Will It Be Forever

Addeline couldn’t believe that he had just did that! The nerve of some people… She shook her head as she watched him walk away. His retreating figure was only getting smaller by the moment. AJ cupped her hand against her face and yelled, “Asshole!” She moved her hand and ran it through her hair. She let out a small groan and collected everything, putting the food back into the basket.

She’d just give it to her workers then.

She sighed and picked up her picnic basket, heading back to the bar. She bit her lower lip and her eyebrows furrowed together. She couldn’t believe the things that she let herself get talked into doing.

-Time relapse-

AJ swallowed hard as she went over the bar’s monthly bills. The electricity was paid, the water was paid… She rubbed the middle of her forehead to get rid of the increasing tension there but it wasn’t helping any. She had too much on her mind. She wanted to forget about last night but it was still bothering her and now…now this.

Two years ago when Addeline had opened up ‘AJ’s’ she had taken out a business loan with the bank to help start the place off. She had done well with the bar at first and it was getting good business but now… now she was behind in paying back the loan. With having to buy the alcohol, paying on the building rent, maintenance and every other thing that a business owner needed to pay for while running a business.

She leaned back in her chair with all the papers laid out on the table before her. She let out a groan and she rubbed her cheek. She needed to find a way to make more money… And make it fast. Her lease wasn’t up for three years now but if she doesn’t get the payment in at the end of the month…

She was going to lose the bar.

Thank God today was an off day for the bar or she was sure that she was going to lose it and she didn’t want to go crazy in front of her customers. That also meant no Matt, though she doubted that he was going to come back.

AJ heard the entrance door open and she didn’t look up to see who it was. “We’re closed!” She called and closed her eyes for a moment. She heard the door close and assumed that whoever it was had left but when she heard the footsteps, her eyes peeked open to see who came in. “You,” she started as her eyes narrowed at Brian. “Get out of my bar…”

Brian frowned for a moment. “So you’re not the only one who’s grumpy,” he started. AJ sat up and let out a scoff.

“Are you serious?” She asked, “He stormed out on me. He was the one acting like a little girl!” She shook her head, not believing that they were having this conversation about him. “Look. I tried to have a good time and he left. The night was ruined because of HIM. Not me, so if you’re here to put the blame on me for whatever mood he’s in, I suggest that you just leave.”

Brian raised a curious eyebrow at her. “What’s that you have there?” He asked, looking at the papers on the table. AJ went forward and tried to cover up anything that he could use against her. Boy, was he starting to get annoying. Brian grabbed one of the paper’s away from her and started to read. “Oooh what’s this?”

“You’re really annoying,” AJ commented back.

She watched him scrunch up his nose as he glanced at her. “You’ll learn to love it,” he said. She rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh.

“I doubt that.” She stood up from the table and tried to get the paper back from him but he wouldn’t let her have it. “You know… You really suck…” So she did the only thing that she could do at that moment. She lifted up a leg and kicked him in the shin. Brian let out a groan and dropped the paper. She snatched it as it swayed to the ground. She took a seat back at the table as he started to rub his shin.

“You know I could help you,” he started, “Even though you kicked the hell out of me… I’m still a nice guy.” AJ let out a loud laugh and went back to collecting all her papers from the table. “No really,” he said, “If you stick with helping Matt get out of this damn mood he’s been in and get him to sing again… I’ll pay off you loan.”

Oh… He had grabbed that paper.

Addeline’s eyebrows furrowed together for a moment and her heart felt heavy. She swallowed hard as she watched him for a moment. Part of her was telling her to look the other way, and not accept it. But then… There was another part of her telling her to take his offer. She needed the money but using him was just wrong.

Earlier she would’ve done anything to get the money but now… Her conscious was telling her to tell him to leave. AJ swallowed hard and ran a hand through her black hair. “Ok,” she whispered as she looked at him.

Brian smiled and clapped his hands together. “Well let’s get down to business.”