Brent offered Katie a hand to shake. She curled an eyebrow at the sight of it. Most of the guys she met didn’t even attempt to be this cordial. At least none of the guys she had met before Dan. She took his hand with a half smile. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. She rolled her eyes and tore her gaze away. A feeling of doubt had washed over him like a tidal wave. He dropped his gaze for a few seconds searching for something to say. He glanced back up at her finding himself admiring the shade of her ginger colored hair. The way it hung down over her shoulder. Before he could bring himself to stop admiring her, she returned her glance and caught him. It was that moment when he lost his train of thought. Her mesmerizing emerald green eyes had caught hold of something deep inside him. Piercing his soul and leaving a mark that he couldn’t forget. ”What?” Katie asked, breaking the momentary silence.

  “Uhh nothing. . “ Brent replied awkwardly. “So . . umm, what brings you here tonight?” He asked in a feeble attempt to cloak his nervousness.

  “Just a long night.” Katie answered, using her other hand to cover the smile that had painted across her face. “I just didn’t want to stay home tonight.”

  “Oh.” Brent had managed to tear his eyes away from hers. “ Is something wrong at home?” He asked bashfully, cupping his hands together on the bar and twiddling his thumbs.

  “You could say that.” Katie replied, her eyes scanning the scenery of the bar without even paying attention to her surroundings. The conversation had gone stale in a matter of seconds. She shot a glance back at the door to see if Dani was done changing yet. A feeling of awkwardness was slowly slipping in between the two.

  “Katie?” Brent asked, making one last attempt to get her attention. “Um. . can I buy you a drink?” He asked shyly. Brent was out of ideas. As hard as he tried to think of something to talk about he couldn’t come up with anything. It was one of his least favorite things about himself. He couldn’t put a stop to the overwhelming shyness that rushed toward him in situations like this.

  “Oh I’m not drinking tonight.” Katie replied , fixing her gaze on the doorway of the bar. “I’m just people watching. I’m waiting for a friend.” Her eyes lit up when the door finally opened and her blond friend walked in wearing a holographic blue dress. Brent looked up at the doorway himself, spotting the dark haired man holding the door behind her. “Oh no, not another one.” Katie said, setting a foot down in front of the bar stool. “I swear, I should start bringing a stick with me whenever I come here with her.”

  “Oh Jeff has a thing for blonds.” Brent exclaimed, raising his voice a little. “Unless she has Daddy issues, he’s absolutely harmless.”

  Katie let out a giggle and turned her gaze back to Brent. “She doesn’t have daddy issues, but unless he’s hiding a diamond encrusted gold bar in pants, He won’t get anywhere with her.”

  Brent laughed and watched the scene a little more closely. “Oh she’s one of those types.” Brent replied. Katie had eased herself back on the barstool. “They seem to be hitting off. . .It must be the dress. Jeff always has had a fondness for shiny things. The more he can see his reflection in it, the harder he’ll give chase.”

  Katie was laughing at this point. She took a deep breath saying “I wonder how he got past the metal detector.”

  “I’ve been asking that question ever since I first met him.” Brent said with a chuckle focusing his gaze on the pair as Jeff handed Dani a drink. “I try not to imagine the caliber of BS that floats around in his head.”

  “Should we stop them?” Katie asked with a huff. “Though she did try to convince me to let her have my boyfriend.”

  Katie’s words cut into him, but Brent tried to brush it off. “Your boyfriend? Is he loaded or something?” Brent was trying to keep the conversation going, despite the news that was eating at him. “Sounds to me like she might deserve it. Jeff has never been one to pursue relationships.”

