after this night (camren)

8. Camila

I took a fuelling breath, and put my armour back on, steeling myself, "I don't know the answer to that"

......

The next month passed in a paradoxical fashion. The days were long, but the weeks sped by as I won and lost for Austin. I took the fall he asked for, but mostly I won, clearing another few thousand off my debt. The rest of the time, I mixed drinks at Cubic Z where I listened to Ally discuss whether to decorate the baby's nursery with horse or teddy bear wallpaper.

"Troy wants teddy bears. He says horses are too scary for little kids" Ally said, referring to her husband who helped out around the bar now and then as he looked for a regular bartending gig.

"Can I vote for otters instead?" I offered, "Have you ever seen an otter that's not utterly adorable?"

Ally laughed, "Can't say I've ever technically seen an otter at all. But I will hunt out otter wall-art now"

I held up my arms in the victory sign, "Ladies and gentlemen, my greatest accomplishment may indeed lie in convincing my friend Ally to got the otters"

I also helped my best friend with final wedding prep, which included last minute visits to boutiques and stores as Dinah chose gifts for the guests. No gifts for herself, though: Dinah and Normani had specifically asked for none with the invitation saying, Your presence is our gift. In lieu of presents, please consider a donation to your local animal shelter.

Tonight, she popped into the bar to bring me a cake sample, "I changed my mind at the last minute. I think I want to get this cake. Try it" she said, thrusting the carton across the bar.

I reached for a fork and took a bite, and my eyes rolled in pleasure when the sweet cake git my tongue, "This is amazing"

Dinah clapped, "Oh good! Wedding cake is usually awful. But I want to have an amazing cake"

"Speaking of amazing things, try my newest concoction" I whipped up a Heist and slid it across the bar, "I named it for Lauren" I said in an offhand way.

Dinah's eyebrows rose, "Wait" Are you back together with her?"

I shook my head, "No. We talk on the phone sometimes though" I said, adding an olive to the martini I just made for another customer.

"What do you talk about?" Dinah asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.

I shrugged playfully, remembering the late-night conversations with Lauren, the way her voice went low and husky when she asked me what I was wearing, then when she proceeded to tell me exactly what she wanted to do to me when she'd removed every last shred of my clothing, "This and that" I handed the drink to the customer and returned to my best friend.

"Are you having phone sex with her?" Dinah whispered, her eyes wide and eager for a yes.

I nodded, "And we talk too. About whatever. Our days. Movies. Books. Life. That sort of thing"

"Wow" Dinah said and her jaw was hanging open, "So are you going to see her again?"

"I think she likes the barrier. I think she probably figures it's for the best"

"Why?" Dinah asked, holding up a hand as if to say what gives, "I don't get it. You like her. She likes you. You have great phone sex. What is stopping the two of you from getting together?"

Instinctively, my eyes flashed to the door, checking for Austin or Squirrel. Neither were there, but they might show up any day. That was the real thing keeping Lauren and I apart. Keeping me distant with everyone, come to think of it.

"Who knows" I said evasively as a grey-haired and sharp-dressed man in a suit and tie raised a finger to grab my attention, "I need to go tend to some other customers. Can't wait for more cake this weekend"

I headed to the other end of the bar, slapped down a napkin, and flashed a smile at the older gentleman, "What can I get for you tonight?"

"A friend of mine tells me you make the most amazing cocktail ever" the man said, speaking in a most proper voice. He didn't have an accent per se; he simply had an ait of sophistication about him, from the well-tailored suit to the classy speech, "A Purple Snow Globe, I believe?"

"Indeed. One Purple Snow Globe coming right up"

I mixed the drink and deposited it in front of him. When I returned five minutes later to check in, his eyes were sparkling and he was licking his lips, "That is a divine creation" he said, then extended a hand, "I'm Glen Mills. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me soon"

"Why will I be hearing from you soon, Glen? You gonna offer me a job at some swank new bar you're opening?" I asked playfully.

"Not exactly" he said, with a twinkle in his eye, then he pushed off from the stool, and walked away.

I shook my head in amusement. The things men said in bars never surprised me, nor did I ever put any faith in them. Something about his name felt familiar though. Glen Mills. The named nagged at my brain for a spell, and I turned it over several times, like a strange object I could decipher if I looked at it from another angle, but I couldn't recall where I'd heard it before, so I let it go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i wanna clear up a confusion i may have made... i changed 'Old Fashioned' to 'Purple Snow Globe' for people who have already read the first book..

i was gonna change it in the first book to but i cannot remember for the life of me every chapter i spoke about the Old Fashioned, but i have changed it in a few.