Page 11 of The Cost of a Bride
She must hate me by now too for what I did. I’m the man who took her virginity, her innocence, and then in the same night completely blew it with her. I didn’t take her into my arms and cuddle her. I didn’t make her a nice warm tea or lie in bed with her and watch a movie and fall asleep with her. What did I do? I got caught up in my emotions like a fool and let us get wrapped up in a fight that ruined the night completely.
That is not what a man should let happen, especially on the night of a girl’s first time. I should have been more responsible, been there for her, no matter what I was feeling.
What’s even worse is I can’t stop thinking about the fact that she’s notwith me. At least she’s not working at the mansion, though. With the money that I paid to her, I covered her father’s debts, which means she no longer has to go dance for those sons of bitches anymore. But I can’t even picture her swaying her hips in that room full of men without anger rising up within me.
Growling, I grab my keys and head for the car. If I can’t have Nikki tonight, a stiff drink ought to do.
A few minutes later, I’m down at Hillshine Pub ordering a whiskey ginger from the bartender. Eric doesn’t work here, and I’ve got none of the boys with me tonight. I just want some time alone with myself and my thoughts. Probably not the best idea, since as soon as I take my first sip, my mind is filled with images of Nikki and all the things she could be up to right now.
Surely she’s not out with another guy right now. I mean, it’s only been two weeks, and she just lost her virginity to me. Why would she be on a date with another guy? That just wouldn’t make any sense.
She could be back working at the mansion though. But again, why? I paid off her father’s debts, so why not go get another job where she doesn’t have to be around men she clearly doesn’t want to be around?
No. She’s not doing either of those things. She’s probably just hanging out with a friend doing whatever it is girls do when they hang out.
“You look miserable, Mr. Hartford.” A girl’s voice from behind me causes me to jump as I’m raising my glass to my lips. I know right away that it’s not Nikki and spin around on my stool to see another good-looking girl, not as good as Nikki but still pretty, standing behind me.
She has her arms crossed over her chest with her lips pursed and is looking at me with a somewhat amused and somewhat judgmental look on her face.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“Don’t recognize me?” the girl replies with a slight giggle. “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. You don’t seem to recognize any of your old students.”
Without being asked, she takes a seat and focuses her eyes on me with much more intensity. I feel as though I’m being scrutinized, almost like this is my new boss debating on whether to hire me for a job I don’t even remember applying for.
After a long moment, when I’m just about to say something, she nods. “I can see why she likes you.”
“What? Who?”
She smirks. “Come on, Russ. Have you really hadthatmany girls lining up for you in the last couple of weeks?”
I’m about to get offended, but then I realize who she’s talking about.
“Nikki. You’re Nikki’s friend.”
“Alyssa Henry.” She smiles, extending a hand. “Nice to re-meet you, Mr. Hartford.”
I shake my head and take a breath. Like Nikki, a wave of realization comes over me. Of course, this one is a bit different given how we’re meeting as adults.
“How did you – how’d you find me here?” I ask. “I never told her about this place.”
“I was the one who picked her up from your house that night,” she replies. “I came over to talk to you just as you were leaving, so I followed you here.”
“Right,” I say, downing half of my drink. This is getting…interesting now. I was looking for some time alone, and now I’m sitting face to face with Nikki’s friend. And it doesn’t take a genius to guess what she’s here to talk about.
“Nikki told me everything,” she says, removing any lingering doubt from my mind.
“Ah.” I nod, polishing off the rest of my drink. I motion to the bartender for a refill. “She speaks very highly of you…in one regard.”
“But not in another?”
Alyssa shrugs. “I defended you.”
“That right?”
“I told her you might need some time to get past the fact that you were her teacher way back when,” she replies. “That she should try to see it from your point of view.”
This actually surprises me. I figured any friend of Nikki’s who came to my house then followed me to the bar would be here to cuss me out or give me some kind of a scolding. Maybe she still is, but to start off by saying she’s defending me is not what I would have expected.