The Goy Next Door (Girl Meets Goy #2)

Chapter 24 Dark ‘N Stormy

“Happy Birthday!” Asher and Kevin shouted together when they saw Leah walk in with her work friends and a balloon in her hand. She wished she wasn’t so conspicuous, standing there with the giant balloon over her head.

A moment later she felt a tap on her shoulder and she almost jumped before realizing it was Maya, arriving at the bar just minutes after she had.

“Happy birthday,” Maya wished her and approached the table to say hi to her boyfriend Kevin. Leah’s work friends stood awkwardly next to her, knowing that the table in front of them was for their celebration, but also not knowing any of the three people there. Leah stood like a statue, unsure how to move forward.

Asher approached her and gave her a kiss. “Happy birthday, Babe! Come sit, let’s get a round of shots!”

She let him pull her toward the table and she wondered if it was possible that Gabe wouldn’t notice her right there. Could they drink side by side without realizing it? As she got closer to the table, she thought she could feel Gabe’s pull, the orbit that had connected her to him, that had pulled her in and made her feel an electricity she had never known before. It was a feeling she had never had with Asher, and Leah had spent the last several months convincing herself that the feeling was simple adrenaline from knowing she was doing something forbidden. It had nothing to do with Gabe and everything to do with him being someone her family didn’t approve of.

A waiter came by and Asher ordered kamikaze shots for everyone. “Two Dark ‘N Stormies, please,” Malcolm mouthed while holding up the number two with his fingers. Leah sat rigidly on a chair with Asher on one side of her and Alex on the other. Asher put his arm around her and she felt like its weight could suffocate her.

“So, who are your friends?” Asher yelled over the loud sounds of the bar. Leah introduced Alex, Mark, Malcolm, and Brittany, even though she wondered if everyone could hear her.

The waiter came with shots and everyone lifted one in the air and clinked them in the middle of the table. “To Leah!” Brittany shouted and Leah wished she could disappear. Could Gabe hear them at the next table over? Did he hear someone shout her name? She tried to sneak glances over where he was deep in conversation with three other men in suits like his. He looked good in his suit. He was sitting in the chair leaning forward with perfect posture over a half empty glass of beer. He was smiling and listening, laughing when there were lulls in the conversation. He was enjoying himself. He wasn’t looking around at the table next to him.

She took her shot and accepted the Dark ‘N Stormy that Malcolm had ordered for her. She tried to catch Maya’s eyes to signal to her that something was wrong, but her friend was already in deep conversation with Brittany who was sitting next to her. Leah looked around her table, her two female friends were chatting, Malcolm was seemingly inspecting his drink, and Mark and Alex were bobbing their heads to some vague music that hummed under the chatter in the bar.

“Everything OK?” Asher asked and she nodded, forcing a smile on her face. Asher then leaned over Leah to address her friends. “You guys work at Teen Club?”

Alex and Mark immediately started laughing. “Us? No way!” Alex blurted. “I’d rather die.”

“I thought you guys said you worked together?” Asher asked.

“Brittany works at Teen Club,” Leah corrected. “Alex and Mark work at Club Business.” The friendly expression on Asher’s face immediately disappeared.

“This is the guy you went out with?” Asher said to Leah, his cheeks turning red.

“He’s just a friend!” Leah shot back. “I didn’t go out with him! Just drop it.”

Asher looked over at Alex. “Dude, you know Leah is engaged, don’t you? What are you even doing here?”

Alex looked steadily at Asher, unphased by the attack, and then he looked at Leah. She pleaded at him with her eyes to de-escalate the situation, but she knew Alex well enough not to expect that.

“She wasn’t engaged that time in the elevator!” He roared back with an evil smile.

“Alex!” Leah screamed. “Why would you say that!?”

At the same time Asher stood up and leaned over Leah. “Get out! Get out of here! Don’t ever talk to my fiancée again! You hear me? You stay away from her!”

Alex didn’t move. He stayed sipping the beer he had ordered and he looked at Leah. “I came to celebrate your birthday,” he said. “Your fiancé is way out of line, you must know that.”

“Get out!” Asher screamed again and he looked down at Leah in her seat next to Alex. Leah knew Alex was right, mostly. Asher was way out of line, but there was no reason for Alex’s remark about the elevator. Not that Leah had even been with Asher at that time. She had been with Gabe.

