The Trophy Wife

SEVEN: Deed

"Hit me." I demanded, slamming a twenty down on the counter.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had that dinner tonight." Eric asked, confused.

"I came here for a shot of tequila. Why aren't you pouring me any tequila? You see, Eric, I know a big part of a bartender's job is to engage in conversation with their customers, but you can't forget about your main duty. Pouring drinks. I'm waiting."

He gave me a funny look while he filled the tiny glass with the golden liquid.

"Keep them coming, darling. The more you pour, the more I tip."

So he poured another, then another...

"I'm cutting you off until you tell me what's up." He took my glass and looked at me in the way a father would look at his crying daughter.

"Have you ever watched someone die?" I asked. "Have you ever witnessed someone take their last painful breaths before completely leaving this world?"

"I can't say I have."

"Hmm... well, it's not something I'd recommend."

"What happened tonight, Evelyn?" He even sounded like a concerned father.

"I watched a man drown in his own blood right on top of my dining room table."

"Enzo." Was all he said.

"My adoring husband, yes." His face twisted in disgust as I said those words. "Enzo killed a man in my honor, right before my eyes. I guess that must strengthen its effect though. You know what they say, actions speak louder than words."

"Don't you dare defend him." He warned, his teeth clenched and his hands balled into fists.

"Oh God no, he absolutely repulses me at the moment. I'm just trying to look at this from a logical point of view. Logic is dry. There are no opinions, no emotions attached to it. And if I were to acknowledge how I feel right now...well, let's just say it's water best left uncharted. You have customers waiting, Eric." I said, pointing to the other end of the bar.

He was hesitant about leaving me alone, but duty called so he walked away.

I sat there, not touching the bottle of alcohol that he had left in front of me, but instead, staring at my reflection in the mirror on the other side of the counter.

The woman who stared back at me looked so sad... not that I even knew what sadness was anymore, because I was numb. Her brown eyes were so empty, so lifeless. The diamonds that sat around her neck and hung from her ears looked painfully heavy. Her head began to tilt to the side from the weight of the expensive jewelry, but she quickly straightened herself upright, afraid that if she let herself fall even just a fraction of an inch, she would never be able to get back up. She would fall and fall and fall into the darkness that was her existence.

"You are so desperate." I heard a familiar voice say. "The woman is married, let it go!" He begged.

"I didn't come here for her. I wanted a drink."

"Yeah, because you're so f*cking thirsty."

"So what, I'm not allowed to come to this bar anymore? Besides, you were the one who dragged me here in the first place."

"You're not desperate." I interrupted, tearing my gaze away from the woman in the mirror. "You're stupid, but I think I can get past that. And I don't believe we've formally met. My name is Evelyn. Yours?" I asked, extending my hand out to Lucas's friend. The one who initiated the bet the first day we met. The day that ended up ruining my entire life as I knew it.