Skye didn't see me come into her bar this time. Maybe it was just as well, though I'd like to think my entrance today was a little better than the soaking wet drowned rat look from the first time. But she was perched on a bar stool, her face in a large book, as I sidled up to her. Christian and Ben were still playing pool and joking around, but the place was otherwise empty. That wasn't a shock, since it was still relatively early on a Monday evening.
I hoped they had people rolling in around dinner time though, I wanted her to make some money!
"Any chance I can get some more of those super strong cocktails?" I asked as I slid onto the barstool next to her. I offered a little smile, but it was hard to hold.
She jumped a little, as though she were so engrossed in the book that she hadn't sensed my approach, then smiled as she realized who it was. "Hey!" she stood up next to me, pulling me into another hug, and I just started crying again, my smile vanishing. Why was I always crying near Skye? Why couldn't I be some sexy and confident woman instead of a broken girl every time I was here? "What happened? Are you okay? Never mind, obviously not. Talk to me." Her arms tightened around me as she pressed herself into my chest once more while rubbing my back. I was just glad it wasn't soaking wet this time.
"They kicked me off the team. Revoked my scholarship. Kicked me out of school. Tegan filed a restraining order and told everyone I'm stalking her. Oh, and they might arrest me for breaking and entering." That was pretty much as short as I could make the story, and it was hard enough for me to say all that without just completely breaking down and crying even harder all over the top of her head. It made me realize how much of this was planned too. The moving spare key that made it look like I was searching for it, the kicking me out early so I would leave in a hurry and never be fully dressed. All on security cameras over multiple days too. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision over the scrimmage.
I could feel her whole body tense at that, but she never once stopped holding me, or rubbing soft circles onto my back muscles. "Let it out, I got you," she promised, and I did. I just sat there sobbing, letting my own arms wrap around her like she was my lifeline. I'd worried that me showing up so soon after the last time would make me look desperate for her attention, and yet right now I didn't care. I really was desperate, but for her comfort and support, not to ask her out. I didn't even care how I looked in her eyes right now. Somehow, I knew that she would still make me feel better.
Why the fuck did the universe have me be with such an amazing woman at two of the lowest points of my life? If she'd been in Florida when my dad passed, she would have had all three covered. I wasn't sure how long she held me, but I did know I was glad the bar was empty while she did. "How many other patrons do you help like this?"
"You're a special case," she replied. "And you need this a lot more than most."
She was right about needing it. I did. Leah and Gee were amazing, but this hug right here was like some magic potion that instantly relaxed me and made me feel better. I needed it so badly, though I felt guilty about imposing. The first time, she'd just done it and surprised me. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I came here hoping she'd hug me again. "You're pretty amazing. I was going to come back this weekend to see you, but I really needed this today."
She nodded into me, and I could see the ghost of a smile on her face as I looked down. "I was hoping you'd come back, though I was hoping to see you when you weren't in another crisis. Not that I don't want to see you now! Any time would have been perfect."
"I know what you mean," I assured her, feeling warmth from her admission spread through me. "Believe me, this wasn't something I wanted to happen either."
"Do you know what you're going to do now?" she wondered.
"My teammate Leah is going to let me crash at her place. I don't think I can prove anything she did, but I might be able to cast doubt on it. I just don't know what good that will do."
"Doubt would be good. If you chip away at her story, it can unravel. At a minimum it might be enough to keep you out of being arrested," she noted.
"What are you, a lawyer?" I snickered.
"Almost. I'm a law student." She pointed at the book on the bar, and sure enough it was a law book of some sort. "My dad gave me this bar to help get me through law school." Her voice had a little bit of an edge to it, and I pulled away enough to look down at her.
"You don't seem thrilled by that."
She shook her head slowly. "Don't worry about that. We're solving your problem first. My problem is going away as soon as I pass the bar exam."
"Are you close to that?"
"Yeah. I'm on my last two classes now, so I'll graduate before Christmas. Then I get to study for the bar exam and hopefully pass it in the spring. And finally, I can start taking in clients in my own practice," she told me in a soft whisper.
