Omission (3 page)

“Well, you got a hell of a lot further with her than Ryan did last night.” Lucas chuckle
d as he finished off his beer. “She totally shot him down within seconds of him talking to her. She obviously has a good head on her shoulders.” He stood up. “Want another?” he asked as he pointed to my almost empty bottle.

I finished
it off in one last gulp. “Yeah, thanks.” I watched Lucas as he leaned up against the bar, knowing I didn’t have to worry about him. Besides, Payton was tied up with someone else, so the red head was grabbing our next round.

***

“You sure you’re okay?” Lucas was heading out, and I had just told him I was going to hang out for a bit.

“Yeah, I’m fine.
I just want to hang out and see if I can talk to her a bit.” Ryan and Ethan had left about an hour ago with two girls they had met earlier.

“I thought
you wanted to be home early.” Lucas was grinning at me.

“Yeah, tha
t was before I saw her again.” I laughed.

“Again?”

“Yeah, don’t ask.” I tried to laugh it off, but I could tell Lucas knew not to push it.

“Al
l right man, see you tomorrow.” He clapped me across the shoulder and left.

The ba
r had cleared out quite a bit when Rob came over and sat down across from me.

“Looks like
all of your friends left, huh?” I nodded, knowing what he was getting at.

“I’m hoping to have a word with Payton
when she’s done.” I figured honesty was the best route with him.

“I think Shelly
is letting her go as we speak. She has class tomorrow, so Shelly takes pity on her.” 

We both watched as Payton reached under the bar and grabbed her purse. I stood up quickly, afraid I would miss my chanc
e. Rob put his hand on my arm. “Relax, man. Take it slow; you don’t want to spook her.” He winked and chuckled as he walked away.

He was
right; I was acting like a total idiot. There was just something about her that I couldn’t get out of my mind. So vulnerable, yet strong at the same time.

She walked through the side of the bar and smiled when she saw me standing there.

“You’re still here?” She tilted he head to the side and put her hand on her hip.

“Yeah, I was hoping to walk with you.” 

She frowned at me. “I don’t need an escort. I’m fine by myself.” She moved to the door.

“I don’t doubt that
, Payton. I just wanted to talk to you. If you’d rather, we can stand out front and chat, and then I promise to let you walk home alone, even though I am pretty sure we’re going the same way.”

She turned around and looked at me
cautiously. “How do you know what way I’m going?”

“I guess I don’t
really, but after the other night I just assumed you walk through the park to get home.”  I shrugged, looping my thumbs in my front pockets.

“And y
ou really are going that way?” She raised her eyebrows at me.

“Yes
, ma’am. I actually live on Old Windsor.”

“Okay
,” she agreed.

“Okay?”
I wanted to make sure I heard her right.

She nodde
d and walked through the door. It had gotten chilly while we were inside. I should have brought a jacket, but it had been so long since I’d been out, that it hadn’t even crossed my mind. Payton pulled her jacket closed and put her hands in her pockets.

We walked for about a
minute without talking, it just felt comfortable to be silent.

“You’re awfully quiet for wanting to talk to me so bad.” I could hear the smile in her voice.

I started to laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She was making me nervous, which was something new for me.

She giggled, and
it made my heart skip a beat. It was the first time I had seen her slightly carefree. It was beautiful.

“How long have you worked at the bar?”

“A little over a year now. It is flexible with school.”

I turned to look at her. “You go to school
here?” I didn’t realize that. I hadn’t seen her around campus before, and I was pretty sure I would have noticed her.

“
Mmm hmm.” She was looking around nervously as we walked through the park, and I felt guilty knowing why she was so concerned.

“What is your major?” I
put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze before dropping it back to my side. I wanted to try to get her mind off that night and back on right now.

“Accounting. What about you? I assume you go to school here also.”
She smiled back up at me as she walked.

“Yeah
. Systems Engineering.” I thought I saw her smile. “What?”

“You don’t look like the engineering type.” 

“What type do I look like?” I challenged as I stopped walking.

She bit her bottom lip, turning to look me
up and down. “Physical Health … Kinesiology?” 

