Six Years (2 page)

“Big No? You’re shitting me, man!’’

I glanced to my right at hearing the nickname I got back in high school for being too tall and muscular so young and chuckled at my oldest friend, a guy I always used to hang out with back in the days, before I cut off everything and everyone after I left. Mike, the mayor’s son and womanizer extraordinaire. If there’s a mother fucker who knew how to treat girls badly, it was him.

He took off his Raybans and put them on top of his head as his grin spread wider, displaying twin dimples that made girls go nuts on his cocky ass. He punched my shoulder and sat on the high stool next to mine. He signaled the bartender for a beer and barely spared him a glance.

His brown eyes scanned me, taking note of my expensive clothes, the same kind he’d always worn. I wasn’t the same poor kid anymore.

“Well, look at you, Big No. All successful and embracing it. How’s life?’’

I shrugged and took a sip of my soda. “Good. I’m doing what I’ve always wanted so I’m not complaining. You?’’

He made a face and gulped a good third of his beer. It was answer enough to be drinking alcohol in a bar so early in the day. “Working for my father and staying the hell away from him. I don’t want a repeat of finding him in his office with some woman spread eagle on his fucking desk while he’s going down on her. Scarred me for life.’’

His father had always been a real fucker. While he came across as a great man for most of the town who voted for him over the decades, I knew how fucked up he truly was. That’s probably why I bonded with Mike early on. We both had less than stellar families.

“How’s your mother doing?’’

“Probably fucking on the side too,’’ he answered swiftly, his tone darker as his eyes got lost in the amber liquid in his tall glass. He shook his head after a while and grinned at me again. “Now that you’re famous and loaded I bet you’re swimming in pussy.’’

I chuckled at his crass words. He hadn’t changed all that much over the years and it was oddly comforting. I pictured my life in New York and felt that odd hole in my chest. I had everything I should want, everything I dreamed about and some more, but still. The best word I’d use to explain this would be that I was bored. Once you achieved everything and you didn’t have more dreams, there’s nothing else left. I couldn’t even build new dreams anymore. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to be considered one of the best in my job, but the thrill, the drive I used to feel was almost completely gone. Somewhere along the way I lost myself, or parts of me.

“I calmed down with that, Mike. Maybe you should too.’’

He eyed me sideways and chuckled some more before he cocked his head on one side. “Believe me, I calmed down.’’

I frowned at him and tugged on my lip ring. Something didn’t sit well with me. I knew him too well to not know when he had something up his sleeve that wouldn’t make me happy. I braced myself.

* * *

BROOKLYN

I pushed open the door and walked into Lenny’s. It was crowded with students and high schoolers during summer break. I shook my head at two guys trying a pathetic attempt to chat up one of the waitresses to give them a stronger drink than the coke they were allowed. Too bad they chose Laura because even if this girl looked naïve and innocent with her big green eyes and soft blonde hair, she was one tough girl. We all wondered if she spit in drinks of those who annoyed her. In fact, knowing that I wasn't her favorite person on earth, I never ordered my drinks or food from her. Tempting fate wasn't exactly my idea of fun.

I waved at Helen, a single mother, hardworking and sweet. She was patiently waiting for an old couple's order and they didn't look like they would be ready any time soon. Helen nodded back at me and focused back on her customers. She really should teach me some patience, maybe it'd increase tips from some customers, the ones not that interested in tipping me for wearing tight and short shorts paired with low cut tops. It wouldn’t hurt me to be more patient with the annoying patrons tipping me for flirting with them.

And then, as I made my way to the bar, my eyes caught the sight of curly dark hair, the same hair I enjoyed tugging when I made out with him. I smiled and walked to him before I realized who he was talking to. I frowned and put my game face on. Nolan was sitting on the high stool beside Mike, I should have known. After all, when Nolan was in high school, Lenny's had been his hangout spot, his favorite place to pick up girls from what I heard. He's wearing some expensive black jeans hanging low on his narrow hips and a dark green tee-shirt with white block letters "Be warned, I could write a book about you". I’d forgotten he could be such a dork with his t-shirts sometimes. I rolled my eyes and walked between the two guys.

