Page 3 of Small Town Girl
“A little on the bitter side. It would take a lot of time for me to acquire that taste.”
I chuckle as she picks up the next glass,a gin and tonic, and takes the tiniest of sips from it. “This,” she says, taking a second sip, “is really good. I love citrus, but where I’m from it doesn’t grow.”
“There’s still more to try. You stopping there?”
She shakes her head. “Of course not, sir. I’m no quitter.”
“Good girl.” I chuckle, and she gives me a mischievous look before continuing.
“Mmmm…I feel like Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” she says as she puts the rum and soda down. “This one is too sweet.”
She moves onto the martini, takes a sip, and makes a horrible face. I laugh. “Let me guess,” she says, “also an acquired taste?”
I nod.
She picks up the daiquiri with interest, inspecting the glass before taking a sip with the straw. “Ooo, strawberry and lemon. I like that. I think I’ve found my two drinks for the night.”
I laugh and dump everything else but the IPA. I can’t bring myself to let beer go to waste and take a sip from it as I clean up the mess I’ve made. “Your two drinks? Get to the end before you decide to cut yourself off. We can always call a ride for you.”
“Yeah, but I’m a bit of a lightweight. What’s the point of a relaxing night out if you can’t remember it?”
“Good point.”
Chapter Three
In Which Zander Pours out His Soul
With nothing left for me to do, we fall into a long, awkward silence. I pretend to wipe down the bar near her as I desperately think of something else to say to keep the conversation going. Thankfully, she beats me to it.
“So how long have you done this?” Nollaig asks as she sips on the daiquiri.
“Forever,” I answer with a sigh. “Worked part-time straight through college. Came back full time after I graduated.”
She sighs. “How was it?”
“How was what?”
“College. My da is—he doesn’t think schooling beyond the basics is necessary for girls, so I never got a chance to go.”
“There’s still time. How old are you? At a certain point, you’re no longer considered under your parentsfinancially and can get aid on your own…”
She smiles. “Oh, I’m older than I look. But that’s not really the issue, honestly. I don’t mind fighting the old man when I really want to do something.” She scribbles in the condensation on the side of the daiquiri glass as we talk.
Silence falls between us again, and I clear my throat. "Uh, I don't think I answered your question...though I think I'm the wrong person to ask. I wasn't smart like my younger brothers. I didn’t have the typical college experience. I went to college in the city and came home every night."
"Why isn't that smart?"
The answer to that question is probably a little deep for a stranger but what the hell. "When you're a werewolf, everything is centered around the pack."
"You're a werewolf?"
The surprise on her face makes her eyes light up. I've never met anyone excited to meet a werewolf–well, other than an occasional knot chaser here and there, but they play it a lot cooler.
"Yes...is that okay?"
She takes a sip of her drink and studies me. "Okay to be who you were born to be? Of course. I just have never encountered a werewolf before. I don't have a pack, but in my village, we keep to ourselves, so maybe I understand a little bit."
I'm starting to think maybe I have an Amish girl on her rum-whatever you call it—her free pass. "Well, I'm the second oldest, so I won't be Alpha of our pack when the time comes. That will fall to my older brother, Zach. Honestly, he's the only one who needed to stick around, learn the family business, and all that, but...I...I guess I felt like I couldn't leave either. Like I was leaving people who relied on me behind, so I went to school during the day and worked here at night. Lived at home, helped Mama with my little brothers."