The Night At his Place - Duskwood

02- Temptations

It was well past midnight. The bar was getting increasingly crowded, making it impossible for me to spot Jake just by his clothes as I had planned.

He would have to come to me, and I was getting anxious at the possibility of us missing each other.

Anyway, coming out of the bathroom, Jessy and I stopped at the bar, as Phil had asked. The loud music and the chatter of so many people made the atmosphere disorienting.

"There she goes, my favorite customer," Phil said, almost shouting with a warm smile.

His long dark hair was tied back, the sleeves of the white shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing his tattoos. There was an undeniable natural charm about Phil. He signaled for a staff member to take care of the other customers, indicating that he was ready to give us his full attention.

"I don't want to bother you," I said, flattered but uncomfortable.

"No problem at all, sweetheart," he said, winking at me.

"Cut it out, Phil, she's gonna break your heart," Jessy yelled between us. She sat at a table right next to the bar. I did the same.

"She wouldn't do that, would she? You saved me!" Phil replied, calm and confident. I was so uncomfortable with all the noise and attention that I felt like every person in the bar was listening to us.

"I didn't save you, Phil, the police did," I said.

"If you had heard what I heard when the police interrogated me, you would know how wrong you are," he replied. Holding a whiskey bottle, he sat with us and continued, "They were ready to throw me in jail, no matter if I was innocent. Bloomgate needed someone to blame. Luckily they caught Richy in the end."

And that was Phil. Too straightforward to be kind. Jessy looked visibly upset.

"Can we change the subject?" she asked as she took the bottle from Phil's hand and poured a considerable amount into her glass.

"Hardly. MC and I didn't have a chance to talk properly after all the commotion, with Alan on our tail," Phil replied coldly, taking the bottle back and pouring me a glass.

"Then I guess I'll leave you two alone for a while," she retorted, suddenly getting up. I got up too, confused. But Jessy insisted she wanted a moment alone, so I just let her go and stayed at the table with him.

"Good one, Phil."

"Sorry, I always forget how much they were close," he replied with no real trace of remorse in his eyes. "Even being brothers, I never learned to be kind to her," he concluded, pensive.

"And why is that?" I asked almost shouting.

"P...s...al...  re..ons...," he replied, the glass covering his mouth and voice blending with the music from the bar.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that?" I forced my voice, leaning in to listen better.

He leaned in close to my ear, saying, "Personal reasons."

I felt the warmth coming from the ear he almost touched, and a eletric wave ran down my spine. I didn't know what to say, so I took a sip of my drink, hoping I wasn't blushing.

"How can you be so cute?" he said, looking at me, with his elbow resting on the table. "This is how people talk in bars because of the noise, you know? There's nothing wrong with that."

I understood the situation very well, but long-distance relationships aren't easy, and I had been "alone" for a long time. Longer than ever. Phil knew that too, that's why he liked to tease me. Feeling a tension in the air, I got up.