Too Scared to Love Again

“Oh, she looks so good. Oh, she looks so fine. And I’ve got this crazy feeling, that I’m going to make her mine!”

It was that one time of the year when Lynn had been allowed to choose the music during her shift, and of course the choice fell upon Patti Smith. Both Lynn and Kath were digging it, the younger brunette pouring her not so clean vocals into the chorus, meanwhile the other woman was busy mixing a fancy Gin and tonic at the moment.

She looked like she was enjoying her life for the first time in a week. Ever since she’d caught Brian with his shiny new toy, she’d been focusing her energy on work and her bachelor she hadn’t bothered to pay any attention to earlier.

In order to not lose focus on those two things, she had decided to not tell Blair or Cynthia about her episode at Brian’s doorstep. She knew that if she did, her friends would do an intervention, and she was very convinced that she couldn’t take something like that. The only one who did know was Kath, who had been the only one to notice how Lynn was using work as a way of distracting herself from the things that really bothered her.

“Hey, babe. Can I get a Martini?” Blair approached the bar, putting her delicate hands on top of the counter and elegantly plumping down on the crimson red bar stool.

“On it.” Lynn responded almost automatically, not even moving her gaze to acknowledge Blair’s presence, just as Rebecca came swinging by, filling her trail with the drinks Kath and Lynn had settled on top of the counter.

“Been studying all day?” Blair asked, abandoning her phone and circling her long pale fingers around her cold drink.

“Yup. I don’t really have much of a choice at this point.” the brunette shrugged, slicing a lime into two pieces, as she then applied pressure and saw how the juice came dripping down from the citrus and into the pit of the glass.

“You’ve basically moved out, L.” Blair pointed out, shaking her head as she took a sip from her drink.

“It’ll be over soon!” Lynn promised, even though she knew that as soon as she was done with her bachelor, she would want to find something else that would make her so busy she wouldn’t have to think about Brian.

“I bet it’ll be a great paper.” the ginger-haired woman smiled, and then took another swig from her drink.

“What’s great? Except for that outfit, of course.” a deep voice spoke from behind, as Blair was soon drawn into Zack’s embrace.

His tattooed arms found their way around her slim waist, and soon enough the tip of his chin was resting on top of her head.

“Oh, hello,” Blair sniggered, placing her hands on top of his arms and really just soaking up the strong scent of him that she adored so much. “I was just telling Lynn how much we miss her at home!”

“Ah! She hasn’t been able to shut up about that, Lynn. You need to come home!” Zack told the bartender.

“Oh, really? I didn’t know you guys did a lot of talking?” Lynn’s eyebrows climbed high on her forehead, and she could instantly see the way Zack’s lips stretched out into a grin across his pale face.

“Oh, we don’t!” he reassured her, chuckling rather darkly afterwards.

“You guys are gross.” Lynn wrinkled her nose, shaking her head as she started cleaning her station.

“Hey, Lynn!” Valary greeted as she and her husband walked towards the bar, the blonde taking Lynn slightly by surprise as she hadn’t seen Val at the bar before.

“How’s it going?” Lynn asked, finding it rather easy to chat with Val compared to the others.

“Very well! I thought I should check the place out. Matt doesn’t wanna come here with the boys.” she giggled and then settled down next to Blair.

“I think a lot of men feel that way.” Kath commented from her spot.

“That doesn’t stop them though.” Blair let out, shaking her head.

“I’m glad he’s honest about it,” Val shrugged. “Can I get a beer by the way?”

“Sure! It’s on the house!” Kath smiled, already on it, as Lynn disappeared from the counter.

Valary returned the gesture, soon letting her eyes take a look at the bar, before they spotted her husband who was accompanied by Brian.

“Are you thirdwheeling tonight?” Blair chuckled at the sight of Brian, who simply scolded at the woman.

“We’re at a strip-club. I cannot be the one who’s thirdwheeling in here!” the guitarist defended himself and then took a seat next to Val, who was now sipping from her beer.

The short-haired bartender who had just been serving Brian’s friends looked at the guitarist in front of her. Kath knew Lynn would probably flip out if she spotted him. She had no idea what had happened between the two of them, but right now was not the time to find out.

“B, why don’t you take them backstage? I bet Val would love to see that!” Kath suggested, forcing her glossy lips into a smile.

“Can we see it?” Val asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“Of course!” Blair quipped from her seat, linking her arm with Val’s and then bringing the woman, Matt and Zack behind the damask curtains that hid the way backstage.

“Not you!” Kath said, placing her hand firmly on top of Brian’s arm, trying to fight back the urge to sink her nails through the fabric of his hoodie.

Brian’s eyebrows climbed high on his forehead, and he slowly freed himself from Kath’s grip. “What?”

“I want you out of this place,” the dark-haired woman all but demanded. “Now.”

“And why’s that?” he asked her, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“Because you’re an ass, and Lynn doesn’t want you here.”

“Is Lynn here?” Brian asked, sounding almost surprised.

“No, she’s not. But that doesn’t mean I want you here. Get out, Brian. I’m not fucking around with you.” Kath stated coldly.

Brian sighed rather heavily, shaking his head a little as he turned around. The bar was about to get crowded, and just as he swept his gaze across the room, he spotted the one he’d been hoping to see all week.

His dark eyes fell upon the brunette who had just delivered a couple of drinks. She smiled as she served her customers and then stuck her trail under her arm, trying to save the bun she’d put her hair into. His eyes then moved down towards her outfit, which consisted of a pair of skinny faded jeans and a loose The Cure t-shirt.

Brian’s hands crawled into the pockets of his jeans and he found himself only staring at the brunette as though he hadn’t seen anything like her in his whole life. She looked ridiculously beautiful, despite the fact that she hadn’t done anything in order to make him or anyone else think that of her. She looked so casual, yet so complete in a way that literally brought butterflies into his stomach. It was as though he felt nauseous and amazing at the same time. His stomach all but twisted at the sight of her, and it was a veil of relief that went through him, which he couldn’t explain.

Get your shit together. Jeez, it’s not like she’s dead or something, Brian thought to himself.

“Brian!” Kath smacked the back of his head, obviously losing her patience. “Get out!” she groaned, trying to literally push the man towards the door.

I have to talk to her, Brian said to himself. He had no idea what had come over him as he snapped back to reality. He shook his head and cleared his throat at the same time, and then did as Kath had wanted him to – he walked away, not telling his friends that he ditched them as he instead went outside and lit a cigarette, his mind literally clouded by thoughts.

I really fucked up.