Touch And Go - Aiden Bates Page 0,82

crime of forgetting.

“You don’t remember the tequila shots?” She spun to gape at me, and a piece of pink hair flew down into her face.

My mind reeled, searching for the memory, and I vaguely remembered the taste of lemon and salt and covered my face with my hands as I groaned. “Oh, Jesus. No…”

“Or the strippers?” Her eyebrows shot up and her voice reached a high pitch.

“The what?” I peeked between my fingers and braced myself, but she just smirked and winked.

“Ha, just messing with you.” She poked me in the chest where pain still lived, maybe because it was still bruised from Roland’s manhandling…maybe from heartache. “Not kidding about the tequila shots though, those were real, Bas-man. But you seriously don’t remember sitting in the laneway with me, bawling your eyes out about Dr. Dish?”

My cheeks burned, and I buried my face in my hands. “Kill me now, please.”

“No way! It was adorable!” She nudged past me to grab two glasses.

“Is that all I talked about?” I peeked at her from behind my fingers, terrified I’d spilled information Hunter had warned me not to speak about to anyone, lest it corrupt the case against Ben.

“Uh, yeah, that was it.” She started pouring beers from the tap. “But that was pretty hefty. Why? You got more?”

“My brother’s probably going to prison.” The words came out gravelly and sad, and the memory of Ben’s betrayal punched another hole in my chest.

She scrunched up her freckled nose as she tied her apron. “Sorry, Bastian. That’s fucking heavy.”

“I really didn’t say anything about it?” I caught the towel she threw to me and started cleaning the bar.

“Nope, you were completely consumed by your agony over Dr Dish. You getting back with him, or what?” She placed the beers on a tray and looked over her shoulder at me.

“Absolutely not.”

“Wait.” She turned to me and put her hands on her hips. Big sister lecture brewing. “Is this the guy you came in with that night? Two iced teas and the special Margherita?”

I sighed and wiped down the taps. “That’s him.”

Julie slapped the bar and made me jump. “Seb, you’re fucking insane if you don’t fight for him.” She pushed her hair back and stared. This woman knew relationships and men. She knew me. And I wanted to believe her. I wanted hope to hang onto. But how could I fight for him? I wasn’t good enough. Plain, honest truth. Sad. But most things were. “‘Dishy’ is an understatement. And from what I can piece together from your ranting…that relationship has potential.”

I shook my head and willed my nerves to relax. “No, it doesn’t. He’s not into long-term.” Blaming him didn’t disguise what I knew as true. “I’m not the type of guy anyone settles down with.”

She scrunched her nose and pulled her lips into a tight bow. She was ready to fight me for a truth I had to accept if I ever had any hope of moving on. “And why not?”

I spread my arms and turned to her. “Look at me.”

“You look at you.” She tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and took the towel hanging limply from my hand. “You’re dreamy. And sweet, and reliable. You work hard and you make more tips than anyone else here and that’s not just because you’re cute—you’re funny, smart, and always have something to say to everyone. Even the weird undercover agents who have nothing to talk about.” She saw the best in people. Never the flaws. That was why she continued with all the positives. “You’re kind, Bastian and that’s no small thing.”

“Don’t talk about my small things.” But I smiled. She was trying to help and I loved her. I just couldn’t take any more pedestal lifting right then.

She lowered her voice and stepped closer, with a hand on her hip and caring eyes. “I get the feeling you’ve gone through some real shit lately, Bastian. Outside of the dish drama, maybe even more than the stuff with your brother. But you’ll heal, boo. Don’t throw out the possibility of a dishy daydream one day. Maybe even soon.”

I chewed my lip and shrugged, but her words flared a tiny flame of hope I’d been carrying in my heart ever since I’d run out of the Tower. “Maybe.”

She shook her shoulders like she was shaking off my bad energy and swatted me with the towel. “You need a self-care day, boo. And probably some therapy.”

“Ha! You know a good one to talk