"Brooklyn, babe, see who's here," Mike said, his hand now possessively on my ass. I glanced at Mike's face and fought the urge to roll my eyes again. He's smirking at his old friend.

Every day, I wonder to myself why I was still dating this guy. He was quite good-looking with his curly dark hair, dark eyes and kissable lips, and the guy had a body made to attract females, but he was way too annoying most of the time. I had my fun with him, but he was starting to think that I was falling for him and he enjoyed it a little too much for my liking. I went out with him in the first place because I knew about his reputation as a womanizer and I needed the distraction.

Nolan lost the little color he had to his cheeks as he took in Mike's words and his grip on my ass. It must have been weird for him to see me with one of his buddies, a man six years older than me. With his teeth he played with the loop in his lower lip and nodded at me.

"We saw each other last night," I said with a shrug and Mike snickered. He kissed my neck and while I usually didn't care about PDA, feeling Nolan's eyes on us made me feel both smug and uneasy.

“Look who’s here all grown up, Big No.’’ he taunted Nolan with his nickname I knew I could never use again. I didn't even remember who gave it to him and why it stuck.

"It's Monday, Mike. What are you doing here?" I butted in before Nolan could answer. I didn't want to hear anything about me coming from his mouth.

Mike glanced at his watch, a watch his daddy bought him, and groaned. "I have to go." He leaned into me, kissed me deeply and thoroughly before he waved at Nolan and walked away, putting on his Rayban sunglasses. I shook my head and sat on the vacated stool.

"You and Mike, huh?"

I waved at Dan, the bartender and he smiled at me, already pouring me a big mug of coffee, just like every morning when I was here. "Here you go, pretty," he said with a wink and I chuckled. That man was twice my age but he loved to flirt with everybody, even though he had a long term boyfriend at home.

Nolan scowled, but he busied himself with his coke. I took a sip of my coffee, careful not to burn myself.

"Mike and I, so what?"

It was hard for me to look at him. I ran a hand in my hair, bringing some locks in front of my eyes. Even by the dim light in the bar, the red locks mixed with the brown ones caught the attention.

"He's not one for relationships." He took a sip of his coke, his Adam's apple jumping. "And he's too old."

I chuckled and waved him off. I turned toward him on the stool and locked my brown eyes with his hazel ones. "Don't fool yourself, Nolan, I'm not looking for a relationship either. I'm "dating" an older guy who is a womanizer because I want some fun." I looked around us, at my little world in which he didn't have a place anymore. "I'm not naïve and I am certainly not innocent."

He leaned towards me, his eyes really looking at me, as if he was seeing the things I kept hidden and not just seeing what was visible. "What happened to you?"

I stood up ready to leave and escape his scrutiny. "I grew up alone."

I’d taken two steps when his voice stopped me. “I’d really like to catch up, Little B.’’

I closed my eyes. My anger flared, but I couldn't let it free. I didn't want to show him how affected I was. Because even now, angry, hurt and lost at seeing him again, I couldn’t just ignore him. I had never been able to forget him. "Come back here tonight at eight.’’

* * *

NOLAN

Little B and Mike. I wanted to bleach my eyes and erase that image from my brain, even now, hours later. The way he kissed her as if ready to fuck her there in the bar for everybody to see, it sickened me. If he did this to any other female I wouldn’t give a fuck because they’d be entitled to do whatever the hell they wanted, but Little B? That’s another story.

Back in high school, Mike made a sport of taking girls’ virginity and dumping them afterward. He had had threesomes, he cheated on all his “girlfriends’’ and only went to them when he needed to fuck his problems out of his system. I did the same, but I never went for girls I admired or cared about because I’d never been that fucked up. This time around, Mike was messing with the wrong girl.

