Love Is a Losing Game

Angie sat in her office, floating up the cash registers ready for the day. On the security monitors opposite her she watched Neil and Scarlet set up the bar ready for when the opened in less than twenty minutes.

As she sorted out the change float she picked up the office phone and dialled up to the bar.

“Hey Angie, want help with the tills?” Neil’s voice answered.

“Yep, if one of you wanna come down, the other can make us a coffee before we open.” she replied cheerfully.

“Sure thing boss, I’ll send Scarlet down, I know how much you love my coffee.” He replied, Angie didn’t have to see him to know that he was wearing a smile.

“Indeed I do Neil, thanks.” She replied hanging up. She gathered all the things she would need for the morning, watching the screens as Neil asked Scarlet to head to the office as he started making them each a coffee.

It was mornings like this that Angie loved. The bar was quiet enough for her to let her two members of staff run while she sat at the end of the bar sifting through various paper work, only making her way behind the bar to cover their breaks.

As she served a customer while Neil was on his break the sound of her cell phone ringing interrupted her.

“It’s Brian.” Neil called down the bar as he held the phone up as it continued to ring.

“Answer it for me then please sweetie.” She replied as she placed the drinks she was serving down in front of her customer.

“Hi you have reached the phone of Angela Norton. She’s busy and can’t come to the phone right now but I am more than willing to partake in phone sex while you wait” Neil answered in a high-class voice.

“Neil” Angie scolded down the bar as she handed the customer his change with an apologetic smile.

“Yeah it’s me, sorry Bri.” Neil giggled as he continued to talk into the phone.

“I take it Angie’s in work this morning then?” Brian asked.

“Yep.” He replied simply.

“Cool, in that case you can get off your scrawny little ass and make me a latte, I’ll be there in five.” He replied before hanging up.

Neil sighed as he pushed himself off his stool and made his way around the bar to the coffee machine. “He’s on his way, wants a latte.” he said at Angie’s confused look.

“What kind of mood did he seem in?” she asked precariously as she took her seat back at the bar. She hadn’t seen Brian since she’d left his place three days before, but she’d heard some of the arguments that had taken place between him and Aimee. She couldn’t be sure but she assumed that it had something to do with Brian telling Aimee about her not being a lesbian.

“He seemed fine. Do you want another coffee while I’m here?” Neil replied. Angie nodded with a smile as she picked up her pen and began to doodle on one of the pieces of paper in front of her. She was so taken in by her thoughts that she jumped as Brian came to sit next to her.

“Hey, sorry Hun, you okay?” Brian asked with a smile.

“Hey, yeah I’m fine, so um, what brings you down here so early?” she replied with a smile, reaching over to pick up her mug of coffee.

“Urgh, I needed to get out of the house.” He said quietly reaching for his own mug. Angie felt herself blush as she diverted her eyes away from his. “I take it you’ve heard us?”

Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his with a small nod. “Has it all been about me?”

“No Hun.” Brian began with a small chuckle and a smile. “I won’t lie, she wasn’t too impressed when I told her that you weren’t a lesbian and she did try to tell me that you’d planned it all or something, but I told her she was being stupid, that you don’t have some master plan. But she does keep on throwing it up in other arguments we’ve had. I don’t know what’s wrong with her recently; she seems to be picking fights over the stupidest, smallest things.” Brian explained.

“So she’s not pissed at me?” Angie asked.

Brian chuckled and shook his head before answering. “No Hun, she’s majorly pissed at me for whatever reason, but she’s not really pissed at you. To be honest I’m glad she’s spending more time at work recently, the less time we spend together the less time there is for us to argue.” He admitted quietly.

“Oh Bri, I’m sorry.” She replied, leaning over and placing her hand on his knee.

“Hey it’s ok, it also gives me an excuse to come over here and hang out with you.” he replied with a smirk working its way across his lips.

She pulled her hand away from his knee and gently hit his arm with a smirk of her own playing on her lips. “Hey, how do you like my new pumps?” she said suddenly, swinging her legs up onto his lap.

“Um, yeah, their pretty nice I guess.” He replied sounding somewhat confused as he seemingly studied her shoes.

“I’m glad you like them, seeing that it was your money that paid for them.” She replied with a smirk and a playful glint in her eyes. Again she was met with a confused look from Brian, causing her smirk to grow.

