THE LAST DANCE

Three

I keep glancing at Allen even as I serve the drinks. A few people want to strike a conversation but I don't entertain them. Livia says that I should, that it's part of my job description, but I'm just not in the mood. Homo sapiens are not exactly my favorite company. I prefer silence. A lot of silence.

Allen is seated with a jaw droppingly beautiful girl, and they're talking and laughing. I briefly wonder why he wants to have a drink with me when he already has company.

Men are whores.

But what do I even care. That's not my problem. I only said yes to him because he's cute and his smile... That smile...

Also, because he saved my ass.

"You're distracted." Livia notes when I almost pour a customer the wrong tequila.

"Yeah, sorry. Headache."

She c***s an eyebrow.

"Headache?"

"This place is noisy. I have never been in a club before."

"Ever?"

"Ever."

"Aren't you like twenty two?"

"Twenty, Livia. Twenty one in a couple of months"

"And you've never been to a club? Wow! You must be a law abiding citizen."

"If law abiding refers to my Dad locking me away from the world, then yeah, I'm a very law abiding citizen."

"Why on earth would he do that."

I chuckle nervously.

"I really don't want to talk about that right now. Can you not?"

"Sure. Maybe we should talk about Allen."

"I-"

"Don't." She grins. "I eavesdropped on your conversation earlier. Sorry not sorry. So he's basically taking you on a date?"

"You're so silly. It's just a drink."

"Yeah, on a date. You know it can't be 'just a drink, right?"

"It can, and it'll be. He just wants a thank you drink because he saved me from a moron."

"A thank you drink, yet he's paying."

"I'll pay him back."

"And you think he'll just accept your money?" She stares at me. "Oh my God, do you even know anything about dates and s**t?"

_Nope!_

I nod vigorously.

"Yeah of course I do. I mean, yeah "

"Mh. Okay then. Just between us girls, you might want to hold back the cookie until the third date or something."

It takes me an entire minute to comprehend what she's talking about.

"You think I'll have s*x with him tonight?"

"Why are you acting like you're offended? Never had s*x on the first date before?"

I clear my throat a bit nervously.

"We should get back to work. Allen is looking at us."

"Not us. Just you. Don't sleep with him tonight unless that's what you really want, because I bet that it's all he wants."

"How would you know that, genius?"

"I've worked here for three years now. I know him and I know his tendencies. He's that cliché bad boy that your Mom probably warned you about. Fancy car, fancy leather jacket, fancy drinks, fancy apartment, commitment issues...that kind of shit."

"How did you know that he has a fancy apartment? Are you one of his one night conquests?"

"Ew no! The girl who left her job for you to get this vacancy was kind of dating him. He was always flirting with girls in her presence. They broke up."

"What was her name?"

"Amanda. She had moved in with him already. I have no idea why. She called today to tell me that he left their apartment and he's moving in with his cousin or something."

I shrug carelessly. I don't understand how this has anything to do with me.

"That's too bad."

"Yeah. Too bad."

I don't know what the Allen chit chat is all about. I just want my head to stop aching. I know that a shot of vodka would do the trick but I'm forbidden from drinking. Ever since I came back from the rehab, I've been having this ache for a drink but somehow, I've managed to stay sober.

All I have to think about is the scorching thirst for alchol that I experienced at the rehab. I don't want to go back there. That place sucked.

Maybe choosing to work as a bartender wasn't a good idea when I'm trying so hard to stay away from alcohol, but then this this was the only vacancy at the moment. Plus, i wanted to challenge my limits and I'm pretty sure that I can handle it. I've handled a lot of s**t like watching my parents die. If I got over that then I can get over alcohol.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I look up.

And there's that bewitching smile again.

I heave a sigh.

"Not worth that much."

"Must be shitty thoughts."

I nod.

"Yeah. Very shitty."

He immediately takes on my mood and he tilts his head to the side.

"What was that? What were you thinking about?"

I wipe a dry spot on the counter before I look at him.

"Dead people, a gun or two, horrified screams, a scared teenage girl." I force a smile. "See? Very shitty."

"Yeah." He agrees. "A bit creepy too. Your shift will end in like ten minutes. I'll be in the parking lot."

"Okay."

I watch the girl that was seated with him as she walks to us. She seems to be a little bit older than me, maybe a year or two. She has been drinking all night but she's still walking without stumbling. In her defence though, she's wearing sneakers.

She eyes me up and down, an act that leaves me a bit unsettled, but I don't cower. I stare right back.

"Is there something that you'd like to say to me?" I finally ask when she stays quiet.

"Actually yes. It's about Allen."

"Oh God. If you think that I want him, you can go home to bed knowing that you'll still have him tomorrow."

She shares a look with Allen, then she bursts out laughing.

"Jeez! Maybe I should have introduced myself first. I'm Genevieve. You can call me Gen. Casanova here is my cousin."

Bloody hell. I embarrassed myself big time.

"s**t. Sorry Gen. I-"

She cuts me off.

"It's okay. Allen told me that you'll be going somewhere with him tonight."

"Yeah."

"Don't sleep with him." She laughs when Allen gasps. "I'm serious."

