Cherry Flavored Breakup

“Harper!” Loryn calls out in the overpacked bar. “Holy shit this place is loaded tonight. I got you your girly ass fruity cocktail.”

“Thanks, sexy lady,” I say, standing up and letting her slide back into the booth. “What is going on tonight that they are so packed?”

Loryn sips from her straw while her eyes wander around the bar. “I don’t know. But they are slowly starting to clear out. It’s mostly college kids. Ugh! I miss last year!”

“Me too,” I say, flashing my eyebrows. “I can’t believe we are twenty-two already.”

“You?” She scoffs. “At least your deep brown eyes and light brown hair make you look twenty-two. Girl, you are blemish-free and not a single wrinkle.”

“No duh,” I say playfully. “I’m twenty-two.”

“But look at me!” She argues playfully with a smile. “My curly brown hair and, thanks to family genetics, slight wrinkles around my eyes make me look thirty. And it’s not a joke.”

She’s right. She does look older than me by a bit. But I don’t have the heart to tell her that.

 “Loryn!” I say, sliding my drink to pick it up. “You look twenty-two and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!”

“Hey, ladies!” Jackson smiles as he slides into the booth. “What are you two up to?”

I tap on my cup while sipping from the straw. I swallow and set it down. “Drinking. What are you and your boys up to?”

He shrugs. “I hate to say it, but the same. It’s Saturday, and it was the only plan we had. I hate that we all hang out but are out of college. I feel old now.”

“Twenty-two,” I interject. “That is not old.”

“Feels like it is,” Loryn argues, playing with her glass. “But anyways. Is Harper finally going to find a guy to sleep with tonight? Or is it another ‘solo’ night?”

“Gross!” I chuckle and slap her shoulder. “You have this tendency to turn the most normal conversations into sex. You are the definition of ‘horn-dog’.”

She flashes her eyebrows. “And you are the definition of ‘Vanilla’.”

“More like Cherry,” I argue, looking at the line of men sitting at the bar. “I’m not innocent. I just don’t brag to you about what I do when I do finally…you know.”

“How is the job going?” He asks, seeming more interested than usual. “Did you two get that apartment uptown you were talking about?”

I slide the glass between my hands. “We did. And my training is going great. I have another interview for a much larger company coming up. How about you ask Loryn about her job?”

“Whatever!” Loryn says defensively. “I’m not talking about it. Just know I am an amazing entrepreneur.”

I chuckle. “I never said you weren’t. I just said you have some things to fix in your life before trying to be that banker lady ever again.”

Jackson raises an eyebrow, looking lost and confused. “What am I missing?”

I tilt my head at Loryn. She lost her job on the first day. She managed to lose forty thousand dollars by dropping a cassette or container, whatever they were called. It busted open when they were walking with it outside, and the wind picked up and started blowing twenty-dollar bills all over.”

Jackson roars in laughter. “Why does that not surprise me? And you are amazing, Loryn, but I can see that happening.”

Loryn lowers her head, quickly taking another sip from her drink. “I know. And you can laugh all you want. But it’s not that uncommon.”

Jackson stops laughing, sighs, and looks back at his group of friends. “You two sound like two college girls. Twenty-two looks good on both of you, though. Have a fun night. Don’t do too many ‘Vanilla’ things, Harper.”

“Cherry,” I argue and bite on my straw.

Loryn bumps her shoulder against mine as Jackson leaves. “Why?” She asks playfully. “Why have you not slept with that baby-faced, blue-eyed blonde-haired hockey player? He wants you!”

“I’m aware,” I say, sliding out of my seat. “But I don’t need anyone. Not now. Maybe I’d sleep with him. But I feel like he’d be the guy who adds me to his list of women he’s slept with, and I don’t want that.”

“Where are you going?” She asks.

I point toward the bathrooms. “There. Be back in a few moments.”

Two hours have passed by like nothing, and I can’t help but notice the sad-looking but unnaturally attractive man sitting at the bar, sliding his glass of what looks like whiskey back and forth. His deep brown hair and the split second of seeing his eyes revealed hazel, and those two colors on a man are my dream man. But the hurt in his face says otherwise.

I point toward him while trying not to make it obvious. “I wonder who that is.”

Loryn’s eyes follow my finger, and she chuckles. “I’m surprised you don’t know who that is. He’s the author who ended up becoming very wealthy by putting his money into many ventures. We had him as a speaker when we graduated last year. His story was told because he graduated from here, married at sixteen, and still managed to keep his life in order, which most people cannot seem to do. Except he wasn’t allowed to talk about his book while speaking.”

“Wait,” I say, shaking my head. “How old is he?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. Twenty-eight to thirty. Why?”

“Well, look at him. He doesn’t look older than twenty-four at most.”

“Okay. What’s your point? He’s married, and I am surprised his wife isn’t with him. They own this bar. She’s always by his side.”

I raise an eyebrow. “How do you know all of this? It’s like you’ve stalked his life. And what book?”

She shrugs again. “I kind of did. I did a paper on him. I’ve met him a few times. I worked here once. And it’s a book you will have to look up and read on your own. I’d recommend having a towel with you and not reading it around others.”

I scoff with surprise. “I’m not going to lie. The man is hot as hell. And why a towel? Would I cry that much over it? Is it a sad book?”

“Nope.” She chuckles. “If you’ve ever heard me moaning in my room without a guy, he’s most likely the reason why. It’s not tears you’re wiping away.”

