Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“I’ll go with you.” She smiles and I giggle, ’cause we’re both already tipsy. I’m not sure if it will hurt or help having her with me. We make our way to the bar and get there in one piece without knocking anything or anyone over.
“Two pitchers of beer!” I yell at the bartender while holding onto Naila.
His eyes come to me briefly and he yells back, “Got it,” then goes to pour the pitchers. The other bartender says something to him, and his eyes come to me and sweep me from hair to chest. I try to place him, but the alcohol in my system is making it hard to figure out where I know him from.
“Do you know him?” Nalia asks.
“I’m not sure,” I shout over the music.
“He’s cute,” she says, and I look at him. No, he is not cute; he is hot. His arms are covered in tattoos, he has small gages in his ears, his skin is the color of chocolate, and his torso is covered in muscles that are shown off by his tight t-shirt.
“What did that guy say to you?” she asks him when he places the beer in front of us.
“Pardon, bebe?” he asks, leaning closer to Nalia over the bar. His voice is rough, and he has an accent I have never heard in person before, but it sounds Jamaican, and the look on his face as he looks at my cousin is one of awe. I don’t blame him; my cousin is model material.
“Uhh…” Nalia sputters then looks at me.
“What did that guy say to you?” I ask him, taking pity on my cousin.
“Not fee. No charge you.”
“Why?” I frown, and he shrugs then looks at Naila again and smiles.
“Seeya ’round, bebe,” he says, running a finger over her cheek, then turns and walks to another customer. We each grab a pitcher of beer off the bar along with cups and take it to the table the girls are sitting at.
“What was that hottie saying?” Willow asks, looking towards the bar.
“Nothing,” Naila mutters, frowning, and I smile at my cousin. Maybe there’s hope of Naila moving home after all.
“The other one is hot too,” December says, and I follow her gaze towards the bar and see the guy who said something to the bartender, then it clicks into place who he is. I met him at the first club party I had gone to. He was working behind the bar with the other guy. That’s when I know Wes probably told them we were going to be at the bar and they should look out for us.
“Enough about guys.” June rolls her eyes, grabbing a pitcher of beer and a glass.
“Just ’cause you’re off the market doesn’t mean everyone else is,” April says, and I look at June and frown. I didn’t know she was dating anyone.
“For your information, I haven’t dated in a year,” June retorts.
“Why?” Harmony asks, and June takes her glass of beer and chugs it then pours another glass and drinks that one as well.
“This must be bad,” Nalia says and gets up. She goes to the bar, coming back a few minutes later with a bottle of tequila and a nice pink hue to her cheeks. She pours us each a shot and tilts the bottle back against her lips and takes a chug. “Spill it, bitch,” she mutters, wiping her mouth.
“I was married,” June blurts, causing the table to go silent and us all to look at her.
“I swear you just said you were married,” December says, taking another shot and giggling.
“Oh, God.” June starts to cry. Hanna, who is sitting next to her, wraps her arms around her, and I sit back in my chair, completely stunned.
“What happened?” I ask when I’m finally able to speak.
“His name is Evan. We got married in the spring before he went away to boot camp.” She shakes her head and I watch tears fall onto her lap, so I go to the bar and get a stack of napkins and hand them to her when I return.
“He came home two weeks ago after going to Afghanistan, and served me with divorce papers.” She laughs and it sound hollow, and then she lifts her glass to her mouth and takes a large drink.
“Well, he didn’t actually serve me with them. I haven’t even seen him since he’s been home. He had his mom bring them to me. Can you believe that crap?” Actually, no, I couldn’t. That was horrible.
“I wasn’t even married for a year. I had sex one time the night we were married, the night before he went away to boot camp.” She cries harder.
“Oh, my god,” I whisper, feeling tears fill my eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” December asks.
“I don’t know. I think deep down I knew he was done with me. I was humiliated.” She shrugs, and I stand and walk around the table to wrap my arms around her.