The Lonely Drop by Vanessa North Read Free Book Online Page B

the hell is going on.”
    “Are you always this loud?”
    “Are you hungover?” Scandalized, she scoots inside the office and shuts the door behind her.
    I nod.
    “You. You are hungover. Wow. And you’re normally so uptight.” She sits down. “What happened?”
    “I went dancing. With Kevin. And I did shots. Lots of shots.”
    “Did you fuck him?”
    “Jenny!” I glare at her.
    “Did he fuck you?”
    “Not better.”
    “Did you, or did you not, have sexual intercourse with that man?”
    “Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I did not. I did wake up in his hotel room though. And…” No, not telling her about the shower. “And I wish we had. Not drunk, because I’d never forgive myself if the only time I ever got to be with him was because I was drunk. I just wish things were different.”
    “Oh, baby. How long has it been?” See, this is why I love Jenny. She reads between the lines.
    “Ten years— well, probably more like twelve if I’m being honest.”
    “You haven’t had sex in twelve years?” Her jaw drops.
    “No! I’ve had sex, Jesus, Jenny. I’ve been in love with him for twelve years.” So much for that reading between the lines shit.
    “Oh.” Her eyes get really wide. “Does he know?”
    “No, and it’s going to stay that way. I have my friend back. Even if it’s temporary, with him living in New York and me living here, we’re hanging out like old times and it’s good. I can’t ruin that.”
    “But what if he feels the same way?”
    “He doesn’t.”
    “How do you know? Has he told you he just wants to be friends? Is he seeing someone else? Is he married?”
    “No, not that I know of, and hell no.”
    “What do you have to lose?”
    “My dignity?”
    She scoffs. “There’s no dignity in love, Nick. It’s messy and embarrassing and fantastic, but it sure as hell isn’t dignified. What do you have to lose?”
    “My friend.”
    “You have other friends. And honestly, you guys can’t be that close if one little love declaration ruins everything.”
    “One little love declaration?”
    “Well, I don’t exactly have you pegged as the ‘taking out a billboard in Times Square type.’”
    “And anything less than that is ‘little’? There’s no middle ground?”
    “I’m not talking literally. Damn, Nick, you really are hung over. It’s a metaphor. The big gesture. I don’t see you as a big gesture guy. You’re the kind of guy who loves quietly. And those guys? They either nut up or die alone.” She crosses her arms over her chest at the end of her speech, clearly pleased with herself.
    “Thank you for my daily dose of melodrama.”
    “Yeah, whatever. Got the liquor inventory?”
    I hand her the printout.
    “Nut up or die alone, Nick. I’m just saying.” She stands up and walks out of my office. She returns a few minutes later with a bottle of ibuprofen. “Courtesy of Britney. Now, go help Corey before the boy has an aneurysm.”
    “I don’t think aneurysms are caused by tending bar alone for thirty minutes,” I call after her as she disappears down the hallway.
    “Yeah, yeah. Help the guy out. By the way, it’s snowing pretty hard already. You might want to consider closing early tonight.”
    I look out the window, wincing at the brightness. Sure enough, snow is flying. I pull up the weather app on my phone and see they’re only calling for a couple of inches. We should be fine to stay open.
    ****
    By two o’clock, the restaurant is deserted and nearby businesses are closing. The TV above the bar is tuned to CNN showing massive shutdowns of roads in Atlanta, which is a few hours south of here. It looks like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.
    “We need to close.” Jenny comes up beside me and gestures at the TV. “I checked in with Miriam and she said the kids are building a snowman, and to take as long as I need here. I can help you close up.”
    “I hate the idea of closing for an inch of snow.”
    “Nick, you have four