My eyes widen with surprise. “Jesus, Loryn! And look at his face,” I say, forcing her to acknowledge. “He looks hurt.”

She squints, gazing at him. “Maybe. But he can kind of be a dick. So even if he is single, I’d have a hard time talking to him. He’s never been mean to me, but I’ve felt that asshole vibe from him.”

“I don’t know,” I say, glancing down at my empty glass. “He caught my interest.”

“His attraction caught your interest. He’s seven years older than us. He’s a millionaire, maybe a billionaire. He’s smart, ethical, honest, and a hard worker. Even if he wasn’t a dick and married, he’s way out of our league.”

She’s right. But something strong is drawing me to him.

I stand up, shaking the small bit of ice around my glass. “I need another drink. I’m not buzzed enough for the night.”

“Okay.” She says with a quirky tone. “You do that. I’ll be right here looking for my next victim.”

I quickly step up to the bar, not even paying attention that I slid right next to whoever this beautiful man named Noah is. I don’t recall him speaking last year, and I’ve never seen him before, that I know of.

“John,” I call out. “Another one of whatever Loryn bought me earlier.”

The sad-looking but handsome man takes notice of me, but goes back to playing with his glass of what looks like whiskey. I want to say something, but I don’t want to seem like I’m hitting on him. I’m not hitting on him. I don’t know him. I just want to know why he looks so hurt.

 “Bad breakup?” I blurt out, my eyes quickly widening as I realize I said that out loud. Shit!

He turns his head, his eyes connecting to mine and sending some type of signal through my body. He exhales a disappointed-sounding breath, nods, and drinks from his glass.

           I lower my head, flashing my eyebrows without him seeing. “That sucks. I recently broke up with my boyfriend because he was a dick. Men…” I quickly pause as I realize that it came out wrong.

           He chuckles. For the first time for whatever length of time I’ve been watching him, he’s cracked a smile!

           “Oh yeah?” He questions, his deep voice vibrating through my body. “Maybe it’s women.”

           “Why’d you two break up?” I ask softly, feeling like I regret asking. “Did she cheat?”

           He looks at me again. This time analyzing my hair, face, body, clothes, and everything else about me. He exhales, sending the smell of whiskey through my nostrils, and oddly enough, I’m enjoying the smell. And I hate whiskey, but coming from his breath, there is something about it I enjoy.

           “She did.” He says softly. “And how did you know I was married? I’m not wearing a ring.”

           I bite back the smirk that wants to form on my face. “I’m very…analytical and overconscientious. Like noticing the fact that you might not be wearing a ring, it’s dark in the bar, and I’m on the opposite side of you, but I noticed the lightening of color on your ring finger. If you wanted to pick someone up at a bar and they were like me, they might notice you are or were married.”

           He returns his attention to the TV, slowly bringing his glass back to his lips. “And you…what is your name?”

           “Harper,” I say, holding out my hand to shake his.

           He ignores the hand and continues to take a drink from his glass. I softly scoff and return my hand to the bar, still waiting for my drink.

           “What is taking John so long?” I ask and look around for John.”

           “John,” Noah yells. “Make Harper your first priority…” He pauses and raises an eyebrow while returning his eyes to me. “How old are you?”

           “Twenty-two,” I say, almost stumbling on my words. “How old are you?”

           “Twenty-nine.” He speaks professionally but softly. “Why?”

           I shrug while fighting to fix the shoe that is trying to slide off my foot. “You asked me first.”

           “I like your attitude.” He acknowledges and then returns his attention to John. “Don’t let her get too drunk. But rounds are on me tonight.”

           John nods. “Yes, sir.”

           I shake my head. “Why? You almost give off this vibe that you want me nowhere near you. Why are you being kind and paying for my drinks?”

           He shrugs. “I don’t know. Something about you. You’re right. I do give off an asshole vibe. But I found my wife cheating on me today, so I think I get a pass for being an asshole. And I’m not technically buying your drinks. I own the bar. And something tells me you knew that already.”

           “I was told,” I say while watching John slide my drink to me. “But that’s not why I am over here talking to you. I find you unique and interesting.”

           He flashes his eyebrows, unamused,

 and brings his drink back to his lips. “You and everyone else. Give me a reason why I should talk to you over anyone else?”

           I smile. “One, you already are. Two, I’m a woman, and single men usually prefer to talk to single women in a bar. And three, we have many things in common.”

           He turns to me again, this time with amusement dancing in his eyes and a small smile drawn on his face. “One, you’re right, I am talking to you. Two, I am technically a single man, but someone who just got out of the longest relationship of my life and in the worst way possible. Three, the only thing you’ve admitted to us having in common is bad breakups. And something tells me your breakup wasn’t a few hours ago. But I will give you this. You remind me of someone I once knew.”

           “Well, no,” I say, feeling like an idiot. “We didn’t break up a few hours ago. But I was cheated on. I know what it feels like.”

           He exhales a soft breath through his nose like he’s thinking. “How long was your relationship?”

           “Five months,” I mumble.

           “Fifteen years.” He’s quick to interject. “We are not the same. And Harper. Something tells me you wouldn’t be able to handle a relationship with me if that was a thing.”

           “It’s not a thing,” I argue. “But now I am curious. Why do you assume I wouldn’t be able to handle a relationship with you?”

           He coughs a loud laugh. “You haven’t read my book, have you?”

            I slowly shake my head. “No. Why?”