Broken Hearts & Busted Stereos Ch. 04

Ted sighed into his beer as he watched Michelle walk towards him. Over the course of the past 2 days she had insisted upon being everywhere he was. When he woke up, she was hanging out with his sister or his mother, when he went out, somehow she was already there. Enough was enough, really. It was bad enough avoiding Janey, but now Michelle, too? Maybe if he just didn't look at her. He cast his eyes to the left, even better. Janey was sitting at the bar her head thrown back, a giggle bubbling past her throat. He didn't want to look at that either. His last chance. He rose, making a beeline for the far end of the bar, nodding to the tender when he appointed to the appropriate tap. Even after being away for months, a regular was still a regular.

The warmth of another body made his skin crawl. Someone was behind him. He wouldn't turn. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. He wanted to be left--

"Yeah, lemme get a margarita on the rocks and a Red Bull and vodka." The voice was unfamiliar, but comforting. Smooth with sentences ending with what sounded like a hint of a giggle. He turned slowly, from what he could see with his peripheral vision, beside him stood an Asian woman with hair the color of honey mixed in with thicker platinum blonde chunks. Her eyes were a deep brown, and her smile was enough to shut out any thoughts of... of... he smiled to himself, distraction was a good thing.

"Can I buy those drinks?" The voice was low and gentle, with a hint of amusement.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He turned fully then, looking up to her. Blue eyes the color of ice were locked on her own. he barely turned his face towards the tender, his eyes still on hers as he smiled.

"Ramon, make sure those two go on my tab." The tender nodded and was gone before she could speak. "Ted, and your welcome."

She laughed at his audacity, shaking her head. "You think you're pretty fucking smooth, don't you?" He couldn't tell whether her smile was a good thing or a bad, it just seemed honest either way.

"I don't know." He entwined his fingers, resting them on the bar and leaning his weight forward upon them before looking up over his shoulder at her. "Do you?"

"Not really."

"Then, no. Relatively not smooth. Somewhat rough. Are you smooth?" She laughed again.

"No."

"Then who are you?" He seemed a bit strange, perhaps socially nervous? She extended a hand.

"Mika."

"Mika?"

"Yes, Mika."

"I'm Ted."

"You told me that already."

"But this time you were listening. It felt better. Can I buy your next round?"

"You bought this round."

"But this time you were receptive."

"Fine, whatever. Thanks." She turned to walk away, lifting her drinks.

"Where are you going?"

"Away." Reached his ears as she barely twisted her neck to yell over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

* * * * * *

"Janey, girl. You will not believe what happened!" Mika settled on the seat across from Janey and Matt, straddling the back of the chair to lean across the table and hand Janey her drink. The two were positively adorable, she was glad she had made the trip to meet the boy who Janey spoke of incessantly. He was tall with an olive complexion and dark hair and eyes. But most attractive, perhaps, was his oversized nose and delighted smile, when he looked at Janey he just lit up.

"What happened?" Janey jumped a bit, Matt had undoubtedly pinched or poked her under the table. To watch them pretend they were just friends was amusing. She wasn't sure who they thought they were fooling. Janey had forced Mika to swear on her life not to tell Matt that she knew anything at all about him. She shook her head and giggled, sipping at her drink.

"This guy just made the bartender put our drinks on his tab, I swear, he was soooo weird."

"Weird like creepy I'm gunna rape in you in the back of my van weird? or weird like socially dysfunctional but still cute weird?"

"Borderline socially dysfunctional and very much cute?"

"Very good. We like borderline socially dysfunctional."

"That we do. And he has our next round."

"Well, I'll drink to that." Janey lifted her glass, clinking it against her friends.

"Um, does borderline socially dysfuncational boy have a car?" Mika rolled her eyes.

"Going home already?"

"We both drove all day yesterday."

"I was in the car with you, Janey."

"Yeah, and you slept for 6 hours, right through when I stopped for lunch." The girls giggled.

"I'll find a ride, I know the address, Charles is around here somewhere to watch out for me." Janey grinned, kissing Mika's cheek.

"Call me at close and lemme know what yer doing?"

"Okay, mom."

"Later, daughter." She watched the two disappear, walking just close enough with hands floating beside each other. Maybe someday one of them would grow some balls. They weren't even gone ten seconds before the boy from the bar settled in one of the empty chairs.

"All by yourself?"

"Yes. and enjoying it."

"No, you were missing me."

"I thought you weren't smooth."

"Didn't I just prove it?" She giggled and shook her head, catching a glimpse of the two drinks on the table. "I didn't know which one was you, so I brought both." She grabbed for the margarita.

"Only fucking Abramowitz would shell out the seven bucks for one of those at the bar. 'Gawd, Mika, it's just money. You can't take it with you.'" Mika threw back her head and laughed, oblivious to the split second of shock that rumbled through and unsettled him. There were a million different Abramowitz's around here... it wasn't, it couldn't...