Touch And Go - Aiden Bates Page 0,81

head, trying to dislodge the sting that Matt was still the only brother who hadn’t come to visit me. Well, apart from Derek… “Forget it, I’m happy to see you.”

“You on your way out?” He pushed his hands into his pockets and hunched. I wondered if he was holding something back. News from Derek maybe. I scowled at myself for being so desperate for any mention of him.

“Yeah, first shift back at Zuconi’s. Sorry, I’d invite you up—”

He shook his head. “Quick visit from me anyway. Came to say goodbye. And to tell you to stay safe. Eli said you’re not locking your front door.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Who cares?”

“I do. We do.”

“All of you?” I mumbled.

“Yeah. All of us.”

With a sigh, I fished my keys out and held them up. “I promise, it’s locked. But what’s this about a goodbye?”

“My leave is over, got to head back.”

“Shit. I’m sorry.” All that shooting. The violence of it.

He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t be, I can’t wait.”

The world was spinning around me, moving too fast. I could barely stay upright while things kept shifting in my life.

Sean motioned to the door and we headed out. He subtly scanned the street for danger, and I told myself not to get used to feeling so safe out in the world. One of the few people looking out for me was about to leave. They always did.

“So, we’re both heading back to new-old jobs, huh?” I spun my keys around my finger and pocketed them as we wandered toward the street, a casual move to try and hide how sad I felt about this goodbye. I didn’t know when or even if I’d see him again, and I hated how that thought immediately jumped to wondering when I’d see Derek again. If ever.

“Yeah, Zuconi’s? Near the Tower? I’d offer to give you a lift but I’m driving straight out of town now. You’re my last visit before I go.”

We stopped at his truck, and I wrapped my arms around my middle, as if it weren’t a disgustingly humid day. “Okay. Well…thanks for coming by. And for everything.”

He nodded and looked at me for a long moment. “Take care, Seb.”

“You, too. I’ll see you…around.”

He saluted and jumped in his cab without looking back.

Two buse and a winding walk took me the long way around the Vanguard Tower, and I got to work just three minutes before my shift. The manager, Gary, was the same surly Italian guy who’d been running the place when I’d been there the year before, who’d given me the job right after I’d turned twenty-one. He looked up from his spot hunched over a table staring at a laptop and barely moved his head as he nodded and motioned toward the bar. That was Gary-talk for ‘get to work and make me money.’

I was still nervous as hell, but the minute I stepped behind the bar, it all came rushing back to me, and in no time, I was shaking cocktails, spinning glasses, talking shit with customers, and raking in the tips from the early afternoon crowd of entrepreneurs and socially awkward middle-aged men who I liked to imagine were undercover agents.

I was five hours into my shift and dropping a skewer of blue cheese olives into a dirty martini when Julie waltzed across the courtyard in a bright yellow sundress and threw me a huge smile. I passed the martini to the nearest waiter and leaned over the bar to accept her hug.

“How you doin’, Bastian?” She slipped behind the bar with me and ruffled my hair in a truly annoying fashion. She was all I had left. As close as anyone I could call family.

I flicked her hands away and smoothed my hair. “Good, good, good…”

She reached for an apron but paused and turned to look at me. “Um. No, I mean really, how are you? Broken heart all healed?”

I did a double-take and frowned at her. “Uh, what broken heart?”

“Oh my God! Tell me you remember the deep and meaningful conversation we had the other night when we celebrated you coming back to work here?” She pointed to two stools across from us. “We sat there. You cried in your vodka cran and told me how Dr. Dish was your be-all, end-all.”

I bit my lip and shrugged apologetically. “I remember having the drinks. And I remember being psyched to work with you again?” I tugged the waist of her dress, begging forgiveness for the