The Dealers

Chapter 5 - Lena

It had been about a half hour since the two handsome customers came into the club on that usual Sunday afternoon and sat in the furthest back booth. They were tall and strong with dark features that were somehow familiar to me.
Noah.
Haley flirted mercilessly with them as expected and she made sure to brag about how much they were into her whenever she came to grab drinks at the bar. I didn't doubt it because she was the picture perfect cocktail waitress and I'm sure she brought in a lot of business. As for me, that wasn't the kind of attention I wanted.
"Do you think they're related?" Haley asked as she grabbed another round of whiskey for the back booth.
I looked up at her but didn't want to comment. I was clocking out and Jacob was taking over the bar for the rest of the night. I'd already changed out of my uniform t-shirt and exchanged it for a red lace tank top and dark denim jeans. I kept my Converse on because they were my favorite.
"How would I know?" I asked as I checked my watch to see that it was five to eight. I convinced Jacob to let me off ten minutes early so that I could look somewhat presentable by the time Noah got there.

"Staying for a drink?" Haley asked.
I shrugged, "I thought that I might stick around for a bit."
Jacob was the only one that knew about Noah and our plans to meet of a drink. I didn't want to answer her questions or deal with her gross comments. It was easier to keep things to myself. Besides, she was a real gossip.
"Maybe when I get off," Haley smirked as she hoisted a bar tray into the air, "those guys can keep me company."
She truly was shameless.
Leaving me and Jacob alone at the bar, he pretended to be busy but there were no orders to make yet. He was ignoring me because he was upset about Noah. He'd hinted several times over my shift that I should cancel my plans. He didn't want Noah at the club and I had to accept that but the fact was, I was comfortable there. I didn't want to meet with Noah anywhere else or I might chicken out.
"You're really going to ignore me?" I scoffed as I sat at the bar where only a single, older gentleman sat at the opposite end, some ten seats over.
"Oh, you want to talk to me now?" He asked rhetorically. "You didn't want to talk earlier when I had something to say."
Granted, I aired him out earlier today when I wasn't in the mood to talk about Noah. I never wanted to talk about Noah with Jacob—it was just plain weird.
"I'm going to need a shot of tequila—possibly a double." I replied, ignoring his latest jab.
"So that you can get drunk with him?" Jacob scoffed but quickly pulled back the sharpness in his voice when he realized the shitty tone he was taking with me.
Giving me a look of concern with a hint of regret, he reluctantly poured my drink. Setting it slowly in front of me, he peered down at me while I quickly shot it back.
"I'm sorry." He sighed and I knew that he genuinely was—but, so was I.
I knew that Noah made Jacob uncomfortable. I knew that taking him there would upset Jacob but I still did it. Worse is that I did it for my own sake—for my own comfort because it was less awkward than meeting Noah somewhere else.
I was being selfish and that wasn't the type of person that I was. Jacob was my friend and doing anything that hurt him wasn't the right call. Immediately, I was riddled with guilt.
"Don't be..." I sighed, realizing that I should probably go elsewhere once Noah showed up.
I checked my watch and it was five past eight.
"We'll go somewhere else." I said as I pulled out cash to pay for my drink but Jacob refused to take it.
"Where?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe the Longhorn?" I suggested of the crappy dive bar on the other side of town.
Jacob was obviously frustrated because he kept running his hands through his wavy hair the way he did when he was trying to finish the supply order each week.
"The Longhorn is not the place for you." He scoffed. "Stay here, it's fine. It's way less shady than any other place you'd get a drink around here."
He wasn't wrong and I thanked him for the reassurance. But, deep down, I knew that he mainly wanted me to stay here to keep an eye on things. As much as it sucked having Noah in his club, Jacob would be right at the bar. He would hear everything and see everything. For me, that somehow made things worse.
"I don't want to make you mad or uncomfortable." I said genuinely but he rolled his eyes as if I were imagining things.
"I'm a big boy." He teased. "I can handle it."
I appreciated that he was making an effort because just then, I noticed Jacob glare towards the entrance and his demeanor completely changed.
Turning to look, I saw Noah enter and he sure knew how to command a room. Every female—and some males— in the place turned to gawk at him as he sauntered in nonchalantly with one hand tucked into his front jean's pocket. Peeling off his black leather jacket, he spotted me at the bar and headed over.
The air nearly escaped my body completely. The sight of him there, in front of me again, was enough to make me nearly fall off the bar stool. His beautiful face was etched into my memory and I could recall the features of his face just by closing my eyes. But those memories felt like a dream that I wasn't sure was real.
