Lost Without You: Book 2 in the Chasing Olivia Series (25 page)

Her work schedule hasn’t changed much, and I know on Monday’s she opens. I plan on surprising her after work, and seeing if I can convince her to go out for a drink.

I stroll into the restaurant and sit at the bar. I look around the room and spot some of Evan’s friends sitting at a table along the far side of the restaurant.

Ordering an Amstel, I continue to scan the restaurant. Finally, Brenda appears from the kitchen. She sees me and smiles. “Holy shit, the prodigal daughter returns!”

“Isn’t that supposed to be son?” I ask as she squeezes the life out of me.

“It is, but I’m improvising,” she says, releasing me. “So, why are you slumming in my neck of the woods? They don’t serve Amstels in the city?”

“Chase is in Italy, so I wanted to see if you were free.”

“Ah, yes. Mr. Sex-on-legs left for Italy. And what happened to Saturday night?”

“I’m sorry. I suck at life. I was exhausted and fell asleep before eight.”

She looks at me for a minute, her lips twitching to the side. “Why do I feel like you’re just here because he’s not?”

“Bren, it’s not like that. It’s been crazy these past few months. I’m sorry I haven’t been around.”

Her glare softens a bit. “We haven’t spoken in days, and before that weeks. What gives?”

“Yeah, I’ve been kinda busy.” Shrugging my shoulders, she gets the hint.

“Uh-huh. I can let it slide this one time, just don’t let it happen again,” she says, shoving me. “So, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. We didn’t leave Chase’s apartment all weekend, so something involving people and alcohol.”

“All weekend?” she asks, smiling.

“Yup,” I giggle.

“That’s impressive,” she laughs back. Pulling out her phone, she types something into Google. “It’s Monday night, not much going on around here. Let me see what I can find.” She sits down next to me, continuing her search.

“It doesn’t have to be special, anything will do. I’m just happy I get to spend some quality time with you.”

“Stop it,” she laughs. “You don’t need to try to con me into anything, I’m along for the ride.”

“I know.”

“Ooh, this sounds good.” Brenda slides her phone across the bar, showing me the website for The Tap Room, a local place in Patchogue. They have half price appetizers and beer, along with live music.

“
That
is just what I need.”

“Good. I get off in about an hour. What time do you turn into a pumpkin?”

“I’m working local tomorrow. I called my mom and told her I’m crashing there tonight.”

“Good. Let me go finish up.” She stands and turns to the new girl behind the bar. “Bree, give my friend whatever she wants. Oh, and don’t give her a tab. Ring it on the buyback check.” Bree nods her head and goes back to cleaning.

Just as Brenda disappears into the kitchen, my phone pings.

Chase: Hey, beautiful. I miss you.

I text him back immediately.

Liv: I miss you, too! Shouldn’t you be sleeping? What time is it there?

Chase: It’s just before midnight.

Liv: Go to bed! I don’t want to get blamed for you napping on the conference table tomorrow ☺

Chase: I couldn’t go to sleep without saying goodnight. Where are you?

Liv: Having a drink at Anthony’s. I’m working in Suffolk tomorrow, so I’m staying at mom’s.

Chase: Say hi to Brenda for me—at least I know you’re in capable hands.

Liv: Okay! Going out for a quick bite, then heading to mom’s.

Chase: Just remember I love you <3 Goodnight.

Liv: Goodnight!

I finish my beer and signal for another. Before Bree gets a chance to open it, I look at the tap handles. Shit, they finally have pumpkin beer on tap. All the years I worked for Anthony, he never ordered it. Now that I don’t work for him anymore, he has it on tap.
Sonofabitch.
“Bree, can I have the Blue Point Pumpkin instead, with a cinnamon rim?” She nods as she picks up a pint glass.

As she puts the glass in front of me, I ask her, “So, how long have you worked here?”

“A few weeks,” she answers, then turns to the other side of the bar.

I’m about halfway through my pint when Brenda finally comes back out, ready to go. I quickly finish my beer, leave a tip on the bar, and follow her out. Once we clear the doors, I ask, “Bren, what’s with the mute behind the bar?”

“Yeah, I’m working on that.”

“You better work harder. She’s horrible.”

“Don’t let Anthony hear you say that, he’ll drag your ass back here. We’ve been through three bartenders since you left.”

“That’s because I’m irreplaceable,” I giggle.

“No joking, you are. Sales are down and the regulars are getting cranky.”

“What happened to the girl I trained before I quit?”

“She quit the day after you left. And you know Anthony, he’s been on a tear ever since.” Yes, he can be a handful when he’s not happy.

“Sorry,” I mutter.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle him,” she says with a wink. “I’ll drive. You want to drop off your car at your mom’s?”

“That’s a good idea.”

Sitting at The Tap Room bar, listening to some guy playing guitar singing
I’ll Be
, brings back memories of Evan. They’re good memories, even though he’s brought me nothing but pain.

Knowing this could get ugly, I make a decision to tell Brenda about the break in after we’re a few beers in. Brenda has her own demons, and this is a trigger. One of the reasons I put off telling her was so she wouldn’t relive one of the worst nights of her life.

I sip my beer and as nonchalantly as I can, say, “So, someone broke into my apartment a few weeks ago.”

Turning to look at me, she pauses before saying, “I’m sorry, did you say something? I could swear you said someone broke into your apartment a few weeks ago, but you couldn’t have said that. The Liv I know would have told me immediately.”

“It’s complicated.”

“How the fuck is it complicated? ‘Hey, Bren, you’ll never guess what happened? Someone broke into my fucking apartment.’ And how is it possible someone got in anyway? Don’t you have a doorman and state of the art security?”