  “I think I just might let her.” She said, getting comfortable in the chair. “I love my friend, but all she’s missing is a cowboy hat and Overalls to fit in with the other gold diggers.” Katie and Brent continued to talk and laugh, watching Danielle and Jeff out of the corner of her eyes.“ Holy shit, she’s playing with her bangs. I know that look on her face. What did Jeff tell her?” Katie was in awe at that sight of it. “Jeff is getting a piece of that tonight. ”Katie said with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Look at you Bouncing back.” came the voice that took Katie by surprise. “Look at you two getting all cozy over here. Seems like my work is done.” Dani said playfully, nudging Katie on the shoulder. “You two look adorable together.” She said once more. Jeff leaned into Dani’s ear and whispered into it, too quietly for her friend to hear. Dani responded by waving him off and leaning over to whisper to her friend’s ear. “He owns a business on the other side of town that sells rare weapons for collectors. He said he makes like thousands of Dollars a day. He even showed me a knife that he’s getting ready to ship to Australia. He told me he found it while exploring in Africa. Oh my god! I could listen to these stories forever. This totally blows your police lover out of the water.” Dani said, pulling away and walking over toward a small corner of the bar where Jeff had just sat down.

  “Jackpot!” Katie said, struggling to keep a straight face. She shot Brent a look of disbelief. Her lips quivered as she tried to hold back the laughter. “Does he really own a store that sells rare weapons on the other side of town?”

  “Nope!” Brent said with a snort, burying his head on the bar counter and laughing hysterically. “He. . . He bought that at the Thrift store we both work at. . “ Brent continued between breaths. “Just this afternoon. .” Brent would finally catch his breath, using his sleeves to wipe a small tear from his eyes. “Jeff spent the rest of our shift on the receiving docks throwing ideas around about how he could use it to pick up a date for tonight.” Katie and Brent had both burst out laughing in the middle of the bar. ”I’m so sorry your friend fell for it.”

  Katie had managed to suppress her amusement to quieter giggles. “Don’t be.” she replied with a deep breath. “We’ve been best friends since Elementary school. I’ve never approved of the way she treats men. He’s not the only one to get roped in by her. You should have seen her in the parking lot when I pulled in.” Katie was turned around this time, fully focused on Brent. It had proven to be a wise decision to stick around. For the first time in months Katie was starting to enjoy herself. “I wasn’t lying when I told you that I was watching people.” Something went off in her mind as she processed Brent’s words. “So you say you work at a thrift store here in town?”

  “Yeah, what about it?” Brent responded, his curiosity peaked. “It’s just right in the middle of town. If you’ve lived in this town for long enough, you might have heard of it.”

  “I’ve lived here on and off.” She said as a smile forged across her cheeks. “Before my car accident I had an interview to go work there.”

  “Really?” Brent replied with a wide eyed expression. “I started working there a few months ago. There’s a good chance we might have met sooner.” A few hours passed with Katie and Brent simply enjoying each other’s company. Last call passed and the bar closed down around the two. Brent would accompany Katie to her car, hands stuffed halfway into his pockets. “Ok this guy looks a little older than her. . So I’m going to say. . . “ He paused for only a second to piece together the answer to her question. “She’s going to get really drunk at this very bar and start making out with the guy’s younger sister. That’s how that relationship is going to end. Okay it’s your turn.”

  Katie burst into a fit of laughter, reaching into her purse and fiddling with her keys. “I’ll have to go another time.” Katie said, playing with her key before jamming it into the lock on her car. The parking was completely empty and the street lights were shutting off. “Thank you for keeping me company tonight.” Katie had completely forgotten about Dan. her frustration was gone and her problems seemed to have escaped her mind the entire night. For those few hours in time, Katie was the happiest she had been in a very long time. She thought for a few seconds and snatched the phone that was sticking out of Brent’s pocket.

  Hey! That’s mine.” Brent said with a chuckle, making no attempt to take it back. ”What do you think you’re doing with that?”

  “Making sure there’s a next time.” She giggled as she shuffled through the Contacts on his phone, Writing her name and number and handing it back to him. ”You better save that or I’m going to come find you. I have connections.” She said with a giggle. “I can track you down.”

  “Fair enough.” He said, chuckling to himself. “Message received. . and contact saved.” Brent had completely forgotten about the mention of her boyfriend up until now. He’d even forgotten about Jodi. His mind revisited every minute of that night like a movie. Each memory brought a smile to his face. He was lost in his thoughts and completely unaware of the goofy grin that had formed on his face as he stared at the Ginger haired beauty. “So I’ll message you some time.” He said, reaching into his pockets and grabbing his own car keys. Neither of them had anything to drink that night. They just stood there for a second enjoying each other’s company. Katie answered with a nod and opened the driver’s side door.