I understood the allure to him—he was gorgeous. The others that took notice were attracted to what was on the outside but they had absolutely no idea what was on the inside—and that was where I was defenseless. There was just something about him, something about the person he was when no one was around, that got me.
There was something fierce about him and definitely something strong. He was tough and it seemed like he'd gone through a lot in life. He exuded confidence but there was something about the way he looked at me as opposed to the way he looked at everyone else. I might just be imaging things considering it was only the second time that we'd ever seen each other.
Ignoring the irrational emotions coursing through my body, I turned to the bar and saw that Jacob was unimpressed. He turned around and started the drink orders that had just come through.
Finding Noah again as he headed towards me, he was distracted. I noticed it immediately as he scanned the room with almost a sense of paranoia. He nearly froze in the middle of the club on his way over to the bar when he spotted the back, corner booth and the two gentleman that were still flirting with Haley. They definitely knew each other. They also spotted him and were almost entertained at the discomfort that washed over Noah's face.
"You made it..." I said awkwardly as Noah sat beside me, still uneasy in his movements.
I noticed that Noah sat to my left so that he could have a good view of the back corner and the two guys sitting there gawking at us.
"Everything okay?" I continued when a distracted Noah failed to hear my first comment.
"Sorry..." he sighed, turning back to me and making an attempt to relax, "everything's fine."
Feeling slightly less uptight after getting a double shot of tequila in my system, I wondered if Noah needed a shot to help him, too?
Suddenly, I noticed Noah glance down at my bruised wrist and immediately I wished I'd worn a long sleeved shirt instead.
"So, that drink I promised you?" I hinted to change the subject and he smiled—until he turned to the bar and noticed that Jacob was bartending.
"Yeah..." Noah said slowly as he made eye contact with Jacob and they momentarily stared each other down, "—about that drink. Whiskey?"
Jacob grudgingly obliged and with it, brought me another shot of tequila even though I didn't order another. It seemed to annoy Noah but he didn't say anything.
"I really want to say thanks again—for everything." I said, trying not to sound desperate or corny.
I was never good at thank you speeches or apologies. Feelings in general were a tough one for me. After going through a rough patch in life, I learned that feelings were only for the weak and I didn't have the luxury of taking that chance. I had myself to rely on.
"Like I said," Noah smiled, a real genuine smile for the first time since he walked into the club, "I was glad to help. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
I tried desperately not to blush but I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Smiling into my shot glass, I took downed the tequila shot and made a sour-face as I struggled to swallow it.
Without a word, Jacob placed a glass of water in front of me and nonchalantly returned to his work behind the bar. Still, Noah didn't say anything but the look of irritation was clearly plastered on his face.
"We don't have to sit at the bar." I suggested, trying to defuse the situation before it escalated further. "There's a booth over there..."
Noah grew uneasy at the suggestion to venture away from he bar and closer to where his acquaintances were seated.
He glanced back to the corner and then to me, "I'm fine here."
It was clear that Noah was not fine at the bar. He and Jacob were not going to make this easy on each other—or on me.
I shrugged my shoulders in defeat and began to drink the water in front of me. I was still a bit tender from my whiskey binge from last night plus I downed two giant shots of hard liquor in a twenty minute span. I was a little flustered from the alcohol but the water was helping.
"So..." I tried to change the subject once Jacob disappeared into the back storage room for a moment, "you mentioned that you were just passing through?"
Noah looked at me—for the first time since he arrived and it was a deep, genuine stare. Noah softened a bit and I could see the hint of uncertainty dancing on his brow while he answered me.
"I'm not too sure, yet." He admitted. "The plan was to be gone by now but something came up."
What came up? Would it keep him in town longer? Why did he have to leave so quickly?
I had so many questions and I hated that I cared so much. Used to people leaving, I learned to keep them at a distance in the first place so that I didn't get hurt. People couldn't hurt you if they didn't get close to you. Likewise, people didn't get hurt because of you, either.
Pushing back the unwanted feelings coming at me, I noticed Haley coming over to get her newest round of drinks. She immediately noticed Noah sitting beside me and turned on her flirtatious charm as she tiptoed over to the bar.
"Well, hello again." She said in an annoying, high-pitched voice.
Noah nodded politely but didn't say anything. He kept his eyes on me the entire time which annoyed Haley.
Jacob returned briefly to the bar and filled Haley's drink order. Placing the drinks out for her to stack on the tray, Haley two of drinks in front of us. Noah and I examined the whiskey in front of us while Haley gave us both a smirk of satisfaction.