“Like I said, it’s complicated.” She looks at me, tapping her fingernails on the bar.

“And?”

I slug down my pumpkin beer and take a deep breath. “Chase has reason to believe it was Evan.” That shuts her up.

“Evan? No way. Really?”

“Yeah, I know. My underwear were scattered all over my bedroom and a few pairs were missing.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“There was a surveillance video. Apparently, the guy had on a maintenance uniform.”

“That explains how whoever it was got in. How do you know it was Evan?”

“Did you know he has a tattoo?” She shakes her head. “Chase found out from a private investigator.”

“He doesn’t seem like the tat type.”

“It’s a Celtic cross with my name through it, and he got it after we split.”

“Shit.”

“The guy in the video had a tattoo, identical to the one the investigator said Evan had.”

“I have heard rumors of Evan not letting you go, but I never thought he would stoop that low.” She slams down her martini and waves for a new one. It’s then that I see the realization in her eyes. I was afraid of her reaction, and I’ve never seen Brenda this pissed. “That scumbag piece of shit! I’ll fucking kill him!”

“I can’t prove it was him or I would have had him arrested.”

“That cock-sucking douche bag!”

“Okay, relax.”

“No! This is not okay. I’m going to go to his apartment and cut his dick off!” It’s taking all of her strength not to jump off of her stool and hunt down Evan. I know this, and I can’t have it.

“Bren, don’t get yourself arrested on my account.”

“He shouldn’t be allowed to breathe after what he did to you.”

“It’s not the same . . .” I trail off. Brenda bites her lip, hard.

“Don’t.”

“It’s not. He wouldn’t hurt me.”

“Are you so sure?”

“Yes. He might be obsessed, but I don’t think he would take things that far.”

“You don’t know that.” She takes a deep breath, composing herself. “Stay far away from him. I didn’t trust him before, and now that I’ve heard this, I really don’t trust him.”

“I don’t plan on going anywhere near him.”

“Good.” She nods her head and sips her martini. “Now, I’ve been looking forward to their chicken sliders all night. Can we stop talking about dick face and order?”

Wednesday, I get a call from Justin. He wants to know how I’m doing with Chase out of town. I told him I’m okay, but he insists on taking me to dinner, to make sure. Obviously, Chase must have told him to check up on me, so I agree to meet him at an upscale restaurant near my apartment. Walking into the restaurant, I tell the hostess I’m meeting someone and find him sitting at the bar, sipping on a martini.

“Hello, Justin.”

“Olivia! So glad you could make it.” He gets up and gives me a friendly hug.

“It’s good to see you. Where’s Miranda?”

“She’s off in France doing a shoot for Victoria’s Secret. She’s flying home next week.”

“So, Chase asked you to keep an eye on me, huh?”

“Actually, no. This was all my idea. I thought you might be bored.” He motions to the stool next to him. “Sit, have a drink.”

“Okay.” I slide onto the stool as the bartender comes over and asks what I’m drinking.

“Let me guess,” Justin says, smiling. “I remember you having a taste for white wine while we were in Turks and Caicos. A sauvignon blanc, if my memory serves me right.”

“That is correct, but not what I’m in the mood for.” Turning, I give the bartender my full attention. “Do you have pumpkin beer?”

“Yes, we do. Tap or bottle?”

“Tap please, with a rim.”

Justin stares at me, searching for something. Giving up, he smiles and says, “Never pictured you as the beer type.”

“Really? Well, Chase has been spoiling me, that’s for sure.”

“Now, why would you say that?”

“Justin, really?” I shake my head, not in the mood for an in depth discussion. Wisely, he drops it.

“So, how is work?”

“I love my job, and it keeps me busy.”

“That’s good,” he says, sipping his drink. Putting his glass down, he stares into the cup and moves the ice cubes around with the stir stick.

“How are things with you and Miranda?” I ask, trying to break the silence.

Lifting his head, he chuckles, a smirk crossing his face. “Great, when she’s home, which is never.”

“Justin, you knew she was a model.”

“Yeah, I know. This is just weird. I mean, I never cared about that before. In fact, it was great when a chick went away, since they were so clingy. But now, I find I’m angry.” Justin tips his head back, letting the liquid from his glass pour down his throat. Slamming the glass on the bar, he signals for a refill and shakes his head.

“I’m angry all the time,” he mutters.

The playboy Chase has always warned me about is gone and a scared, lonely man sits before me. “You really do love her, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think I do.” He takes a large sip of his martini. Placing his glass on the bar, he runs his fingers up the sides of his nose and across his forehead. “I’ve never been in love before, and it’s freaking me out. I didn’t know I would react this way to her constantly flying across the country.”

“I know what you mean. Chase being away is making me miserable, too.”

“Is is supposed to feel like this?”

“The missing part, yes. I’m not so sure about the anger.”

“I don’t like not knowing what she’s doing.”

“She’s working,” I say, signaling for another beer.

“It’s after work I’m worried about. She’s hot, guys will flock to her.”

“Justin,” I say, looking straight at him, “you need to trust her.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I can’t, because I know what I would do.” He fiddles with his fingers, obviously nervous with the direction of this conversation.

“So, you’re fighting your own demons?”

“It seems so.” He looks up at the ceiling, searching for the answer.

“You’re not going to find it up there,” I say, laughing.

“Find what?”

“I know what you’re doing.” I take a sip of my beer, carefully constructing my response. “She isn’t you. I’ve seen how she acts around you and I’m pretty sure she’s in love with you, too.”