from the guy standing on the other side of the bar. She shakes her head as if she didn’t even hear me. “What?”
“You know, that thing you were going to check for in the back?” I ask. I lean close to her ear. “Let me handle this.”
“I can handle myself,” she says through clenched teeth.
I have no idea what’s going on, but I’ve never seen her this upset. Who the hell is this guy? And what kind of history do they have together?
“Bryan, what are you doing here?” she asks. “I told you never to step foot in this bar again, and I meant it.”
“What are you going to do? Throw me out?” He laughs and slaps the shoulder of the guy standing next to him. They both laugh like it’s the funniest thing anyone’s ever said.
Yeah, they’ve both had way too much to drink, and I’m losing my patience with this whole situation.
“You heard the lady,” I say, unable to just stand back and watch this go down. “Why don’t you guys find another place to get yourself a drink? We were just about to close things down for the night.”
“Bullshit,” Bryan says. “Rob’s doesn’t close until Eleven on Monday nights.”
“Our schedule just changed,” I say.
“What’s your problem, man? Who the hell are you, anyway?”
“I’m the guy who’s giving you one last chance to get the hell out of here before you regret ever walking through that door,” I say. My muscles are tensed, ready to throw the first punch if that’s what it comes to. I’ve been through my fair share of bar fights over the years, and no matter how big they are, drunk guys are always slow.
Bryan stares at me and a slow smile spreads across his face. There’s something about the look in his eyes that turns my stomach to knots. I know guys like this. They live for causing trouble.
I may have underestimated him. Shit.
“You got another thing coming if you think you could lay a hand on me and not regret it for months to come,” he says. “Now go back to minding your own business so I can talk to an old friend.”
He sits down at the bar stool across from Jo and leans forward. “Come on, Joey. Let’s put the past behind us, what do you say?” He reaches for her hand, but she pulls back. “After all, I’m going to be hanging around town for a while.”
“What happened? You get kicked out of whatever hole you crawled into last time?” she says. “I told you, Bryan, you’re not welcome here. Get the hell out of my bar.”
There’s an edge to her voice that scares me. I’m afraid she’s going to reach across the counter and try to beat the crap out of him before I have the chance to do it for her.
Bryan stares her down, but just when I think something’s about to come to a head, he laughs and lifts his hands up in surrender.
“I was just teasing you, Joey,” he says. “I missed you, that’s all. But if you want me to go, we’ll go.”
“I want you to go,” she says through clenched teeth.
“Okay, but you know where to find me if you change your mind,” he says. “Come on, Jeff, let’s get the hell out of this dump. It’s dead in here, anyway.”
The two guys get up and stagger to the door. I practically hold my breath until they are out of sight and the door is safely closed behind them.
I touch Jo’s hand, but she pulls away so fast it makes my stomach hurt.
“Are you okay?” I ask, although it’s obvious she’s not.
“I’m fine,” she says. She swallows hard and takes a deep breath that hitches in her chest. “I just need a minute.”
She heads toward the other end of the bar, and as much as I want to follow her, I decide to leave it alone. She’s obviously upset, and I don’t want to make it worse. Besides, I need to make sure those assholes don’t try to come back in and start something. I’m tempted to lock the door for a while and just tell people we’re closing early.
Jo disappears into the storeroom, and I lean against the top of the bar, finally letting go of the tense breath I’ve been holding onto since those guys walked through the door.
What the hell was that all about? Was that guy one of her ex-boyfriends?