“Nice!
” I laughed. “It’s because I have a hot body, right?” I waggled my eyebrows at her as she started to laugh. “Sorry to disappoint you ‘Little Miss Math Whiz’, but there’s a lot more to me than just a hot body!” I pointed to my head, pretending to be offended.

She smiled and shook her hea
d as we started walking again. We were almost to the other side of the park—way too quickly. Her hair looked almost blue in the moonlight. I glanced at her profile in my peripheral vision as we walked. Her features were perfect, from her long eyelashes to her cute nose that sloped up slightly, to her puffy pink lips. I wondered, not for the first time, how soft they would feel against mine.

“Well, I’m this way.”
She stopped on the sidewalk and pointed to the right.

“I’m right there.”
I pointed to the townhouse about fifty yards to the left of us.

“Well, thanks for walking with me
, Garrett.”

“Thank
you
for allowing me to walk with you.” I grinned. “Goodnight, Payton.”

“Goodnight.”
I watched as she turned and walked away.

I had the hardest time getting to sleep
, and ended up tossing and turning most of the night. My thoughts had been stuck on a certain large muscular man. Other than Rob, he was the first guy I had felt comfortable around, but the big difference was that Rob was like a brother to me—family, but Garrett ... Garrett was something entirely different.

I couldn’t begin to explain it, but I wanted to get to know him
, and it wasn’t just because he had come to my rescue. He seemed like a mystery. He was huge, muscular, definitely attractive, but he seemed to be so much more. I would have never guessed that he was an engineering major. Go figure.

The guys he was in the bar with were t
he stereotypical college guys. His friend had hit on me the night before, and I was sure I would have to shoot him down again last night, too, but Garrett had stepped up, and the other guy had backed off. It was interesting to watch them interact, like there was an unspoken respect, and Garrett didn’t come at me with those cheesy pick up lines. I smiled as I thought of some of the ridiculous ones I’d heard over the years.

I yawned and stretched as I climbed out of my soft bed. A hot shower was calling my name, and a nice big cup of coffee. Hopefully that would wake me up enough to be a productive student.

By the time I reached campus, I knew I needed to buckle down and focus. I had an exam today, and my mind needed to be in the game, not on guys. I was never the girl to be easily distracted by a boy; then again, the boys that were usually trying to get my attention were the last ones I would have contemplated spending more time with in the first place.

After I lost my dad, there was a certain stigma that surrounded me. People avoided me for the most part, and to be honest, that was so much better than the ones who didn’t ignore me. When you’re an outcast, people view you as something they can take—
to control, if you will. It’s almost like they know you don’t have much left, and they intend to strip you of whatever you do.

I’m not sure what was worse. The taunting and bullying or when I basically ceased to exist after my mom died. I envied her for a
while. She got to escape it. I was left to try to pull myself out of a hole that my parents dug. One that no child should have to try to climb out of alone, but I did it, and I never looked back. I took charge of my own life and I vowed to never let someone have the power to destroy me again. I shook my head as I walked into the building, willing the memories to leave.

The day surprisingly flew by
quickly. It was a cool and crisp day without a cloud in the sky as I headed to the bar after my last class. It was still early, but I liked to get there early so I could help Shelly stock and get ready for the hopping Friday crowd. Fridays were usually packed, and we mixed, poured, and served drinks without so much as a bathroom break. It was a great night for tips, and Shelly and I worked the bar well together.

“Hey, Shell!”
Shelly was already changing out bottles and stocking behind the bar when I strolled into the dark building and moved behind the bar. Shelly liked to just turn on the light behind the bar until we were ready to open up. I guess it was more relaxing than having the harsh fluorescent lighting overpowering us.

“Hey
, girl!” She glanced back at me as I threw my bag under the bar and grabbed the next couple of bottles to hand to her.

“It should be a nice night.”
The weather forecast was clear for tonight, and in a town where people walked a lot, that was a good thing. Good weather brought out the crowds, and the crowds brought out the money. Even poor college kids found a way to go to the bars. I think a lot of them would take a beer over their next meal.

