When Love Returns | 2 ✔

Chapter 36

"Can we possibly have a word with you somewhere quiet?" I asked after recovering from the massive shocker.

Without missing a beat, the bartender nodded, hollered for someone to take her spot while she went on a quick break. She ushered us through the crowd, out of the dance hall and into a changing room where two other female bartenders were changing into their uniforms, getting ready to start their shift. We waited furtively until they were both dressed and out of the room before the bartender motioned for us to speak.

"Ahem!", I cleared the sudden lump in my throat and proceeded, "I woke up the next day, laying unconsciously at the back of my car and even after trying to remember the incidents of that night, I still find it hard to remember. Please can you tell me what happened that night?"

She stared at me again in a creepy way, I had to look at anywhere but her. I guess that was the style in which she could think better; by staring eerily at the particular person of thought, making the latter feel downright uneasy.

Tess and I exchanged gazes for the gazillionth time tonight. However, call it best friend intuition and whatnot but she sensed how disturbed I was and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, patting me up and down and I dittoed.

"That night," At last, the bartender spoke up, "Taught me something so profound that I'll never forget, ever! It was a busy night for me as the club was   booming. There were lots of people to serve so we had to work extra hard. I couldn't count the number of people I served; all insatiable. However when you walked in, you stole the crowd, especially the male folk. Funnily enough, you didn't realize that because you still walked up to Stephan, looking shy, unlike the other girls in the room who knew and flaunted their assets." at our confused expression, she explained, "Oh, Stephan is the name of the bartender who served you."

"Immediately you were comfortably seated, a guy walked in and Dayum, he was the hottest guy I have ever seen." We gave her the look and she looked pointedly at us. "What? I've always been attracted to dem blondies. Especially one as handsome as this one." My breath hitched, when my brain zoned in that she might be talking about Jason. I was about to ask, when she interrupted me.

"But then he looked sad. Really sad. I tried to make a pass at him though, you know, a girl's gotta shoot her shot." She was silent again. "Nonetheless, he never responded. Hell, I gave up! He didn't even say hi or order anything. Just sat down, morose, staring at vodka girl over there. He and I both knew you were drinking too much."

For a moment, I forgot she was referring to me until it clicked that my official nickname was vodka girl and I had to get accustomed to it.

"Did he try to talk to me? Because I remember a guy who got me a drink and we conversed for a while." I asked

She laughed "No, he didn't!" the way she said 'didn't' sounded more like 'di-int'. It was really tough to understand her accent. It wasn't something I heard often. Even dad who was purely black, didn't talk like that.

"Hayden was the one who got you a drink. Blondie wanted to but before I could whip up my signature ‘Tequila sunrise’, Stephan had already beat me to it by sending you the vodka Hayden had ordered for you." She said, shaking her head, replaying the moment.

"What happened next?" Tess who I could tell was listening with keen interest as she hadn't said a word since, quizzed.

"Hayden, swiftly saw an opportunity and chased after it. He walked up to you, got you to talk to him and make you like him enough to agree to dance with him. I wasn't surprised though, he was one handsome chap who could sweet talk any girl to fall hopelessly for him. You don't know how many hearts that man has broken, do you?" It was a rhetorical question.