Chance Encounters

fifteen

Dedicated to @danibee5 for  her lovely comments and support, not just here but in my other stories as well <3 

Chapter 15

The bar didn't require IDs at the entrance, although I probably won't be allowed to buy drinks. Not that I planned to drink anywa. Austin seemed much too at ease about this idea of him, making me dislike him even more than I already did.

Not only was this a completely random place to check out, I was also sure he was going to find a way to get me up on that stage with what will probably be a Katy Perry song or another.

There were a lot of people milling around, lively chatter filling the place as a trio of three drunk college dudes continued to sing some rap song up on the stage. I could barely understand the words. They were all slurring and fighting for the mic.

Austin led me to the bar, taking a seat and gesturing for me to sit on the one next to him. I frowned at him but followed anyway.

"What are we really doing here, Dick?"

He shrugged. "Loosen up. We might as well ask around."

I knew for a fact that we weren't here just to "ask around." I looked away and quietly observed my surroundings instead, looking for familiar faces.

"Can I get you guys something?"

Austin and I both turned to look at the direction of the voice. It was the bartender—a blonde woman who seemed to be around her early twenties. I noticed how her eyebrows rose upon seeing Austin, automatically making me roll my eyes.

"Two cokes," Austin replied without missing a beat.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not drinking?"

"I'm driving, remember?"

I wasn't going to argue with him, but I couldn't deny that it surprised me. I thought for sure that he was going to order some beer. The bartender—Kristy, according to her nametag—eyed the two of us, as if silently observing what the relationship between us was, before moving to get our drinks.

Austin was frowning, facing the stage. He had to turn on his seat, so his body was angled a little but towards me, one elbow braced against the black surface of the bar. "Those three should stop singing."

I snorted. "That's rich, coming from you."

"Hey," he said indignantly. "At least I can actually pronounce the words."

"The sad thing is that they're better than you, and you're sober."

He casted me with a narrowed gaze, obviously unamused with the fact that I had just dissed on his singing once more.

Before he could say something, Kristy the Bartender came back with our drinks. Austin took his wallet from his pocket and I tried my best to keep my eyes from straying to it. Despite the fact that I was growing more and more curious about the redhead in the picture, I didn't want to let him know that.

I noticed, however that Kristy's eyes lingered a second longer than necessary on Austin.

(Not that I cared.)

I reached for my drink and turned away, focusing on the stage instead. Fortunately, the three guys have stopped singing, a lone table hooting and clapping. I could only guess that those were their (possibly deaf or incredibly drunk) friends.

"Hey," I heard Austin say. I snuck a glance at him, thinking he was calling for me, but then I realized he was talking to Kristy. "Have you seen an Asian girl with a blonde guy here earlier? Somewhere around our age."