I’m not one to get car sick, but this might be a first with the way he drives. I should’ve just taken my own car, but I don’t even know where we’re going, and I don’t trust him to have told me the right place.
Rae may want us both, but I think he’s struggling with that. He’s not the only one, but at least I’m trying. Kind of.
Even if I did show up tonight hoping to have her alone, he did the same.
Maybe we’re more alike than either of us want to admit.
We also both seem to give Rae something different that she wants. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Because we each offer something she desires. Needs. It’s all about her with me; as long as he feels the same I can accept what a prick he can be.
I have no idea where we’re going as Asher drives us toward central Denver. Leaning forward between the two seats so myhead stops hitting the roof, I say, “You know if you’re taking us somewhere, we’re likely going to be recognized.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Asher insists.
I turn to look at Rae, but I see her unease she’s trying to hide. Reaching forward, I take her hand in mine. “If you want to leave at any point, we’ll leave,” I tell her.
She turns her head to give me a small smile as I caress her knuckles with my thumb.
“Are you comfy back there?” Asher asks.
“Not even a little bit,” I deadpan, sitting back and shifting. I don’t miss the smirk in the rearview mirror.
We pull up to a wood building that, based on the neon sign and where we are, I’m realizing is a dive bar. I raise an eyebrow waiting for Asher to explain why we’re here, but he says nothing, just parks the car and gets out.
Rae shrugs at me, following out of her own door, and I do the same, appreciating that I get to stretch my legs since my knees were practically pressed into my chest that entire drive. Raising my arms up to stretch my entire body, I catch Rae’s eyes locked on the spot where my hoodie rides up on my stomach.
I close the distance between us, leaning down to her. “Keep looking at me like that and we’re not going to make it inside.”
She hides her smile as we all walk inside the dark bar. The various neon signs on the walls have an aura that makes me take my glasses off to wipe them; the annoying extra light will give me a headache. Sometimes I wish I could deal with contacts, but they annoy me too much.
There’s a guy sitting on a stool on a small stage on one side of the bar playing a song I don’t recognize as we all approach the bar.
“What can I get ya?” The bartender asks.
“I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks,” Asher answers.
“You’re driving,” I chastise.
“I can handle one drink, can you not?” He questions.
“I’ll have a rum and coke,” Rae orders, leaning on the bar top.
“Water for me.” I guess I’ll be the one driving us home.
Asher mumbles something under his breath that I’m sure I don’t want to hear. It may lead to me getting in his face, and I know Rae doesn’t want that.
We get our drinks just as the guy on the stage finishes up, then speaks into the microphone. “Who is up next for our open mic night?”
“Right here,” Asher announces, pointing to Rae who’s completely frozen with her straw in her mouth.
“Dude,” I grumble, but I don’t think he hears me. Or doesn’t care because he’s leading Rae up to the stage while she looks petrified.
The guy lights up when he sees her. “Aren’t you Rae Sparks?”
“This was a bad idea,” I try to tell Asher who just continues to ignore me.
The bar isn’t busy, and the people that are in here don’t seem like they’re in Rae’s demographic of music. No one has even reacted to seeing her, but all it takes is one picture posted to social media to cause a swarm of people to appear.
“I-I don’t think I can—” Rae stutters and I’m about to take her out of here. Fuck Asher and her wanting to be with both of us. He clearly doesn’t understand her or what she wants. He’s selfish and a complete idiot. And I’m going to kill him.