One Special Love (One Night Only Book 2)

by Abby Gale

  “They seem like they’re already having fun.”

  “Yeah,” he chuckles.

  “You seem lonely,” I tease him when I notice there is no one waiting for him on the table.

  “I was hoping to find some company, to be honest. But my boyfriend and I ended things. Plans can change, right?” he huffs, and his face breaks a smile before asking “Too much info?”

  I laugh, “No. I was just thinking…” I trail off when I see Toby is entering the bar in panic. “Acacia, sorry. I overslept then my bike didn’t work. I had to walk all the way,” he says, panting.

  “Another!” Mr Grumpy yells and adds another reluctant, “Please.”

  “Coming right up,” I tell him before turning to Toby. “It’s fine. You take care of my friend Landon here. His friends are kinda occupied right now.” I wink at him.

  “Landon. That’s Toby. I need to deal with Mr Grumpy right there.” I start walking before giving them any chance to answer, but I catch a glimpse of both of them checking one another out.

  He’s such a horndog.

  “Can you leave the bottle here?” Mr Grumpy asks. His voice isn’t ordering I think he is kind when he is drunk and rude when he is sober.

  “Yeah, I can. But you already look like you drank way too much. Are you okay?” I can’t stop myself prying as he looks kind of vulnerable.

  “Just leave me alone with the damn bottle. Can you?” he snaps. Well, not so much a kind drunk, when his rudeness comes into view - my urge to comfort and care fly out of the window.

  “If you cause trouble here I won’t hesitate to kick your ass. Just a warning,” I snap back and place the bottle in front of him. It is still half full, I hope he doesn’t drink it all, but I don’t give him much of a thought since he is back to being an asshole. I get the other side of the counter and walk around the bar to pick up the empty bottles here and there as it’s quietened down a little now.

  ~*~

  Hours pass by busy with the night crowd, and Mr Grumpy looks content with his bottle of whiskey as he doesn’t yell his orders anymore. Toby and Landon are totally in their own world, they aren’t even obvious to me as I try to get all the work done by myself. But I don’t have the heart to call Toby for help as he looks happy after a while. His excitement is written all over his face as he talks to Landon.

  When it is time to close, it is only Toby, Landon, Mr Grumpy and I in the bar. But according to looks that Landon and Toby give each other I know, they won’t be here much longer. Just like I guessed, Toby comes to stand next to me with a huge grin on his face.

  “Sia, would you mind if I go out early?”

  Toby has called me Sia since we first met, he said that the name ‘Acacia’ was too long and decided to shorten it. I don’t mind though, I like it.

  “You stayed much longer than I thought you would anyway.” I laugh and wave him off, “Go. Have fun, but you owe me one!”

  “If I liked pussy yours would be the one I want to bang all day every day, Winters,” he says and places a sloppy kiss to my cheek.

  “Go.” I push him teasingly.

  “You’ll be fine with him? He looks wasted. Do you need help?” He points Mr Grumpy. He is close to falling from his barstool.

  “Damn. I didn’t notice he drank the whole bottle. I need to get a cab for him.”

  “Do you know where he lives?”

  “No. Oh, I forgot to tell you that’s the guy who has a big dent in his car because of me.”

  “Damn, girl. We need to figure out a way for him,” Toby says and goes around the counter to get near his barstool. I watch as he checks his pockets, “Toby, what the hell are you doing?”

  “I’m trying to find his phone, silly.” He rolls his eyes but huffs after a few minutes. “Damn, he doesn’t have his phone on.”

  “No phone, no address… what will I do with him?” I ask Toby and Landon.

  “I think you can take him to your house. So, he’ll be safe, and maybe he’ll forget about his car as a thank you?”

  “What? I won’t take him to my place! Never… and he doesn’t even care about the car remember, I am the one who cares. So, moot point.”

  “Where will he go then?”

  “I can take him to Miss Perguson’s place?”

