Like a Memory

Bliss York was curious.

Fucking hell.

Bliss York

“YOU SHOULD PROBABLY stop looking at your boss’s fiancé as if you want to eat him.” Saffron spoke then leaned into me, giggling and pinching my arm.

The guys shouldn’t let her drink. For starters, she was underage. Following that she was a terrible drunk. Annoying to say the least. Her twin Holland wasn’t with her tonight. Probably home studying or reading. They were identical in looks and height, but complete opposites in the way they lived.

“I’m not looking at him,” I lied.

She cackled loudly and snorted. Did I mention she was an annoying drunk? Her dad owned the place. He was in my parents’ circle of friends. Her dad was famous in a small town. Krit Corbin once played on that stage. But when he married Blythe he saved his money and bought the place outright. From then on he stayed off the road. The road wasn’t for married people. At least that was what dad had said.

If he walked in the door and saw Saffron drunk, there would be hell to pay. She stayed in trouble. So, the guys all watched her and kept her from doing anything additionally stupid. More so than she’d already done. I knew she wouldn’t make it five short steps in Nate’s direction before Eli blocked her. Micah would then carry her out on his shoulder like he was toting a sack of feed.

“I’m sorry Bliss, you’re ogling his ass. Is that a more accurate description?”

I had been looking at him. Acting like I wasn’t, was pointless. Besides, Saffron was obliviously drunk and wouldn’t remember this. I didn’t think she’d remember this. Saffron, PLEASE don’t remember this.

“Eli, let’s dance,” I said. I wasn’t having this conversation with ‘Saffron the drunk’ anymore. Though she wouldn’t give it a break. “Yeah! Eli go dance with her! Then she’ll stop staring at Mr. Sexy As Hell guy over there at the bar!” I winced as she yelled her words just as the music died down.

“Someone needs to cut her off.” I didn’t mumble. She didn’t care.

“Already have,” Micah assured me. “Dakota has been serving her straight club soda for the past hour and a half. Larissa isn’t working tonight but Dakota knows the rules when it comes to Saffron.”

Saffron frowned. “That’s not fair. I know you’re discussing me.”

“Life’s a bitch sweetheart,” Micah replied, which made Jimmy burst into laughter. Someone needed to serve him club soda. I didn’t care if he’d turn thirty on his birthday. It was past time Jimmy found a woman and settled into a pattern. Calmed down, stop living in bars. His older brother Brent had straightened up after marrying Chloe. Jimmy had no interest in that. Didn’t seem to be heading in that direction.

Eli was looking back at the bar toward Nate as he walked over to me. His forehead was drawn with concern. He still hadn’t met the adult Nate. He hadn’t seen him since that summer. It had been long enough for Nate to forget so I figured Eli had to.

I hoped Eli had forgotten. I knew the others hadn’t seen Nate but from a distance that summer. Micah was the only one other than Eli and Larissa that got a good look at the sixteen-year-old boy he had been. He was a man now and although I recognized him I felt fairly sure they wouldn’t.

“Who is that?” Eli asked.

He would remember. I knew him well enough to know Eli hadn’t forgotten.

“The fiancé of my boss.”

“Why does he look familiar?”

And there it was. Eli’s excellent memory.

“Because it’s Nate Finlay,” I admitted. I then waited for Eli’s response.

He paused and studied me a moment. When his eyes widened, they were big. “The guy from that summer,” he whispered, before looking back at Nate. “He’s Octavia’s fiancé?”

“Yes.” Now he was going to ask me why I didn’t tell him this at the store. I counted to ten in my head and I knew what was coming next.

“Why didn’t you tell me who he was?”

I shrugged. “He didn’t remember. I didn’t want him to hear me. You know I need that job.”

Again he looked back at Nate. “He remembers.”

I started to argue the point when Eli slipped his hand through mine. “Let’s go dance,” he said.

I wanted to ask him how he knew Nate remembered. To go beyond what he’d already said but I needed to let it go. Besides, I was doing my best to pretend that Nate wasn’t Nate. Not the Nate that I knew, just some other guy who happened to be known by that name, and was marrying the woman I worked for. That was all I knew how to do.

We danced two songs before Micah cut in and then I danced a few times with him. Eli came back and interrupted us. We needed to get Saffron home.

“Can’t take her home like that. Blythe will fucking shit.” Micah spoke and he was right. Her mother would not be happy. But then again, Saffron, who was a lunatic, rarely did something to please them.

“She can stay with me,” I told him.

Eli scoffed. “Not sure that’s a good idea. I don’t want Krit Corbin on my ass. If he finds out she’s drunk and being hidden . . .”

“Jimmy should take her. She’s his cousin,” Micah interrupted.

Seriously? When was Jimmy ever responsible for anyone but himself? “That’s a terrible idea,” I responded. “Might as well throw her in a ditch.”

Eli nodded in agreement. “Can we call Holland for help?” Poor Holland had to bail her twin out of trouble on an average of once a week. I hated to do this to her, but there wasn’t any other choice.

“Yeah, I’ll call her,” I said.

Both guys seemed happy about that. I left them to head back to the table where my phone was tucked away in my purse. I tried really hard not to look at Nate as I swerved across the floor. I finally compromised and let my gaze slide past where he was sitting, but he was gone. Although I felt disappointed, which was silly, I knew it was for the best. I didn’t need any more temptation.

I could’ve invited Nate to our table so he wouldn’t have been alone. But then everyone would talk and he could remember and my embarrassment would know no bounds. That he had forgotten me, forgotten our summer, was a thing I preferred to keep to myself.

“Your boy left!” Saffron yelled, before I was even close to the table.

I ignored her. What else could I do?

“He sauntered out of here looking like sex on a motherfuckin’ stick,” she added.

“Why is she calling him your boy? You didn’t tell her about that summer did you?”

I snapped back at Eli quickly. “Of course not. She wanted to go hit on him and so she asked me who he was. I said he was my boss’s fiancé and that the man was very taken.”

Eli nodded but didn’t look thrilled. I’d moved out of my parent’s house. I didn’t need Eli hovering, and worrying like they do. Surely, he knew that.

“Eli, stop it with the concerned frown. That was a long time ago. I’ve all but forgotten it. Besides for once in my life I want to be treated like I’m grown up and independent. Can you please let me?”

“Yeah, I know, B.C.” he said.

B.C. meant before cancer. It was the way we labeled my sickness. B.C., D.C. and A.C. Before, during and after.

“Exactly,” I responded. We both knew everything B.C. was from a different life and era. One where we didn’t know fear or pain, or if we did it was temporary. My cancer had ignited our perfect worlds and shown us that life was fragile.