“Yeah, it looks like it.”
Shelly placed the last bottle on the shelf behind the bar and turned to me.

“So, did that Garrett guy walk you home?”
She stepped down from the step ladder and placed her hands on her hips as she waited for me to answer.

I could feel my cheeks heat up, knowi
ng what Shelly was getting at. “Yes, but it’s not like you think,” I argued.

“Is that so?
I thought Payton didn’t need anyone to walk her home.” She cocked her left eyebrow up at me, her voice dripping with amused sarcasm.

“
I don’t
. He lives on the other side of the park, too. He was already going that way anyway,” I snapped back, sure I didn’t sound as convincing as I’d hoped. I was glad when Rob walked through the door so we could drop the topic of Garrett. Unfortunately, Rob didn’t agree.

“So, did Garret
t walk you home?” He laughed as I groaned and turned around. Shelly started laughing.

“I’m glad
you two find this so amusing.” I glared at them both.

“Aw
, come on, Payton, we’re just giving you a hard time. I don’t know much about him, but Garrett seems pretty cool. I don’t get a creep vibe from him.” Rob wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

“It was just nice to see a guy c
atch your attention for once.” Shelly put her arm around my shoulder, too, sandwiching me in between them.

“He didn’t catch my attention. I think I
just have a bit of hero worship, that’s all. Let’s drop it, okay?” I mumbled into Rob’s chest.

We all went back to work, and soon
the crowds started flowing in. As predicted, we were jumping. I had just served up four mixed drinks for a group of girls when Shelly stopped behind me. “Don’t look now, but your man just walked in.” Without even thinking, I turned to the door and caught Garrett’s eyes. He smiled at me, and I could feel my face grow hot.
What’s with you, Payton?
I hadn’t blushed over a guy in, well ... ever.

“He’s
not
my man!” I snapped in Shelly’s direction as she laughed.

She went back to serving drinks on the other side of the bar
, and I greeted Garrett and his friend. “Hey. What can I get for you two?”

Garrett flashed me a sm
ile, and again my heart jumped. “Two beers please, Payton, whatever’s on tap.” I went over to the tap and poured them each a beer, grimacing at the large amount of foam on the first one, due to not paying attention to what I was doing. I poured the one over and finally set them on the counter.

As I was handing Garrett his change, h
e introduced me to his friend. “Payton, this is my friend, Lucas. Lucas, this is Payton.”

Lucas held his
hand out to me, and I shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Payton. I feel like I know you after listening to Garrett talk about you for the last two days.” He laughed as Garrett punched him in the shoulder.

“Nice
, dude! This is why I don’t introduce you to anyone.” He looked back at me apologetically. “I’ll see you later?” It came out as a question, and I nodded, but I seriously doubted I would have a chance to talk to him, not tonight anyway. It was way too busy.

***

Throughout the night I found myself searching for him in the crowd, and each time I found him, he was looking back at me, smiling.

“Something
out there interest you, Payton?” Shelly joked as she slid behind me, filling a glass with ice. I glared at her, not because of what she said, but more because I got caught watching him in the first place.

I
couldn’t begin to explain the draw I had to Garrett. He was certainly something to behold. There was no doubt that he was gorgeous—his body was downright incredible! His arms were solid and defined. His shoulders were broad and angled down in a perfect V toward his waist. His jeans sat low on his hips and hung perfectly on his amazing backside. Wow—just wow! His face was something I couldn’t seem to get enough of, and those eyes! They were brown, like the deepest milk chocolate, and they way he looked at me—they were eyes a girl could get lost in.

I shook my head, trying to get ba
ck in the game. It was slower now that it was after midnight, but I still had people to serve.

“Are you
guys ready for another round?” Lucas had just stepped up to the bar.

“No, I’m actually taking off.”
I quickly glanced over at Garrett, expecting him to be leaving also, but he just sat at the table checking something on his phone.

Lucas laughed loudly
, and it brought my attention back to him. “He’s not going anywhere. He’s waiting for a certain someone.” He winked at me. “Be nice, Garrett doesn’t usually wait around for girls, not until now anyway. He’s a little out of his element.” With that, Lucas walked to the door, shook Rob’s hand, and disappeared around the corner.

