BAD REP(145)

I looked over at Vivian and noticed she was sitting super close to a guy with shaggy, dark hair.  His back was to me but I could tell by Vivian's body language that she liked him.  I leaned against the bar and waved to Lyla who came over.  She reached over the counter and gave me a hug.  Wow, I was getting hugged all over the place tonight.  Good times.

“Maysie, girl!  We've missed you around here!”  Her eyes sparkled at me and I knew she was referring to one particular person missing me.  I waved my hand in dismissal.

“Oh, I think you guys have survived just fine without me.”

“Don't be so sure,” she said wiggling her eyebrows as she slid a Sam Adams toward me.  I didn't say anything, and instead drank half of my beer in one gulp.  Damien was still on shift but he came down periodically to give Riley a kiss or to say hello.  They had morphed into one of those toothache couples.  So sweet, it was borderline nauseating.

Vivian and her mystery guy had yet to acknowledge our presence so Gracie, Riley and I proceeded to drink our weight in beer.  We were laughing with Lyla and the new bartender Jay, who had just started a few weeks ago, when Vivian jumped out of her seat and finally came over to us.

“Hey chicas!” she giggled.  I patted the hand that she had thrown over my shoulder.

“Hey yourself.  Having fun I see.”  I teased.

“Yeah.” She let out with a self-satisfied grin.  The guy had turned around and my stomach dropped.  It was Cole.  Generation Rejects' lead singer.  Oh, just freaking fantastic.

“Hey, Maysie,” Cole said, tipping his drink in my direction. I inclined my head in his direction.

“Nice to see you again, Cole,” I said, though less than happily.  Cole smiled in a way that said he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“We've missed seeing you around.  Don't be a stranger.” Cole said sincerely as Vivian came back around to sit beside him again.  He put a hand on her thigh and she lit up.

“Yep.” I responded, letting my mouth pop around the word.

Gracie looked confused.  “Cole's the lead singer for Generation Rejects,” I explained and her eyes brightened with understanding.  We fell into an awkward silence.  What was there to say? Oh, hey sorry I f*cked over your friend royally...wanna be best buddies?

“So, you girls coming to our show next weekend?” Cole asked, tossing his hair out of his eyes.

I frowned.  “I thought you guys weren't playing any gigs for a while.” I stated.

Cole shook his head.  “Yeah, that was the plan, but Moore is relentless.  So we finally caved.  Plus he pays out the ass,”  Cole said, tossing the rest of his drink back.

“Oh, that sounds like fun.  We'll be there,”  Vivian said, a little too enthusiastically.  I swallowed my groan.

“Uh, yeah.  I don't know,” I said noncommittally.  Cole gave me a sweet smile.  He really was good looking.  I could understand why Vivian was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself.

“Oh, come on Maysie.  You need to be there.  We've been working on some new material that I bet you'd love,” Cole said, his eyes saying something else.  I just didn't know what.

“Come on, Mays.  It'll be fun,” Gracie pleaded.  My eyes rolled to the ceiling.

“Yeah, sure.  Sounds great.”  My friends squealed and I tried not to mutter something rude under my breath.

                                                                   ~~

And that's how I found myself a week later, sitting in the exact same seat, with Riley on one side and Gracie on the other.  Waiting for Generation Rejects to start their set.  Vivian was off with Cole.  They had apparently started dating and had been together every day the past week.  I have to say I was pretty shocked by that turn of events.  Given what a male slut Cole had a reputation for being.  But they seemed pretty into each other, so I reserved judgment.

My eyes darted around the restaurant, looking for the one person I dreaded seeing most.  So far, I hadn't found him.  Riley squeezed my knee.  “Settle down.  It'll be cool,” she reassured me.