"That sounds like another statement that needs more explanation."
"It is, yes," she agreed. "And I'll happily tell you about it when we get you through your issues and I take you out to dinner."
"You what?" I was dumbfounded at her statement, though at the same time my heart was pounding in a happy way and a smile took over my face.
"There. That is the smile I wanted to see!" she said happily. "I want to take you to dinner. You're a gorgeous woman, and very nice. Athletic. Obviously going through some tough things. And while I don't want to be a rebound, I very much would like to take you out some time."
I couldn't believe this. "I'd love that. I really would. I was going to introduce my friends to you when I came back, and then ask you the same thing."
"That sounds like a long way of saying yes." She moved her hands to my ribs and gave me a little squeeze, which made me jump as I was pretty ticklish.
"That is very much a yes!"
"Good! Now. Let's get back to your problem, because I'm going to have a hard time taking you out on a date if you're in jail. What was it you said about casting doubt on her story?"
"Okay. At the beginning of spring break, when I met Tegan, she left her sneakers at the hotel by accident. That was why she didn't have them during their first round game last year."
"Oh! I remember that!" Skye exclaimed. "That wasn't the story though, something about leaving them on a plane or something?"
"Exactly. But really, she left them under a bed, and I still have them. They're at my grandparents' place in Charlotte. I was going to return them to her, but obviously not now. If I told the police and coach that I had those, it might make them think twice about taking everything she said at face value."
Skye was silent for a few minutes as she thought about that. "If that worked, what would you like to do? Would you want to go back to the team?"
I opened my mouth to say yes and realized that I hadn't thought that far ahead. What if they reinstated me to the team and the university? How could I play ball with Tegan and the friends of hers that had lied to cover up for her? Would I want to play for a coach that kicked me off without even letting me try to prove my innocence?
"No, I don't think I can play for them again. Even if they offered, I'd say no. I don't know what I'd do, or what my options would be," I admitted.
She nodded thoughtfully. "Can I interest you in an early dinner?"
I nodded quickly. "Hell yeah. But I still want to talk this through!"
"Come back to the kitchen, we'll talk while I cook," she suggested. "I have some thoughts, but you'd have to decide if it is something you'd be interested in."
"Okay. I can do that. Oh, and I can help cook too, my mom taught me a few things!"
"Ben! Cover the bar! I'm cooking!" Skye called back to the guys playing pool again, and they both nodded before headed to the bar. "They're good guys, I'm glad they help out around here."
She brought me behind the bar, and through the swinging door to the small kitchen. I could see why they had a limited menu, there wasn't a ton of room there at all. But the food had been amazing before, so I wasn't going to complain. Hell, she could make the same thing as the last time, and I'd be thrilled.
"What's on the menu today?" I wondered.
"I can do wings again, maybe with a difference glaze if you like," she told me. "Then maybe some loaded fries."
My mouth watered as soon as she said that. "Yeah, I like the sound of that."
"Perfect!" she got a bunch of wings out and then sealed them up in a plastic bag with a bunch of seasoning, and I was instantly confused. Then she dropped that into a container of water, and I was even more confused.
"What is that?" I wondered. "I thought you fried them last time?"
"Don't you trust me?" she asked with a wink.
"Of course. Why do you think I came back here again so fast? You were the only one I trusted to help me through everything again." I just blurted that out, not even pausing to think about it. No, I didn't know much about Skye other than she was a bartender and evidently a law student, but I was ready to trust her with my biggest issues as soon as I met her. She just had something about her that made me open right up, and I guess I felt an immediate connection.
She looked at me with a smile, then stood on her tiptoes, and put her arms around my neck to pull me down to kiss my cheek. "Then trust me when I say these wings will be perfect, okay? Now, lets do the fries. Are you okay with some cheese, green onions, and bacon?"
"Hell yeah, load them up!" Holy shit, she kissed me!
I didn't even care about food now, it was beginning to turn into a great day!