“Remember that bet you lost?” she smirked.

“Bitch.” He muttered with a fake glare. “So what did you buy with Matt’s money?” he asked as she crossed her legs at her ankles keeping them on Brian’s lap.

“As promised this necklace.” She replied her smile still prominent as she pulled the necklace onto her thumb and leaned forward to show Brian.

“Nice, just make sure you let Matt know that it’s his money that bought it for you, he’ll hate that.” He replied as his hands rested on the top of her feet making her squirm in her seat.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with a smirk as he gripped her feet tighter.

“I just don’t like my feet being touched.” She replied through gritted teeth as he purposefully ran his hand over her feet more.

“Really now?” he replied with a devilish glint in his eyes. “So you wouldn’t like it if I was to suck your toes then?” he said slowly, licking his lips.

“Ew, no. Gross!” she yelled pulling her feet away from him so quickly she almost fell of her stool, to the sound of Brian roaring with laughter, clutching his sides.

“What’s gross and what’s so funny?” Stuart said as he appeared next to her, helping her steady herself on the stool.

“Brian sucks toes!” she yelled with a look of sheer disgust crossing her face.

“Ew, seriously? What’s wrong with you?” Stuart exclaimed.

“As long as their clean and I’m drunk….You don’t like it either?” Brian replied still smiling.

“Hell no!” he yelled.

“No, Stuart actually gave a guy a black eye when he tried to suck his toes.” Angie explained.

“You punched a guy?”

“No, I booted him with the heel of my foot when he caught me by surprise.” Stuart replied. “Anyway, I bumped into the postie on my way in.” he added handing her a handful of mail.

“Was it the cute one?” she asked as she began to open the mail.

“Mmmhmm and he was wearing those cute little shorts again.” Stuart mused with a dreamy smile.

Angie rolled her eyes with a laugh as she set down the first letter with the rest of her paper work, ready so that she could fax it to head office. She then picked up a hand written envelope that had been addressed to her. As she looked at it, she knew she recognised the handwriting but couldn’t place it.

She pulled out the piece of paper and began to read, her breath catching in her throat and her hand clapping over her mouth as she realised who it was from.

“Angie are you ok sweetie?” Brian asked noticing her panicked expression, placing a supporting hand gently on her shoulder.

“Ange? What is it?” Stuart asked just as panicked. All she could do was try to concentrate on breathing as her eyes continued to scan over the letter in her hands.

“Honey, let me see?” Stuart said gently coming around to her side and placing his hands on the letter as he tried to take it from her. Slowly it slipped from her fingers as she continued to stare straight ahead.

“Neil, two large JDs, neat.” He called as his eyes slid down the paper now in his hands. Neil quickly complied with Stuart’s order and set two glasses of JD which were quickly picked up and knocked down their throats as Neil and Brian looked on with puzzled faces.

“He’s found me Stu. He’s fucking found me! He knows where I work.” She said, her voice shaking.

“I know Hun, I’m sorry.” Stuart replied, his voice quivering slightly also.

“You promised me Stu, you said I wouldn’t hear from him again.” she screamed quietly as tears pooled in her eyes.

“I know honey, I’m sorry, I didn’t think we would.” He replied hugging her tightly from the side. “But he’s not going to hurt you again, I won’t let him.” he added sternly.

“Um, guys? Is everything okay?” Brian asked quietly.

Slowly Angie pulled away from Stuart’s embrace and turned to face Brian. “The letter’s from an ex of mine. He’s not good news and he’s primarily the reason why Stuart and I moved across the country.” She said slowly.

“Do you think he’ll turn up here?” Brian asked.

Angie shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past him.” she replied quietly.

“Listen, if he does, you’ve always got me and the other guys here to protect you. If I’m not around, all you have to do is call and that goes for if he turns up at the house too.” Brian replied, turning in his seat to place his hands supportively on her knees.

“Thanks Bri, that means a lot for you to say that.” She replied glancing up and finding his chocolate brown eyes.

“You know Hun, I can cover your shift if you want to head home, you look pretty shaken up. Head home have a nice relaxing bath and only come back if you feel up to it.” Stuart said. Angie looked up at him and nodded.

“Thanks Stu, I think I might just do that….I’ll be back later.” She replied slipping off the stool.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home.” Brian replied getting off his stool and wrapping a comforting arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as she slipped her arms securely around his waist.