Cupid Collections

15. Peyton - 7: The Flashback

I slammed the door of the taxi and let out a frustrated groan. I didn’t even want to glance out the window.

“Where to?” Harry asked hesitantly.

“Anywhere,” I grumbled. “Anywhere but here.”

“Earth it is,” Harry announced as he drove off down the street.

Sinking into the seat, I sighed.

Harry glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Something up?”

“The usual family drama,” I mumbled in reply. “Eros telling me how everything I do is wrong. My way is wrong and things can only run the way he wants them too. He’s driving me crazy. Then my grandmother is all sweet and innocent and she makes me feel guilty for hating my grandfather. I don’t hate hate him… but you know? I just… I don’t know. Does Hermes every yell at you for driving incorrectly?”

“Hermes barely has time to even talk to us,” Harry answered. “I think you’re lucky that you get to spend so much time with your family.”

I scoffed and muttered quietly, “I think you’re the lucky one.”

“Anywhere specific?” Harry asked suddenly. “Or am I just driving blind?”

“New York,” I suggested.

“You always go there.”

I shrugged even though he couldn’t see it. “I like it there. I work there and I’m comfortable there.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Harry said simply.

Then we drove in silence. The streets of Olympia slowly faded like mist to become an empty street on the outskirts of New York. From there, Harry drove into a busier part of town. I didn’t know where we were going but Harry seemed to have a destination in mind.

The yellow cab stopped just outside of some small building.

“Where are we?”

Harry turned in his seat to face me. “You look like you need a drink.”

“Oh no,” I denied quickly. “I don’t drink.”

“One won’t hurt you and it will definitely make you feel better.”

I glanced over at the bar wearily. Alcohol had never made her life any better before. She doubted it would be much help now.

“I can take you somewhere else if you really want? Just tell me where.”

I sighed and shook my head. “I’ll stay. It can’t be so bad right? How many bad things happen in bars?”

Harry laughed at my joke as I exited the car. I waved to him when he drove off and then headed inside.

It was a little place with no consistent theme. There were random street signs and funny quotes and sayings lining the walls in a cluttered fashion.  The actual color of the wall was hard to distinguish with all the signs around. Booths and tables filled up the wall remaining wall space and there was a collection of different styled barstools at the actual bar.

Yet, despite the crazy décor, the place was surprising crowded. There didn’t seem to be many available seats. People were sitting with getting up and moving to tables halfway across the room to sit with strangers. I was much too sober to be in this place.

Still, I decided to join the crowd. There was nothing better to do and going home didn’t seem like a good option. Eros had been on my back a lot lately. It seemed like his body was making up for lost time and he was tuning into his feminine side by being extremely moody lately. Maybe he was the one that needed the drink.