh, hey, Garrett! What new girl?”
“The new girl you like.”
“Oh!” Sebastian remembered now. Emily.
“She’s—I dunno. I mean, I know... I know who she is...her name’s Emily. She’s just... I like her. I really like her. She’s smart. And cute. And when she laughs her eyes do this thing—”
“I get the picture,” said Garrett, cutting him short.
Sebastian rubbed his face with his hand. Suddenly, he had the weird feeling he’d forgotten something; like he was supposed to do something. Maybe something at work? Was that it?
“Problem is,” said Sebastian. “Although the Greta thing is dead, I’m still in her house. I need to find a place. I don’t want to move into this new girl’s place like a loser. I mean, not that she asked or anything.”
“She has a place? Dude, just move in there.”
“No. I’m not a damn giggle low...er, jigaglo... dammit...I mean, gigolo. And I just met her. We’ve sort of been hanging out, but I don’t have this clean break yet and it’s just...I dunno. I don’t want to mess up everything. I have to get out of Greta’s house. She’s like, always trying to seduce me.”
Garrett laughed. “Oh that sounds awful, Bastian.”
“Shut up. Greta and I never really gave a damn about each other and now that we officially don’t give a damn about each other, it feels like nothing has changed. That makes it hard to say no sometimes, you know? That shit’s confusing.”
Garrett yawned again. “Dude, you’re confusing. You’re making no sense.”
“But she keeps pushing for sex. It’s a pain in the ass.”
“I’m not touching that.”
“I should have been gone a long time ago. But every time I almost went, something came up and I got sucked back in.”
“Just when I thought I was out,” said Garrett, in his best Michael Corleone voice. “They pull me back in.”
“I really like this Emily,” said Sebastian, ignoring Garrett. “But I’m just not ready to do this all over again. I’m tired. I feel like I just need to be by myself for a while. I need to find a place...and on the other hand, I think she might like this guy Mark I know from high school, which is just weird, and I’m afraid I’ll miss my chance with her.”
“You’re overthinking this shit. Get the hell away from Greta; go move in with Cecily.”
“Emily.”
“Emily. Whatever.”
Sebastian sighed. He looked up, surprised to find he was home. “I’m home. I’ll let you go. You were absolutely no help, thanks.”
“No problem, anytime. You can stay here for a while if you want, y’know.”
Sebastian considered this as he walked up the steps to Greta’s apartment. Living at his brother’s would be a pain, but it might be time to bite the bullet.
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it. I’m going to do some hardcore apartment hunting and if I can’t find anything I’ll take you up on it. I gotta get out of here.”
“Yup, ‘night. Call me again this late and I’ll kill you.”
He hung up.
“Night,” said Sebastian to the dead phone. He felt his pockets for his keys. After a moment of panic, he found them and let himself in.
Greta wasn’t there. Binker stretched out on the bed, sound asleep and snoring. He didn’t flinch when Sebastian bumped into his boxes and the kitchen items inside clattered. In addition to being fake blind, the dog was nearly fake deaf.
Sebastian stripped to his boxers, grabbed a blanket and went to the sofa to sleep. He lay there for a few minutes. Something was nagging him.
He was supposed to have done something.
He couldn’t remember what.
Sebastian hummed as he fell asleep.
“Oompa, doompa, oopity doo... I got another drinky for you...”
Sebastian woke up, unsure where he was. He spotted Greta standing near the door. He was home.
“You just getting home?” he mumbled, trying to look at his watch. He squinted. It was four a.m.
“Yes. I passed out at Sydney’s for a while.”
“Mmm,” grunted Sebastian, falling back to sleep.
“You look drunk.”
“You look drunk.”
“You know you don’t have to sleep on the sofa.”
“We broke up,” said Sebastian, barely moving his lips. His face was pressed into the pillow. He couldn’t breathe. He turned on his back, gasping for air.
“I know. That doesn’t mean you have to sleep on the sofa, though.”
Greta sat on the edge of the sofa and ran her fingernails through Sebastian’s hair, scratching his scalp.
It felt good. Maybe I could just let her do that for a little bit longer...
“No!” said Sebastian aloud, swatting at Greta’s hand as if it was a bothersome fly. “I mean, yes, it does mean that. Bad Greta. No. I’m not falling for your womanly willies anymore. No more touchy. Go away.”
“I think it’s feminine wiles. Not womanly willies.”
“That too,” mumbled Sebastian.
“Come on, come to bed,” breathed Greta. “You’ll hurt your back sleeping on this crappy sofa.”
“No!” said Sebastian, recoiling from her touch. “Go away, She-Demon. Go. Shoo.”
Greta stood.
“Come on, Sebby...”
“No means no,” said Sebastian, lifting his hand high enough off the sofa to snap his fingers to his palm and wave. “Buh-bye.”
Greta huffed. Sebastian
opened his eyes a slit and saw Greta standing over him, her hands on her hips. He closed his eyes again.
“Whatever,” she said.
“Whatever,” Sebastian echoed into his pillow.
Sebastian heard Greta in the bathroom. He rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.
“Nice try, trying to seduce me when I’m drunk and sleepy!” he called out to Greta.
There came no reply.
“We’re broken up!”
Silence.
“It’s official, no confusion!”
More silence.
“Line in the sand! Done! Splitsville! Over and out!”
Greta slammed the bedroom door.
Sebastian’s lips curled into a smile.
“Exactly,” he mumbled, rolling on to his opposite side. “That’s what I said.”
Sebastian closed his eyes and released a long, sleepy sigh.
Chapter Nineteen
The next night was Dart Night at the Irish Rover, and Sebastian appeared in good spirits. Emily was partnered with Tompkins, the best dart player in the house. They’d won, no thanks to her, and she was ninety-five dollars richer after splitting the winnings. In her excitement, she’d nearly forgotten all about Sebastian, until she heard a voice from across the bar.
“Hey Emily,” called Sebastian. He sat by himself in the back of the bar. He and Benny had been knocked out the running early.
Sebastian patted the bar stool next to him as she approached.
“Have a seat,” he said.
“Poor you,” she said, hopping on the stool. “I’m so sorry we had to kick your ass earlier.”
Tompkins and Emily had crushed Sebastian and Benny early in the evening, and it felt good. She was still angry that Sebastian had ditched her the night before. He hadn’t apologized. She was seething. She wanted to confront him, but the spotlight of Dart Night wasn’t the ideal stage.
At least she’d beaten him at darts. Sebastian was good, but not good enough to carry Benny past her and Tompkins. Emily was grateful for Benny; his presence ensured she wasn’t the worst player in the house. Her game had improved while his never did.
“Funny,” said Sebastian. “That’s good, that you won. I mean, that Tompkins won.”