Choice

Exposition

"Tall dark and handsome more like tall dark and literally gonna murder me at the back of this alley," I said as an after thought while staring at the man who had been sitting in the corner of the bar for a little over 30 minutes.

"It was just a suggestion, Thea. I mean why not it'd make your day a little more interesting-" She wiggled her eyebrows around stupidly "if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah I'll ask him out right after I write my will," I replied stopping my systematic counter cleaning just long enough to give her an unamused stare.

She laughed as if my exasperated look was the highlight of her day, and I almost wanted to sock her in the face. Almost. Hitting Dena in the face would only prove the fact that she got under my skin, and almost certainly meant an evolved 100 times worse version of the smug smile she had on now which in reality didn't seem in the least bit possible.

"Since you're so interested," I trailed glancing at the creep sitting in the isolated booth in the corner, "Why don't you talk to him?"

And as though he heard my suggestion, the man with a gray hoodie and tall frame walked to the counter and dropped a crumpled dollar bill into the tip jar and walked out in his ever so serial-killer-meets-intimidating-Russian-boxer vibe that Dena liked to call mysterious bad boy charm.

Not even bothering to give her any sort of retort, I resigned to a perfectly overused sigh. I never understood her reasoning, but then again I was glad I didn't because that meant I was a perfectly sound person.  

I refilled her glass of ice tea, and she changed the subject to her new boyfriend, Marcus. He was still in college working on his masters. A little young in my opinion when Dena was soon to be entering her thirties, but she shut me up quickly enough that I decided to just listen and occasionally tell her to shut up when she got too "sharey."   

When more people began filtering into the bar, she got a phone call. Calling it "work things," she said she had to go, but just before she left, she promptly said in way that had no room for reconsideration, "Don't forget about this Saturday." 

I didn't get to tell her I never agreed to going clubbing with her coworkers and boyfriend because I didn't have the energy to confront her in front of the customers, no matter how little people there were an audience was an audience. Plus, I had a feeling if I said anything my opinion would be quickly shut down, and I would be forced to go anyway. 

"Excuse me."

"Oh right sorry," I said. "Can you repeat what you just said?" 

I stared at the man with medium length wavy brown hair and deep set brown eyes. He looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties with a kind of rugged earthy look. Not my type I noted quickly enough that I chastised myself mentally calling myself out for the fact that Dena was truly getting to me. 

I took his order taking notice of the involuntary rhythmic twitching of his right hand and the callouses on his knuckles. I prepared his drink quickly enough, and he left after a couple more glasses of whiskey. 

I wiped off the counter again and began cleaning some glasses. My phone buzzed, and I quickly reached for my back pocket. Immediately being met with the front screen and a message from Dena. 

Dena 7:52 pm: Great news! Caleb will be there ;) 

I didn't bother to answer and released another signature sigh. Dena was annoying, and Saturday wasn't going to be a good day. 

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638 words