“I just did what any good friend would do,” Ella replied, picking up a wet tumbler and drying it off.
“You did far more than that,” Charles replied as Jason walked in and wrapped his arm around his bride. “You gave my daughter the perfect wedding. You made her happy.”
Ella wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but the compliment made her blush.
Another man's voice came from across the room. “There you are,” Madelyn's new husband Jason said. He pressed a kiss on Madelyn's temple and she glowed with pleasure. “You ready? We're all packed and ready to go.”
“Yup, just saying goodbye.” Madelyn smiled at her father. “Take care, Daddy. I'll see you when we get home. Don't be too difficult for Ella.”
“I wouldn't dream of it. I'm never difficult for pretty bartenders who save my daughter's happiness,” Charles promised, making Madelyn laugh.
“Oh, Daddy. I'll see you soon,” Madelyn promised. She smiled at Ella. “Bye, Ella. I'll call you when we get back. We need another girls' night.”
“I'd like that. Have a great trip, Madelyn. Bye, Jason,” Ella replied. “Have the best honeymoon ever!”
The happy couple laughed and headed out of the bar to escape into a world all their own. Ella watched them go, drying the glass for far longer than it needed. Watching the two of them was almost disgustingly sweet, but at the same time wonderful. She wondered for a moment if she and Jace looked like that.
“I'm so damn proud of that girl,” Charles said softly. He cradled his drink in his hand as if it were his child to protect. “I wasn't the best father in the world. But I'm going to change that.”
Ella didn't say anything. The way he moved reminded her of Jace, and she found herself wondering what had happened to make Charles so different from Jace. She knew how Jace felt about his father, but she was trying her best not to let that cloud her judgment on the man.
“I'm a failure as a father. My son will be the first person to tell you that,” Charles continued. There was a soft heartache to his voice that made Ella sad. “But, this wedding and seeing my daughter so happy has changed things. I want to be better. I'm going to be better. I can't change the past, but I can be there for my kids in the future.”
“That's a good thing,” Ella said quietly. She'd heard a lot of drunken promises at this bar, but she hoped this was one that would come true. She hoped he could do it. “I need to go grab some more cleaning cloths. I'll be right back.”
Charles nodded as she headed to the small storage space behind the bar. She could still see Charles sitting at the bar, staring into his drink and promising change as Delores walked up.
Ella's eyes widened as Delores draped her arm over Charles. “Hello, big boy.” How Delores could manage to sound so seductive was beyond Ella.
“Big boy?” Charles looked up surprised. No recognition flashed on his face.
“Yeah, you liked it when I called you that last night.” Delores still purred her words, but a little of her confidence melted from her posture.
“That was you?” Charles looked her up and down, his eyes still cold. “You don't look the same.”
“I should look even better today. You said last night was the best night of your life. You said you wanted to see me again.” Delores lost the softness and suddenly looked feral.
“Honey, I say that to everyone I sleep with,” Charles said, no emotion in his voice. “To be honest, you weren't anything special. Certainly nothing I'd fight another divorce for.”
“What?” Delores flushed. The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees, even in the storage room. Ella was glad that she wasn't out there. Hopefully, her stepmother would never know that she'd seen this humiliation. Delores would only torture Ella for having viewed her shame.
“My current wife ignores my dalliances and I ignore hers.” Charles took a sip of his drink. “You aren't worth the lawyers fees to change that.”
Delores's jaw hit the floor. She couldn't have looked more shocked if Charles had straight up hit her. “But...”
“Look, you want a drink? Whenever the bartender gets back, have one on me.”
“A drink? After what I did for you last night?” Delores spit out the words like they were bitter seeds. “Here's a drink for you.”
With that, she reached to the bar, grabbed the glass of water, and threw it in Charles face before storming off. Charles just stared after her, water streaming down his face. He didn't even blink.
Ella waited until Delores was out of the bar before coming out the storage area. Without a word, she offered Charles some napkins to wipe himself off. He calmly proceeded to dry himself off as if getting drinks thrown in his face was a normal occurrence. If what Jace said about him was true, it probably was.