"I'll see you in the parking lot." Allen tells me as he pulls his cousin away. I turn to look at Livia and she's giving me the 'told you' look.

I roll my eyes in return. Like, I get it. He sleeps around, so do a lot of other men and women for that matter. That doesn't mean that everyone should be fussing about it. It's not a big deal as long as the s*x involved is between two consenting adults.

I've seen men do worse than having consensual s*x.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I tell Livia as I get ready to leave.

She shakes her head.

"I don't have tomorrow's shift. I have this dance party thing to attend so the manager gave another girl my shift. She's nice. You two will get along just fine."

"What event are you going to?"

"It's an annual festival held by the Maxfield's charity organization. The organization itself is owned by Genevieve's father, Klein Maxfield."

"Wow! And you're just invited? That's awesome. It sounds a little bit fancy. My father used to be invited to that event."

"I'll be serving drinks."

"Oh okay then. I'll see you next weekend."

"I bet I'll see you at school. We go to the same college. Most of the girls here are college students by the way. They're just trying to make some cash."

"I get it. I'll see you on Monday then."

"If we happen to run into each other. It's a big college."

I step out of the club a tired person. I'm still in my uniform because I'm feeling too lazy to change. Plus, the outfit is cute.

I easily trace Allen. He is seated on the hood of a silver car which is as fancy as Livia said it would be. He jumps off the hood when I get to him and he holds my door open.

I don't think much of it. All my life, I've had butlers and drivers hold doors open for me. Well, that was until my father was murdered in cold blood.

By my brother.

I sniffle when the memories come rushing back.

"Seatbelt." Allen tells me, and he keeps watching me as I strap myself in. "What's on your mind? You're so quiet."

"I'm not exactly the talkative type. "

"I see. So, what's on your mind?"

I glance at the dimple that sinks on his cheek when he smiles.

"I'm just thinking that we might get pulled over by the cops. You're drunk driving."

"I barely had anything to drink tonight but incase you're really worried, you can drive. I'll give you directions."

"I can't drive."

He frowns at the road ahead.

"You can't drive? At all?"

"I never went took driving classes."

"How? Why?"

"I really don't want to blame my Dad but it's kinda his fault. He always wanted the good life for me and Blake. He had drivers pick us and drop us off...that kind of shit."

"That's overbearing."

"Tell me about it."

"Who's Blake? Your brother?"

"Yup."

"He can't drive either?"

"He rebelled, freed himself from father's claws and went to college far away from home. He took driving lessons there."

"I'm assuming that your father had your best interests at heart."

"Definitely. Where are we going?"

"Some place a few minutes away." He turns to flash me a smile. "Are you scared that I could be a serial killer?"

"Not really. A serial killer would be doing me a favour."

"Tell me that's a joke."

"It's not. This world sucks, don't you think?"

He turns to look at me, then he shakes his head before he accelerates.

The place is not a bar like i expected. It's a quiet coffee shop which is on the quiet edge of our estate. It's a very popular spot with the students at our college but I've never been here. My father had me followed all the time, and the f*****g bodyguards wouldn't let me sneak around. It sucked to be honest.

A lot of students used to think that that was a privilege, the money and everything, when all I wanted was freedom to be a young woman like every other girl.

"I kinda assumed that we were going to a club." I tell Allen when we walk in, and he automatically frowns at me.

"Sorry I thought um-"

"No, don't apologize. I'm just a bit surprised. I assumed that a drink would be an alcoholic drink, not coffee or milkshakes."

"We can to a club if that's what you want." He seems to be embarrassed, and I find that funny. I laugh as I pull a seat for myself.

"I don't even drink."

"You don't drink at all?"

I shake my head.

"Nope. Not anymore."

"And you're working in a bar?"

"At least you can rest assured that I won't drink the entire stock."

He shakes his head as he places his phone on the table.

"What should I get you?"

"A milkshake. Strawberry."

"You're such a girl."

"I mean, I have boobs and all so-"

We both look at my chest.

I cough.

_Maybe not._

I watch him as he walks to the counter and makes our orders.

His phone chimes on the table and I glance at it when the screen lights up.

He has a new next.

I immediately turn my entire attention to my phone.

 _Privacy._

He reads the text when he walks back to the table and he rolls his eyes.

"It's my brother Adam. He can't trace his apartment keys so I have to go and save his ass. I have his spare keys."

"Can't he just driver over and get the keys?"

"No. He went to some party so I guess he's buzzed. His apartment is close by so I'll go with you to drop off the keys then I'll drive you home."

"That's okay."

"I'll make this up to you. I promise."

"You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do. I'll have them pack the drinks in disposable cups. Give me a minute."

I pick his phone from the table when he walks back to the counter and I place it in my bag. I then walk outside to wait for him beside his car. I badly need to lie down.

I keep my eyes on the road ahead as he drives to Adam's place. I'm in deep thought, and I don't even bother looking up when Allen rolls the window down. I look up the last minute just as Adam turns to walk into the apartment building. All I see is a shock of messy hair and a fine back.

Maybe I should have bothered to look at his face. If I did, I would have avoided a lot of problems.