Take It Back, My Friend (Ronnie Radke)

The Meeting

"Sophie" He muttered with wide eyes but I could barely register what was happening. 

"Hey, are you alright?" My coworker and best friend Dana said. I snapped out of the daze I was in when she grabbed my arm. 

"Yeah." I mumbled and immediately made to clean up the broken glass. I was terrified to look up again in fear that he wouldn't be there and I had just imagined that. I was also terrified to look up and still see him standing there. I was a mess. I was practically shaking as I made to pick up the bigger shards of glass. 

"Sophie" I heard louder and suddenly a hand was reaching for mine. I immediately snapped back dropping even more glass on the ground behind the bar. 

"God dammit!" I bent down to get the glass and leaned against the bottom shelf for a moment trying to collect myself. 

"Hey babe, why don't we flip the bar?" Dana said as she bent down to my level.

"Hello! I've been waiting forever!" We heard a customer scream as he half leaned over the bar.

"And you can wait a little bit longer or go somewhere else!" Dana got up and shouted in his face. 

"Yeah yeah, let's do that." I mumbled. I was still in a daze no matter how much I tried to snap myself out of it. I slowly stood up and there he was in all his glory. 

Black as night hair going in every direction. He had a blue tear drop tattoo on his face. I'd seen it from photos but seeing it in person was completely new. Was this even the same guy I knew? He was still just staring at me. Then a guy with hair styled all over came up and grabbed his shoulder.

"Radke man, you just ran off. Since when is the bar your go to?" The other guy laughed.

"I'm working." I blurted out and walked down to Dana's section. I immediately plunged myself in making drinks left and right. When I looked over Dana was talking to Ronnie while making a drink for someone. I vowed not to look down there for the rest of the night. After some time the bar began to thin out and the surrounding tables were filled with nothing but empty glasses and bottles. Dana yelled out that it was last call and I began to clean up the surrounding tables. As I was picking up a bottle and began to wipe down the table I heard "Sophie" as someone sat down. I jumped and dropped the bottle I was holding leaving it to shatter against the table and fall to the ground.

"Fuck!" I shouted and without being able to help it my eyes started to water. "What? What do you want?" I practically yelled at him. He look startled. Yeah, well so was I. 

"You look good." He said quietly. I turned to get a pan to clean up the glass trying to fight the tears. What the hell did he mean, I look good? How do you go from being dead to someone to looking good? 

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to tell him to leave?" Dana said handing me the pan and a little hand broom. 

"No, it's fine. I can handle it." I don't know who I was trying to convince more, her or me. I walked back to the table and immediately made work of cleaning glass for the second time that night. He jumped up and offered to help but I practically begged him to just sit. 

"I'm sorry." He said. And I stopped what I was doing and looked up. "I was just cutting through the casino meeting a buddy of mine and I look over and there you are and I just had to come over." 

"Aye Soph, what's the problem?" Pat, my boss the bar owner, said as he walked him. He was usually in and out all night. 

"Just some broken glass. It's cool." I told him and he nodded and went behind the bar. 

"Look," I said to Ronnie "I can't do this here." 

"Okay, that's fine. Come over!" 

I was baffled. "I don't think that's a good idea either." 

"Sophie," Why'd he have to say my name like nothing had changed? "I just want to talk. I burned a bridge I shouldn't have burned." 

He looked genuinely sincere. I couldn't be alone with him though. I didn't trust myself.

"Why don't we get lunch?" Lunch is good. Public settings are good. As long as there isn't any glass I'm okay. 

"I can do lunch. Lunch is good. Here, take my number." 

"Yeah, gimmie a sec." I said as I went to grab my phone from behind the bar.

"Are you okay?" Dana asked me as she watched my every movement. 

"Yeah, I think." 

"That's him isn't it? I recognize him from the pictures" 

"Yeah." 

"Well be careful. I'm here if you need me" 

I made my way back to Ronnie, phone in hand. I unlocked it and handed it to him to let him put his new info in. After what felt like an eternity he handed it back to me and I waited for him to hand me his phone but he never did. He simply stood up and said, "Can't wait for lunch." and he walked out of the bar. 

What the hell kind of night was I having?