“Asher, please,” Leah begged, pulling on his hand. The last thing she needed while trying not to get noticed by Gabe at the next table over was an attention-grabbing altercation.

“Leah, I don’t believe you,” Asher shouted and pulled his hand from hers. “You’re fine with this guy speaking to me like this? You’re OK with him saying stuff about you like that?”

It was the worst moment for Leah’s eyes to drift, but that’s what happened and somehow, they drifted right to Gabe’s. He must have just glanced over, but he froze with his eyes connected to hers as she sat there with Asher hovering over her and Alex sitting defiantly next to her.

“I have to go,” she shouted and she pushed away from the table. She ran out of the bar, leaving Asher and Alex in their staring match behind her, both too cocky to notice that Leah had been looking in a completely different direction.

Standing outside, she shivered slightly and took a deep breath when she heard her name in that voice that made her quiver.

“Leah,” Gabe said. “I thought that was you. Are you OK?”

“It’s my birthday,” she said awkwardly, folding her hands at her chest, conscious of the ring that was tucked into her elbow so he couldn’t see it.

“Happy birthday,” he responded. “It sounds like your friends aren’t all getting along.”

She scoffed and looked around. She saw Maya standing in the entryway of the bar watching them.

“I haven’t seen your byline lately,” Gabe said. “I was wondering what happened to you.”

“You look for my byline?”

“I look for interesting stories and good reporting,” he winked. “It’s been lacking recently.”

Leah blushed and looked down at her feet.

“Are you all right?” he asked her again and she nodded, looking up to see both Asher and Alex come up behind Maya, who held them both back. “Well, I am on my way home. I have an early morning tomorrow. Big training run for the marathon. Enjoy your birthday celebrations.” He looked like he wasn’t sure whether to hug her or not. She desperately wanted him to, but she was afraid. Afraid of uncrossing her arms and revealing her ring and afraid of what the hug might do to her. He turned and started walking away and then turned back. “It was really nice to see you, Leah.”

“You, too,” she responded and felt the electric pull of him weaken as he walked away.

“Now who the heck was that!?” Asher yelled as he pushed past Maya. “What is going on with you, Leah?”

“Was that who I think it was?” Alex was there now too with a giddy smile on his face. “Dude, that’s him, isn’t it! The goyfriend!”

“Who the fuck is the goyfriend?” Asher screamed. Leah had never told Asher about her short relationship before they got back together. It wasn’t that she was hiding it, they both knew the other had dated a little in New York. Well, maybe she was sort of hiding it.

“This is amazing!” Alex laughed boisterously. “Dude, that’s the guy she was dating when we kissed in the elevator!”

“You kissed in the elevator!? What the fuck is a goyfriend?” Asher then looked at Leah. “I don’t know who you are anymore. I’m out of here.” Asher turned, almost running away down the street. Leah knew she should probably go after him, but she didn’t know how, nor did she want to explain.

“It’s OK,” Maya’s hands were suddenly on Leah’s shoulders. “Let him cool down. Are you OK?”

Leah turned to look at her friend and then she gave a mean stare to Alex. Why did he have to do that? Why couldn’t he be less confrontational? And just be her work friend? Why was Alex always showing up to create drama when it was unnecessary?

“You still have friends at the table,” Maya said. “Let’s just try to have fun.” Leah let Maya lead her back into the bar where Brittany, Malcolm, Mark, and Kevin were sitting and talking as though they all were dear friends.

“Leah!” Malcolm mouthed. “Come join us, we’re debating the importance of vermouth in martinis. I believe it is imperative! Brittany says it only belongs in gin martinis.”

“I said I didn’t know what vermouth is,” Kevin shouted over the noise. “If that’s what I heard correctly, I can barely hear this guy. Where’s Ash?”

Leah sat back down with Maya on one side and Alex on the other and stared at the table.

“We can resolve this very easily!” Mark offered. “Let’s order four martinis, two vodka, one with vermouth and one without, and two gin, one with and one without!” The table members who hadn’t witnessed the drama all agreed this was a genius idea. Leah looked up and nodded to encourage her friends to continue celebrating.

Under the table she felt her hand squeezed. It was Alex, and while she wanted to pull her hand away—she was angry with him—the comfort was nice.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear. “I thought he could take a joke.”