Baby Love (Baby #2)(62)
I gave Jean the information as to where I would be and how I could be reached. She was going to finish cooking Trey's dinner that I had started earlier and feed Preston some of the pureed baby food I had in the fridge. I explained that once Preston was down for the night she could go since Trey would be here. Jean had gotten a funny look on her face. I considered that she might have a clue that Trey was not pleased about my going back to work.
I put my coat on and gave Preston a kiss goodnight. As I walked to the parking garage I saw headlights coming around the curve near our spaces. It was Trey's Mercedes. I was at a loss as to whether I should wait around until after he parked his car and got out in case he wanted to talk to me before I left. My instincts told me that nothing had changed. Once he had parked his car on the other side of mine, I backed out and headed out of the garage without looking back.
A tear threatened to spill as I pulled into traffic. I could understand his initial anger that I had done this without discussing it with him even though I knew darned well he would have nixed the idea and I likely would have done it anyway.
I just couldn't understand him taking his anger to these limits. The silent treatment was worse than arguing. When we argued at least we still had the lines of communication going. The silent treatment seemed emotionally abusive to me.
I filed that away for future reference. I had given Trey the silent treatment a few times over the course of our relationship and marriage. It had never lasted more than a few hours or so. This had been going on for several days. I made a mental note that if we ever started talking again and functioning as a married couple, I would never give him the silent treatment again.
Once at the club I busied myself with learning how to enter the drink tabs into the computerized register. It was not that difficult. I was working with bar with a bartender named Eddie. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, totally cute and totally gay. He assured me that if I got stuck on a drink I hadn't made before to let him know he knew them all. I asked him how long he had been working at the Sanctuary.
"Six months," he replied, "But honey I started mixing drinks for my mommy at the ripe age of seven. She was all about the latest trendy drinks, you know? Let's see there was the 'fuzzy navel,' 'banana daiquiri,' 'tequila sunrise.' She'd reward me by letting me make myself a 'Kamikaze' or two."
"Really? At seven years old?"
"Oh yeah," he giggled, "I was a full blown alcoholic at twelve. My father finally grew a pair and got custody of me. I spent two months in rehab. I haven't had a drink since. Oh, I smoke the occasional blunt you know, but that's the extent of it."
"So it doesn't bother you working around all of this?"
"Not a bit honey. Great way to meet guys too," he winked.
CHAPTER 22
Gina would be managing the downstairs bars. There were three of them. The entertainment for tonight was going to be another '80's knock-off band that Ian had already booked called, "Parachute Pants." They were setting up and practicing when I had arrived.
By 9:30 the upstairs was getting crowded. The band had started playing and the club was filling up. Gina phoned up and asked if Eddie and I were doing okay; she acted as a floater if one of the bars got slammed for a period of time. She also covered breaks for the bartenders. I told her that we were holding our own for the time being. Suddenly she started laughing.
"O-M-G girlfriend, guess who just walked in the door down here?"
Of course she didn't give me the opportunity to respond.
"The Hot Nazi with his hot brother and some chick with long, blond hair draped between them."
(Shit! Trey, Tristan and Libby - great!)
"Don't worry; they're taking a table down here. I guess I'll go over and greet them properly. Call down here if you guys get slammed up there and I'll come up to help. Cha-Ching!!"
Why the hell was Trey here after he had been so furious with me for investing?
"You okay honey?" Eddie asked as he filled one of the waitress's trays with draft beers for a table of college guys sitting nearby.
"Yeah I'm okay. Gina called to say that if we get slammed to be sure and call down for help."
"You are doing excellent Tylar for an amateur by the way."
"Thanks, Eddie."
Just then a couple of guys sat down at the bar and made no secret of perusing me from head to toe. They were nice looking; well dressed in business suits. They appeared to have gone out after work for happy hour and then decided to make a night of it.
"So what's your specialty drink tonight honey?" the one with the raven black hair and dark brown eyes asked.
He was smiling at me showing straight, white teeth and a rakish look. I greeted both of them placing cocktail napkins in front of them and handing out our drink menus.
"It's all good here," I replied smiling. "Do either of you want to start a tab?"
"Here let me Ryan," the other guy said, pulling a credit card from his wallet for me to keep.
It was club policy. Ryan's friend was probably about the same age with very blond hair and pale blue eyes.
Ryan looked up from the drink menu and ordered a Captain Morgan and water; his buddy whose name turned out to be Andy ordered a bourbon and coke. I noticed they both wore expensive watches like Trey's.