Wait for Me by Sara Tessa Page B

poured the surplus mix into my glass.
    â€œThere you go, another gift from the house.”
    I raised my eyes to look at him. “Thanks, but I don’t want to take advantage. Let me know how much I owe you.”
    â€œNothing Sophie, really… don’t worry about it. Just stay and talk to me.” He went to serve a young couple and came straight back.
    â€œSteven told me you were living in Nevada until recently.”
    My shoulders sank under the reminder.
    â€œTender subject?”
    â€œCorrect.”
    â€œIn that case, the topic is over to you.”
    The rock and the hard place, I thought.
    â€œSo, do you like your work?” I asked.
    â€œGood retaliation,” he remarked. “But yeah, I like it.”
    â€œBob,” the waitress squealed in my ear, causing me to jump out of my skin. “Two Manhattans, a Martini and two Cosmopolitans – table eight.”
    He quickly resumed his bartending acrobatics and the drinks were done in less than two minutes.
    â€œHow did you end up here tonight anyway?”
    I sighed and sipped on the leftover cocktail, thoughtfully.
    â€œOh… I get it. There’s a guy, right?” he said.
    â€œKind of.”
    â€œLet’s see if I can guess. There’s a man that you like, but he has some kind of commitment problem?”
    I smiled. “Got it in one.”
    â€œIt’s always the same. Hear it from an expert – if he has a problem with commitment, then it’s time to let him go. A rule of thumb: he’s either in or he’s out.”
    â€œA rule of thumb? What are you? Justin Long in
He’s Just Not That Into You
?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
    â€œIt’s a rule Sophie, trust me. A man is either in or out and nothing will change his mind. Since when has this been going on?”
    â€œSince never,” I replied.
    â€œIt’s a lost cause.”
    â€œYeah, I think I’m getting that now,” I replied dimly, dumping my elbow onto the bar to prop up my face.
    â€œListen… take it from somebody who used to freak out at first scent of commitment. You can tell from the first date. But when I met Melanie I knew it was different, right from the start. From the first time I kissed her I knew she was the one.”
    â€œHow long have you been together?” I asked curiously.
    â€œThree months.”
    I laughed. “Wait, three months and you’re seriously telling me that this is it… forever?”
    â€œAbsolutely. I asked her to marry me”.
    â€œDamn, after three months?”
    â€œExactly. She’s the one.”
    â€˜The one’, I thought. I had said that about every single one of my ex-boyfriends. I was gravely mistaken.
    I ended up staying until closing time, telling him about my misadventures with the ‘bloodsucking parasite’ – his new nickname. He agreed that my post-orgasmic muttering had sent the wrong message and that was why he bolted. But, given his hooker habits, it was probably for the best. Bob kindly gave me a lift back to the parking lot.
    Before I got out of the car, he rolled a joint, which I hesitantly shared. Apparently I wasn’t supposed to mix it with antidepressants. But then I wasn’t really supposed to drink either, so how bad could it be? At worst I would crash out and get a peaceful night’s sleep.
    â€œHow did you meet Melanie?” I asked after the third drag.
    He laughed. “She used to come in every Wednesday for a cocktail with her friend after work, and let me tell you, she was a pain in my ass. Uptight, you know? She’d order the same drink every week and find something wrong with it every time. In the end I started to get this idea—”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWell – I thought that maybe I could loosen her up a bit.”
    Typical, I thought. I took another pensive drag. “What happened then?”
    â€œOne night, her friend had pulled this guy and left her