  “Hell no. That old lady will eat a man like him alive. You can’t take him somewhere he will be taken advantage of, Sia.”

  “You’re overreacting.”

  “Hell, I’m not. That woman even tried it on me, girl. No. I won’t let you take him there.”

  “Then you take him to yours,” I exclaim.

  “I’ll be down and dirty all night, Sia. A drunk in my house is just a turn-off, okay? And since when you don’t want to take a guy home?”

  “Since something about the guy bugs me?”

  “Acacia, just take the guy home. He can’t even sit on his stool properly, what is he going to do?”

  “You’re a bad friend for forcing me into this, but okay. Happy? You go and have fun while I babysit a weirdo,” I huff.

  “Don’t overreact, Sia. You’ll be fine, and he is hot,” he chuckles and places another kiss on my cheek before leaving the bar with his new interest.

  Yes, he is hot… and this makes everything weirder than it already is.

  Well… it was a bad day from the beginning anyway.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ASHTON

  I feel myself being heaved from the stool, a sweet-sounding voice lingers in my ears. “Come on, let’s get you up.”

  “April,” I try to look for her, but she is nowhere to be seen. I try again, “April?” My tongue is thick in my mouth, and my words are slurring.

  “Ummm, no. Acacia, remember? Come on put your arm around me.”

  Acacia… where have I heard that name?

  I feel her put her arm around me, trying to move me, but she can’t. I try to move my legs, but they’re not really any help either; they’re heavy like my whole body. Dragging my body from the stool and stumbling along, I let her guide me out. The motion is making me feel sick.

  Are we in a car? Either that or I’m floating. How much did I drink?

  “Come on you, let’s get you inside. I don’t even know your name, how stupid is that?” I can hear her talking, but my drunken brain can’t comprehend what she’s saying. I drop down on the sofa as she picks up my legs and puts them on the cushion so I can lie down. Feeling the warm blanket covering me I drift off into a comatose sleep.

  “Ashton, what are you doing to yourself?”

  I open my eyes in panic; I swear I see a vision in front of me.

  Am I dreaming?

  Looking around the room I try to find the source of it, I swear I heard something, but there was nothing, maybe it was her - Acacia. Feeling the familiar cold, I pull up the blanket to cover me, but it doesn’t keep out the chill that has set in.

  “April, is that you?” I reach out a hand to where the image was, hoping I’ll touch or see her. “April… I miss you,” I murmur, closing my eyes in defeat and drift back off into a deep sleep.

  ~*~

  Shit, my head! It feels like a stampede has taken place over it.

  I lift my hand to soothe the throb in my head and massage my temple. It takes more than it should for me to open my eyes, the sunlight isn’t pleasant for my situation. One eye opens, and I see her sitting in the chair opposite me, watching me, but she seems a little nervous - like she doesn’t know what to expect.

  “Hey,” she says timidly.

  Where the fuck am I?

  I look around the room - this isn’t my place. I try to get up, but the throbbing in my head stops me. I hold my head to stop myself making any sudden movement.

  “Where am I?” I say a little croaky.

  “Let’s say you were a little drunk last night. Your car wasn’t outside, I had no clue where you lived, so I brought you here. It was the best option,” she rushes out before my hungover brain has even had a chance to catch up.

  “
I don’t even know your name. You’re rude to me every time we speak, and I put up with it when I don’t have to. I don’t even know why I do that, though. Jeez, this has been the longest twenty-four hours of my life, and that’s saying something…”

  “Jesus, slow down!” I rub my temples to see if it will ease the pain. “Ashton Kennedy.”

  “Excuse me?” She stops rambling and looks at me wide-eyed.

  “My name… it’s Ashton.” She studies me thoroughly as I drag my palms down my face and rest my head in my hands.

  “Would you like a coffee?” I slowly nod, she finally says something I’m grateful of. “Black, no sugar,” I tell her and rest my head on the back of the couch as she leaves the room.

