Tend To My Heart

13

Evangeline

    "I'm never giving the two of you the night off ever again" Benny whined when Maya and I met him behind the bar counter. He was frantically running around trying to serve everyone at once and we took the glasses from his hands with a laugh.

"Take 10 Benny Boy, we gotcha" Maya smiled, retreating to the end of the counter she's normally serving.

"Take all the time you need, you're the boss Benjamin" I shook my head and laughed.

"Yeah, good idea" he nodded and trudged his way out of the bar for a break.

"How that man runs this place is beyond me" Maya shook her head from her end.

"You and me both" I agreed and served a few drunken men who didn't have a problem tipping me very generously.

After the party last night, Maya had absolutely no memory of  her comment in the car as well as the rest of the night. No one threw up anywhere, which was a plus, and still, my mind hasn't been able to shake the feeling I got when Tristan kissed that girl.

It's really none of my business and I knew that those were the kind of things that he did.

So, why the hell was it eating me from the inside?

"When are your days off?" A voice startled me and speaking of the devil, Tristan stood on the other side of the counter.

It's like he can sense when I'm thinking about him.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, unfazed by his presence and more concerned with his question.

"Your days off, when are they? Do you have any? Is it legal for someone to work as often as you?" He bombarded me with questions and I had to take a step back, regardless of the counter that separated us.

I scanned his face, his cheeks were burning red and his eyes were glossy, looking almost like glass. He grinned like a child, waiting for an actual answer and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

He was drunk.

"W-why?" I asked.

I've never seen him drunk...I've seen him at parties and here, ordering drinks but I've never actually seen him drunk. He seemed happier, a cheery kind of happier, like anything could excite him.

"Can't a man ask his friend when her days off are?" He shrugged, the childish grin never leaving his face.

"Again with this whole friend thing" I shook my head and served a round of shots to a pair of girls who approached the counter. To no one's surprise, they were eyeballing Tristan who was only interested in getting an answer out of me.

He paid no attention to the girls, even after I'd made their drinks and they tried getting his attention...nothing.

"Don't deny it, we're practically friends now, you make my drinks, I make fun of you for it, we could be best friends at this point" he drunkenly rambled.

I let out a laugh and the two girls gave up, leaving the bar.

"Oh yeah, attached at the hip, you and I" I rolled my eyes and made him a glass of water.

"Drink this, anymore alcohol and your cheeks will start to glow" I told him, sliding the glass in front of him. He eyes the water and then looks back at me with the softest smile.

"I'll drink it if you tell me when you have a free day" he bargained and I placed both of my palms on the counter and leaned over a bit.

"Are you really trying to make a deal using a glass of water?" I narrowed my eyes.

"I know you really want me to drink it" he said, in a sing song voice, just like a little boy would as if he were teasing me.

"Why do you want to kn-"

"Evangeline, that is not the deal, you tell me, I drink the water, I get another whiskey and I'll be on my way" he cut me off, gesturing his hands around all dramatic-like.

"You didn't mention a whiskey" I rolled my eyes.

He just stared at me and I let out a sigh, if I know anything about Tristan, it's that he's not going to leave until I give him a proper answer.

"Wednesdays" I caved and his grin just grew and grew.

He picked up the water and chugged the entire thing before setting it back down and sliding it over to me.

"I'll take that whiskey now" he nodded.

Quickly making his whiskey, he accepted it and pointed a finger at me. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, a boy with dirty blonde hair threw an arm around him.

"T, let's go, we're moving the party to Emily's place" the boy told Tristan, dragging out the girls name as if it were significant to Tristan.

I looked down at my feet and did everything I could to push that familiar feeling from last night down.

"O-okay, bye Evangeline!" Tristan waved and I looked up to respond only for him to be dragged away by his friend.

I cleared my throat and started wiping down the mess I made before anyone else could approach the counter.

What the hell was that?

My eyes caught a glimpse of Maya who was on the other end watching me and she must have been watching the entire time. This was definitely something she was going to bring up again and for the first time in a long time, I pretty much wanted her to.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I needed to talk about it.