Maybe This Time(18)

“Yeah, we had another girl, but as of last month she quit,” he says, his eyes darting towards Reid. Or was it Tag?

“Which one of them chased her off?” I ask, dying to know.

“Work gossip another day.” He chuckles. “Today, let me show you the ropes. You ever worked at a bar before?”

“Not exactly,” I admit, but how hard could it be?





**


Four hours and two broken glasses later, I'm getting used to everything. There's a chart telling me exactly what to put in each drink, and Reid showed me how to use the cash register. A customer told me I wasn’t very good at pouring beer, but apart from that, I think I'm doing pretty well. Tag went home, leaving me alone with the twins.

“Can I help you?” I ask the next customer, cringing when I see it’s the woman my dad was with here last night.

“Vodka orange,” she purrs, a smug smile on her face. What the hell does she have to be smug about? So, you’re fucking my dad, congratu- fucking- lations.

“So, you’re Jack’s kid,” she says, handing me a fifty. I wonder if this is my dad’s money she’s using.

Probably.

I don’t answer her, because I have nothing to say.

“I didn’t even know he had a daughter until last night,” she says, searching my face for a reaction. I school my expression, not wanting her to know that her comment stung, because it did.

“Are you gonna be my new mommy?” I ask sarcastically, handing her the change.

“You’re not gonna get in the way of Jack and me,” she sneers, her face turning red with the hatred in her expression. She storms off, back to her table where her minions sit.

“You okay?” Reid asks, coming up behind me.

“Why would she think I'd get in the way of her and dad? What the fuck?”

“She knows Jack loves you, it’s easy for anyone to see, Summer,” he tells me, grabbing my hand and rubbing my knuckles with his thumb.

“Jack could care less about me,” I say, walking towards the end of the counter where a customer stands. I serve him his drink, and then watch as another familiar face walks up to me. The blonde haired girl from last night. I remember Reid was talking to her just before I left. Apparently the same people come here every day. Great, just great.

I’m about to ask what can I get for her when Reid walks up to me. “I’ll serve her. You go ask Ry if he needs you to do anything,” he says, waiting for me to leave before he says another word.

What the hell?

Who is this woman?

I find Ryan in the office, actually doing work instead of his usual activities in here.

“Need me to do anything else, Ryan?” I ask him, walking in and plopping down on his desk.

“If you can write down your availability that would be great,” he says, pressing buttons on his calculator.

“Does Reid have a girlfriend?” I ask, not looking him in the eye as I say it.

“Nope. Why? You interested in the position?” he asks, chuckling like it’s hilarious. And what if I was?

At my silence, Ryan lifts his head to look at me, the smile falling off his face as he realizes why I’m asking.

I'm interested.

In fact, I’m already a little invested.

Ryan stares at me for a second. “Reid is my brother and I love him. He’s a great guy, but he’s also very complicated. I’m not sure if you should head down that road with him, Sum. Especially with your dad and Xander, and yeah, I don’t think it’s the best idea.”

“And if I decided not to heed your warning?” I ask him, tapping my foot on the floor.

“I support Reid with anything he chooses to do, but I’m also most probably going to say I told you so in the end.” He offers me a sad smile, and then looks back down at his work.

“Where’s your mum?” I ask him.

“Dead,” he answers, his expression darkening.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I’ve always been awkward in these moments, having no idea what to say or to offer comfort. I shift on the desk.

“Its fine, Summer,” Ryan says, his lip twitching at my obvious discomfort. I pick up a piece of paper and pen and write down the hours I can work, which happen to be twenty four seven until two months’ time when my course starts.

“Here,” I tell him, handing him the piece of paper. He quickly scans it and grins. “So we have you all day, every day, for two whole months, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Perfect, cos this Thursday Reid and I have somewhere we need to be, so you and Tag can man the bar,” he says.

“Alright,” I say, dying to ask where they need to be but refraining.

“Where’s Reid?” he asks, handing me another paper asking me for my bank details.