  I must have drunk more than I thought. My head is pounding.

  ~*~

  A few moments later Acacia comes into the room with two mugs in her hands. “Here you go.” She says as I take the mug from her and mumble a “thank you.”

  “You’re not rude when you’re hungover then, that’s good,” she says sarcastically.

  “Funny.” I roll my eyes at her. Even that move makes the throbbing worse.

  We sit in an awkward silence for a while as we both sip our coffee until finally, Acacia can’t take it anymore. “How’s your head now?”

  “No better.”

  “That’ll be the bottle of whiskey you drank.” She looks away from me down into her coffee.

  “It was half of it,” I smirk.

  “But it was the strongest one on the shelf,” she taunts, shaking her head.

  “How long have you worked at Smokey’s?” I ask, and I don’t even know why.

  “A couple of years now. The owner is hardly ever there, he had me working a twelve-hour shift yesterday and never even showed his face all day, the dick! I ran the bar all day and night…”

  “Do you ever stop talking?” Jesus, I asked her only one question.

  “Sometimes this happens… especially when I’m nervous, sorry.” I watch her look down into her coffee again. I don’t take her as the timid kind of girl, which makes me feel like a bit of an asshole.

  Taking a long sip from my mug, I ask, “Why are you nervous?”

  “What?”

  “You said you talk a lot when you’re nervous.”

  “Ah, that… well, honest answer?” she smiles. I nod, waiting for her answer.

  “You make me nervous.”

  I chuckle, “Me?”

  “Of course, you. You’re like the strangest person I’ve met. One moment you’re yelling, the next you’re worried about my wellbeing. One moment you’re rude and the next we’re having a proper talk. Is there any chance of you having multiple personality disorder?”

  “Let’s get this straight. You hit my car, you were the distracted one. You were the one who can’t drive a car. I had every right to be rude, but also yes, I was worried about you being hurt. You should be the sorry one.”

  “This is exactly what I’m talking about! You keep saying you don’t care about the car, but you remind me of that every chance you get… and just because I got a little distracted does not mean I can’t drive!”

  “I’m just trying to teach you what your family didn’t.”

  “STOP! This is your second attempt at talking about my parents. Okay, you can be angry at me and thank you for worrying about my wellbeing even if you had a sick way of showing it. But never talk about my parents.”

  “I…”

  “They are dead, okay? They died in a car accident so I know how much my distraction could have cost me. But please just shut up, say a thank you and leave!”

  “Acacia?” I whisper. I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know why I try to fight with this girl every time I see her, but this time I crossed the line badly.

  Why am I such an asshole!

  She meets my eyes with a sad but angry look before saying, “I actually have to go back to the bar to tidy up from last night before we open, so if you’re ready to go I’ll take you home.” She gets up from the chair and enters the kitchen, bangs her cup on the side and disappears into the bedroom.

  Well, I’ve outstayed my welcome!

  I get up and go to the kitchen to wash up my mug and put it on the drainer. I see her come back out in a tee that hugs her curves and a ripped pair of jeans with her biker boots. Her eyes are still distant, and the anger is written all over her features.

  I deserved that. She still looks good, though! An unwelcome thought shows itself to me from the back of my mind, and I shut it down immediately.

  She dangles her keys in front of me, and I take that as my cue, walking towards the door, I take a backwards glance and regret it as her scowl has deepened and has ruined her pretty features.

  Kennedy, you’re a Grade ‘A’ asshole!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  APRIL

  I’m watching him with mixed feelings - with sadness, anger, frustration and mostly with longing. I tried to stop him as he worked his way through the bottle of whiskey, but I was useless at that bar. I was just a whisk of air without any effect.

  There is a girl, Acacia. Ashton keeps acting like a douche to her, but I know why he does that. I left a mark on him, he is scared of death. He loathes death and the idea of someone else who doesn’t value living, but she’s not like me, I can tell.