What did that mean?
Was Garrett waiting for me? “Who was that guy talking to you?” Shelly grabbed the glasses out of my hands that I had been absentmindedly holding and proceeded to add them to the dirty rack.

“Um,
that was Lucas. He’s a friend of Garrett’s.” I was still trying to figure out what he meant.

“He’s cute.”

“Who?” I turned and looked at her.

“Lucas.”
Shelly was a flirt, and I could tell the next time poor Lucas stepped into the bar that he would be her target. I didn’t feel too bad—he looked like the type of person who could handle her.

“Hmmm, I didn’t notice.” 

“That doesn’t surprise me; you haven’t looked at anyone else but Garrett tonight,” she mused.

My mouth dropped open as I looked at her.
She smirked at me, and I realized she was right. I had no idea how to do this. I hadn’t really ever had a boyfriend, but that was by choice. I certainly had opportunities, but I never acted on them. I was pretty sure past experiences had tarnished any chance of me finding a healthy and loving relationship.

“Shit
, Shell! What am I doing?” I felt a knot in my stomach.

She grabbed my arm.
“Don’t over-think this, Payton, please. He seems like a good guy, and he really seems to be into you.” Shelly placed the clean glasses back on the shelf.

I nodded.
I had no idea what was going on, but Shelly was right, I didn’t need to stress over something that wasn’t even a defined issue yet.

Two o’clock rolled around before we knew it
, and the bar had cleared out—except for Garrett. Rob had come over and told me that he was waiting for me, so he allowed him to stay. I couldn’t help but feel a bit excited knowing that he had spent the entire night here so he could walk with me. As much as I knew I could walk alone, hell I’d done it for over a year now, I actually enjoyed his company, and I wanted to know more about him.

We wrapped up everything
, and Shelly closed out the register, leaving the money in the safe. I grabbed my purse from under the bar and stood up to find those incredible brown eyes looking straight at me. “Hi.” I couldn’t disguise the small smile that formed on my face, and he didn’t miss it either.

He
rewarded me with one of his beautiful full smiles. “Ready?”

“Sure.”
We walked to the door, pausing so I could give Rob a hug and a kiss on the cheek and hug Shelly. “See you guys tomorrow.”

Rob shook Garrett’s hand a
s we moved through the door. I almost let out an audible gasp when I felt Garrett’s hand on my lower back, guiding me forward. It was such an innocent move, but his touch did weird things to me. I felt the heat from his hand move straight through my body, and I missed it instantly as soon as he removed his hand.

“You okay?”
I felt his warm breath as he spoke so close to my ear, causing me to shiver.

I didn’t trust myself to spe
ak right now so I just nodded. We walked across the street before I could get myself calm enough to speak. “You didn’t have to wait for me, you know.” I hadn’t meant to sound so rude, and he looked a little hurt by my words at first, but then he smiled and shook his head.

“What?” I questioned.

“You’re just really hard to figure out.” He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets as we walked.

“What do you mean?”
Now I was acting wounded.

He stopped and looked d
own at me, moving a bit closer. It was dark, but I could see his face illuminated by the streetlights that were still very close. “Well, you stare at me all night, smile at me, and I get the impression you might share my interest, and then you spout off a comment, making me feel like you don’t want me around.”

I felt like
I couldn’t breathe. He was so close that I could feel the heat from his body radiate through my own clothes. I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure. I lifted my chin slightly, feeling a bit defensive by his tone, and looked him straight in the eyes. “There’s nothing to figure out, Garrett.” My voice sounded small and unsure. I hated that he had that effect on me.

“Really
, Payton?” He cocked his head to the side, smirking.

My heart was beating so fast.
I couldn’t tell if I was mad, scared, or excited. “
Really,
Garrett?” 

He put his hand behind my neck and the other one on my hip, pulling me forward so that we were just inches apart.
Oh my God, he’s going to kiss me!
I watched him lean forward and then closed my eyes, waiting for that contact, but instead I felt his mouth graze past the corner of mine to my ear instead.