Second Chances

Bar

I worked the morning shift at the coffee shop on Friday and then went to my afternoon class at the college. I had grabbed one of the pre-made salads we sold at the cafe and brought it home for dinner. It was one of the new ones we sold. It had beets, garbanzo beans, and goat cheese mixed in with a few different types of lettuce and grilled chicken. I liked it a lot, but it wasn't a crowd favorite, at least not yet.

I was getting excited about going out with Sara. It had been a while since we had been out together and we always had a good time. I took my time getting ready, a long, hot shower followed by me blow-drying and curling my hair. I let it hang in loose waves down my back.

After searching through the closet and all the clothes I owned once, and then again. I finally settled on a maroon skirt, a tight black sweater with a scoop neck that showed a little more cleavage than I was used to, but I told myself it was totally okay for a bar, and black knee-high boots. My makeup ended up a little heavier than I normally used, but again we were going out and it had been a while. Overall, I was happy with what I saw in the mirror.

The phone rang as I was putting a pair of hoops in my ears. It was my brother.

"Hi, Eric," I answered and put him on speaker.

"Hey, Em. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I'm going out with Sara in a little while."

"Oh, that is good."

He sounded a little off, so naturally, I worried. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No. We're good over here. We're ready for tomorrow. What time are you coming?"

"I should be there before noon. Do you want me to come earlier?"

"No, that's perfect."

"Okay."

It got quiet for a while and I started to get the feeling again that something was wrong. That there was something he wasn't telling me.

"What Eric?" I plead.

"Eh," he sighed, "have you seen Noah again?"

"Kind of." I told him Noah had shown up in the coffee shop again, but that I didn't talk to him. He seemed content with that. We said our goodbyes, and I finished getting ready.

Sara and I met at the bar around the time the happy hour crowd left, and before the late evening crowd arrived. It was still busy, but we were able to find a good spot in the back of the bar.

I climbed up on the metal bar stool that was closest to the reddish brick wall. Sara removed her jacket and hung it on the back of the chair next to mine, revealing a short, tight black dress.

"Ladies, what can I get you?" the male bartender asked as soon as Sara managed to get up on the stool next to mine.

"Pinot Grigio, please," Sara ordered.

"Two?" the bartender asked and looked at me.

I nodded.

It didn't take long before two glasses with a decent pour appeared in front of us.

"To Friday nights with my BFF," Sara said, and raised her glass.

"To Friday nights and my BFF," I agreed, and clinked my glass to hers. The wine was cold, fruity sweet, with a tart undertone. "This is good," I said, and looked over at Sara. She nodded, having just taken a decent drink herself.

"Um, Em," Sara said a few minutes later, and I noticed how her posture stiffened next to me.

"Yeah."

"Don't freak out" she said, and I felt my heart drop, "but Noah is here."