  To my surprise, Acacia puts up with him well. There is something about her, whenever she is near Ashton the power that pulls me toward him loses its intensity. Something about her soothes the pain inside me and gives me a feeling of freedom. I don’t know what that means, so I just watch… that’s the only thing I can do.

  She takes him to her house as he keeps murmuring my name. He isn’t conscious. I try to reach him, caress his face, but I can’t touch him. But she does, she can. I watch in bewilderment as she pushes his hair off his forehead, but she doesn’t pull her hand back right after. She moves her hand from his forehead to his cheek in a caring way. I wonder how his beard feels under her palm. There is a momentary jealousy that she is the one who can touch him instead of me, but I push it away, remind myself that I’m already gone from this world.

  As I get my feelings under control, she pulls her hand back like he burns her. She covers him with a blanket and sits on the chair at the corner of the room. She watches him all night just like the way I watch him. Her eyes are full of questions, but I can see something behind it; a connection.

  “April…” Ashton murmurs in his sleep again.

  “Who the hell is April?!” Acacia whispers to herself. “What happened to her that you’re in so much pain?” she asks like he can give her an answer. I want to tell her everything. I want to know why this girl makes me feel relieved, free, and in peace. However, I can’t do anything but stay there and watch…

  I’m like a fly on the wall… watching, feeling, but useless.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ACACIA

  I’m standing in the doorway of the bar, and I look at the mess from last night. I’m kind of glad the place needs lots of work today after the morning I’ve spent with Ashton. Sighing heavily, I shake my head, clear my thoughts, and leave it behind me. I start collecting all the glasses and bang them down on the bar. I’ve got two hours before I have to open up.

  I put all the chairs up on the tables and fetch the broom from the cleaning cupboard, vigorously sweeping the floor in a temper - it’s done in no time at all. I put the glasses in the dishwasher and clean the tables over with some cleaning spray, once all that’s done I empty the glasses to put more in when I hear the door open and heavy footsteps walking towards me.

  I swing around to see who is standing behind me… I see it’s my boss - great I don’t need this shit.

  “You’re early!” he says.

  I give him an empty stare because I know what is coming after this. “I hope you don’t want paying extra for this?” he asks.

  “Are you kidding me? I deserve extra. I work my ass off in this bar. I had to deal with the drunks all o
n my own last night, and we were really busy! Maybe, if you spent more time here - in your bar, then I wouldn’t be so run off my feet, and I could clean up after hours instead of having to be here two hours earlier before my shift starts - for free!” I blow out a breath after I’ve finished my rant.

  “Have you finished missy?”

  Banging the glasses onto the shelf where they live under the bar and calling him all the assholes under the sun, I stand up straight and face him.

  “Yes!”

  “Good. I understand your rant but just remember young lady who’s in charge here. I may have got you some help, and I’m making you manager, does that help?”

  Narrowing my eyes at him, I question, “Which of course means more money…?”

  “It might.”

  “Either I get more money for my promotion or….”

  “Don’t finish that sentence!” He exclaims pointing his finger at me. “Yes, I’ll pay you more. Now I have to run, I have an appointment.”

  “Wait….” Before I can finish my question the door slams behind him and I’m on my own again.

  Who the fuck will I have working with me now? All I need is a newbie that doesn’t know how to pull a beer or serve burgers. Great!

  Before I break something, I sit down for a while, breathing deeply. The door opens and bangs shut again, but when I hear Toby’s voice I sigh in relief; I don’t need to put a false smile on to cover up my anger.

  “Hey, baby girl,” he shouts as he walks towards me. He stops behind me, bends and kisses my cheek.

  “Hey,” I answer him, subdued.

  “What’s up, how long have you been here?”

  “Since nine. I had to clean up. How did it go with Landon?”

  “Ahhhh, Sia, he’s awesome and so good in the sack!” Toby says dreamily. I roll my eyes at his mushy behavior. Usually, I would find it funny, but with my foul mood, I’m not good company.