“We never thought we’d see you again, Big No,’’ Leo said, one of my old buddies.

I looked back to him and tried to ignore the urge to punch my old best friend’s face whose eyes were taking in way too much every woman’s skin on display walking around Lenny’s, considering he’s off the market. “I wasn’t exactly planning on coming back to be honest.’’

“How long are you staying?’’

“Don’t know. A few days to check on my mother and then I’ll head back to NYC.’’

The guys nodded solemnly at the mention of my mother, but neither of them said anything. It’s been six years, but they all know how my mother screwed up and she’s still a sore subject. I had yet to see her. I was supposed to go today, but instead I spent the day walking around town while trying to push away the image of Mike’s hand on Little B’s ass while his tongue was down her throat.

“Well it’s good to see you again,’’ Leo said and held up his beer bottle in a silent toast, immediately followed by the other guys and even Mike who stopped ogling the women for a few minutes.

Suddenly, cat-calls broke the usual busy night bar life. Mike’s cat-calls were deafening. I narrowed my eyes on him and then followed his gaze when all my friends grinned at something behind me and waved. I turned around and finally saw her. Little B. She had a guitar in her hand, holding it by the neck as she strutted to the makeshift stage.

“Does she play?’’ I asked Mike who laughed, nodded and then went out of his way to tell me how hot it was, how smokin
g
sh
e
was.

I stared back at her and couldn’t look away. There was so much I didn’t know about her and about her life. Not only was she a musician now, but she’s also friends with my old friends and she’s dating and fucking my old best friend.

And I knew nothing about her aside from her past.

* * *

BROOKLYN

Lenny's was packed, like always. At the bar, Nolan and some of his old buddies were drinking and laughing loudly, the attention of all the girls in the bar who were on the prowl. From here, I could see Mike's eyes appraising the many assorted racks and legs on display. I fought off a laugh. I wasn't even sure if he was faithful to me or not and really, I didn't care. I was on the pill, he wore a condom and that was enough as I wasn’t exactly looking for commitment.

I glanced at my phone. It was almost eight PM. I grabbed my guitar, strummed quickly to check if it wasn't off key and walked in, leaving the cover of the employees back-room close to the stage. Some guys catcalled—Mike included—and the others waved at me. I smiled and sat on the stool in front of the mic. I glanced at Nolan who was gaping at me. He said something to Mike who laughed, nodded and replied something like "it's hot’’.

"Alright guys, let's have another Jukebox Live Night!" I said with a smile, one foot on the ground and another hooked on one bar of the stool. Without my heels I’d never be able to touch the ground on this stool, plus I loved my peep-toe shoes when I played. I didn't really know why, but wearing high heels made me more confident. Sexy too and it wasn't that bad when I played in a bar in front of a sometimes, rowdy audience.

Cheers welcomed me and the adrenaline pumped up, electrifying my whole body. Jukebox Live Night was something I came up with almost two years ago. For an hour they could ask me to play whatever they wanted and I complied. It was really fun and most of the time I ended up playing the latest successes in rock, pop rock and sometimes country music.

"First song, guys?"

Several people started shouting titles of songs, but among them all a woman screeched so loudly that I couldn't ignore her. “Radioactive, by Imagine Dragons."

I chuckled into the mic as the woman in her early twenties lost half of her beer on the floor in haste and enthusiasm. Her friends laughed at her too, but she didn't look phased.

“Imagine Dragons it is, then." I began the first chords and smiled softly, finally relaxing.

I loved to be under the spotlights, having the full attention of all these people. I'd never been one to shy away when I felt dozens of eyes on me. As I began to sing, I locked eyes with Nolan, my eyebrows high on my forehead for a couple of seconds. He didn't move, didn't even drink or answer Mike who was talking to him. No, he was only looking and listening to me, exactly like he used to do when I was a little girl and we spent time together, talking about everything and anything.