Perseverance

Chapter Thirty Eight ~ June

Stepping up to the bar I grin at the server, his mouth morphing into a smile as soon as he spots me. I'd love to tell you it's because of my gorgeous eyes but my tiny mini skirt is probably the one that deserves all the applause.

It's been a long week, making three outfits in a row, one of them my first jumpsuit for one of Alice's friends' moms. I'm going somewhere.

Going back to the apartment and concocting various cocktails, facetiming Sav, cooking meals every evening has taken up the rest of my time, talking and laughing into the night with a bottle of wine and my roommate afterwards. I love what my life has come to.

When I took the job of designing Alice's dresses, I had dreams of where it could get to, but I never expected that it would take off quite so quickly. My eyes almost explode at the amount in my bank account, now easily able to meet my rent requirements and chip in with helping out my apartment buddy.

Savannah has been fully supportive since day one, despite the fact I left her to deal with shitty Eric on her own. However, as best friend, she still reminds me that she obviously comes first in the order of priority should she require an A-List dress.

Here I am at age twenty five; a fully fledged fashion designer in the making.

"Thanks." I smile at the bartender as he passes my drink, grabbing a straw and shoving it into the glass before taking a sip.

I let my eyes scan the room, this bar being one of my new favorites in the city, the decor almost completely wooden and cozy, the lighting dark enough to perfectly set the mood.

A table of girls catch my attention as I sip the drink, all three of them giggling together as they look over at the guys on the table next to them. What's with the shy idiotic giggling? Just get up and introduce yourselves. Do they think the silly laughter will attract them? They definitely need to steal some tips from Becky Gordon's successful playbook.

I move on, settling on a couple in the corner, the guy smirking as he flexes his muscles, the girl staring at him with clear distaste. His attempts to seduce her are clearly not working, her mouth turned upside down in misery. She's clearly done with this date.

Getting bored, I finish my drink and grin at the bartender, him smiling and moving to make me another.

My eyes glance across to the other side of the room, a corner booth occupied by a lone man sitting in the shadows. His head is angled down slightly, gaze fixed on the glass of what looks like whiskey in his strong hand. His long fingers latch around the drink, gripping it tightly. The way his hand flexes around it is making my mouth water, the lean muscles emphasized by the dim light. His hair is brown, his eyes a mystery, leaving me wanting more.

"Thank you!" I exclaim as the bartender hands me a drink. I hand the money over, my eyes unwilling to stray away from the man for longer than possible. A tinge of annoyance fills me at the sight of one of the giggling girls beside him. He looks up at her, replying to whatever innocent pathetic filth has left her lips. Fucking perfect.

With a sly smirk, I turn back to the bar, ordering a second drink before swallowing half of my own drink. Pulling my lipstick out, I reapply it quickly before attempting to glance sideways out my wall of hair, the laughing blonde still at his table, writhing her hands together as he sits back, head up now as he begins to engage in a conversation with her. It's time to shine.

Counting eight seconds under my breath, I then grab the drink I ordered, jumping up and turning, holding my head high and striding towards the corner booth. I don't stop until I'm next to the girl, stepping around her and sliding into the booth opposite the attractive man.