"—from those two..." Haley added as she scooped up the rest of her drinks and pointed to the back corner where Noah's two acquaintances sat.
Lifting their own glasses up to us in the distance, I looked at Noah with confusion. He was clearly upset at whatever was going on.
Haley left us and we were alone again, Jacob returned to the back room. I turned to Noah but he was engaged in intense eye contact with the two guys in the booth.
"What's going on?" I asked and it immediately snapped Noah out of his long-distance stare-down. "Do you know them?"
Noah shook his head.
"Unfortunately." He sighed, chugging the entire glass of whiskey in a single drink.
"Should you go over there?" I asked, not sure what his exact relationship was with those guys. He seemed to know them but not particularly like them.
"Nah." Noah shrugged. "I'll catch up with them later."
Tequila and whiskey did not sound appealing so I scooted my glass of whiskey over to Noah and he hesitated slightly before drinking it in one gulp as had the previous one.
I thought that we shared a connection before and even when he walked in here today, I still felt that. But now, I felt like I was the only one feeling those things. Was I the only one not in on the punchline? Was I the punchline?
My defenses went back up immediately and I wasn't sure how to process this sudden change in my mood. While I still wanted to enjoy my time with Noah, he was only there physically. Otherwise, he was paying more attention to the other side of the club than to me right beside him.
The sudden silence that fell between us caught Noah's attention and he snapped back his attention to me. I began staring off into my warped reflection of the glass bar top. As much as I wanted to be there, it was probably best if I just left.
"I'm sorry..." Noah said as he let his head fall into his hand, "how about we get out of here?"
In a club or a bar, let's get out of here usually only meant one thing. Still, it didn't seem like he intended it to be sleazy and I wasn't completely opposed to leaving the club. If Jacob wasn't making it awkward, Noah's friends were.
"What'd you have in mind?" I asked suspiciously but Noah only laughed at the conclusion I had drawn.
"Another bar?" Noah suggested as he searched for possible relocations. "Do you like coffee? We could even get something to eat. Anything. I just...I don't want this to be it."
His sentiment was sweet and genuine. I hated to admit it but I wanted to go with him to any of those places. I wanted to go with him anywhere.
But, I couldn't bring myself to actually do it. This brief encounter with Noah made me realize that he wasn't as into me as I was into him. That was a dangerous scenario I refused to put myself in.
"I do drink coffee." I smiled. "But, I should get going."
"Wow, you were being literal about having one drink, huh?" He tried to play it off nonchalantly.
"To be fair," I clarified, "you've technically had three already."
"If you have to go," he replied, not wanting to be pushy, "I won't keep you but I hoped we'd have more time together."
This was dangerous. All he had to do was pay me a little bit of attention and turn on his endless charm and I was defenseless. I was so sure about leaving and now, I didn't actually want to. He could turn his charm on and off at will and that left me powerless. He could play me like a fiddle if he wanted to.
What I should do and what I wanted to were not the same thing.
"It's been a long day and I have class in the morning." I said, which was completely true.
"College girl?" He smirked.
"Grad school actually— over at local college." I explained."The last semester is supposedly the hardest."
Noah stared at me for a moment as if he were interested in getting to know me more. Reveling in what he'd just learned about me, he wanted to ask more questions but refrained since I mentioned that I needed to leave.
"A conversation for another day then." He smiled as he pulled out cash and put it down on the bar.
"Hey, I said I'd take you for a drink." I argued but Noah wouldn't budge.
"I wish we had more time." He repeated.
Reminding myself that I had be careful with Noah, I smiled politely and grabbed my purse, "I'm sure we'll see each other around. You know, if you stick around."
Suddenly, I became the one playing hard to get but it was the smartest coping mechanism I had. I couldn't give into him or my urges to spend as much time as I could with him. Soon, he'd be gone and I wouldn't see him again. The less attached I was to him when that happened, the better.
Noah got up from his seat as I got ready to leave and we said another awkward goodbye. I hated that I was being so pessimistic about Noah but it was for the best. We were so different—even without knowing him well, it was obvious.
I was plain and unremarkable. Noah looked like he came right out of a magazine. He was perfect in an obvious sort of way. I was boring in a subtle kind of way. My life was far from perfect. I could almost bet that he lived a privileged life. From our past to our present, we were at odds. That was okay, as long as we accepted that.
Exiting the club, I tried my hardest not to look back. I could do this, I could be strong. In my life, I'd gone through a lot worse and it would all be okay in the long run.