Chasing the Bartender

How Time Flies

DAVINA POV

It's been about nine years since Hadley and I left for school. A month into my first semester, I was really sick, I finally decided to go to the doctor and found out I was pregnant. I rushed home that day and told Hadley. At least my son gets to know his aunt since he won't know his dad. She was by my side every step of the way.

To pay for rent, all the doctors' appointments, groceries, and all the baby things I would need, I started working at a bar as a bartender. They took a huge risk on me since I had never been in a bar or knew much about alcohol. Hadley and I, after a while, went in on a house together since we had years to go until we graduated, and we'd both probably be working close by mostly. The little old lady, Lina, next door, came to visit us shortly after we moved in. We told her all about us, and when she found out I was pregnant, she jumped in as a mother figure to Hadley and I. As time went one we learned that she never had a daughter, and her son died in a plane crash a week before he was supposed to get married, and her husband died a year later. She came to the hospital when I was in labor and stayed with the whole time. I named my son after her son Xavier. I also gave him a piece of his dad even though he didn't know it. Xavier Levi Williams. For a while after giving birth to him, I was still angry and hurt over Levi, so I started learning how to fight, just to work out the negative feelings towards him. After about two years, I got into masked fighting. It paid well, and with the bartending, I had no worries about money.

Whenever both Hads and I had a test or a class at the same time, she would watch him. He loved visiting Grandma Lina. We both graduated a semester apart from each other, and a year after that, Lina passed away. As an archeologist, I had to travel a lot, and so did Hadley as a photographer. So we became a package deal. Dig teams loved that they wouldn't have to find a photographer to come to the sites, too. So the three of us would travel all over together. While the experience was great and we had a lot of fun, I made more as a fighter and bartender, and Hadley made more in Rhode Island than traveling with me, so I went back to what I was doing before and so did she.

We were all sitting at the table eating breakfast when Hadley's phone started ringing. She's being looked at for a big promotion, so when the phone rings to answers, especially if it's her boss. She looks at her phone and takes a deep breath before answering, so it's her boss.

"Hello, Hadley Adams." She says confidently, but her facial expression betrays her to those who can see her. I can't hear what her boss is saying, but her excitement begins to grow. "Really?" Xavier and I just look at her and listen as her expression becomes happier and happier. "When? Where?" Her expression falls a little, and she looks at me. "That's a bit far. Thank you, I'll let you know by tomorrow morning." She hangs up and looks at her food.

"So?" She looks at me. "Did you get it?" I smile at her, trying to lift her mood.

"Yeah." She says, still slightly deflated.

"So, shouldn't you be happy?" She looks at me again for a minute.

"I got the promotion. They want me to go manage and open the new branch." She takes a deep breath. "It's back home."

"Oh. That's ok. We'll all go." She looks back up at me, surprised.

"You'd come with me?" I take a sip of my mint tea.

"Yeah, if we get there before school starts, Xavier won't have to adjust in the middle of a school year." Her smile widens, and I turn to my sweet eight year old boy. "Xavier, would you like to go live where momma and Aunty Hadley grew up?" He jumped up from his seat and hugged me.

"Yes! Will I get to meet Uncle Dane?" I smile.

"Yes, sweetheart, you can meet your uncle face to face." I say as I put both hands on his cheeks and kiss his little nose. He runs to his room and starts putting things together. I look to my best friend. "I guess that answers our questions about if he'd want to go. I can call Sofia and have her base all my fights out there. And I can see about working at the bar near the airport. Your brother never went there before. I doubt he would now. I'll call Dane and ask him to look into houses for us." She stands and smiles as she bounces forward to hug me. After she leaves and I head to tell Xavier about going through his things and making sure that anything he won't miss or want to keep to put it one spot and that we'll pack up everything else. Once he starts, I head to my room to call my brother.

DANE POV

Levi and I have remained friends. It was a bit rocky for a while after our sister left, but we managed to work it out. My sister stayed in touch, and I went to visit after Xavier was born. I went to my boss and asked to be the lawyer for the case that just happened to be where she was. I explained everything, and they said I could have the case and stay with my sister, so long as I made sure to work on the case and do my best. Levi and I both finished school and got a job at the same law firm, so I also wanted to make sure he wasn't near where our sisters were.

I was working on paperwork when Levi came in and sat down. He began talking about his night with Lillian. They still hook up whenever she's in town. I can't stand her. I wasn't really listening to his story very closely when my office phone rang.

"Dane Williams speaking."

"Hey, big brother, how goes it?" I hear my joyful sisters' voice, and I lean back in my chair and smile some. Levi leans forward, intrigued by who I'm suddenly happy to hear from.

"I'm doing good, how about you?"

"Well, I have some good news." I can hear the smile in her voice, and it makes my smile grow wider if that's even possible.

"And what's that?"

"Well, Hadley got that promotion we told you about. And it's out there, so we'll be coming back." I sit back up again.

"Really? When?" I start opening my planner

"Probably in a few weeks. We were hoping that until we get there, you could look at a house or two?"

"Yeah, of course, however I can help. What has Sofia said?"

"I'm going to talk to her right after this. Ask her to base all my fights out there. Then, I'll call into the bar near the airport to see if they could use a bartender."

"That sounds great. I'm excited to see. It's been a while." She laughs a little, and I smile.

"Xavier is excited to meet you face to face." I smile and lean back again in my chair.

"I'm excited to see that little guy again. How about your roommate?"

"Roommate? Since when do you call her that? Is Levi in the room?" I can hear the slight panic in her voice.

"Yeah, but there's nothing to worry about. All calls are confidential."

"Ok." I hear her release her nervousness and relax again. "Well, I gotta call Sofia and then the bar, and then the current bar I work at."

"OK, I'll talk to you soon."

"Talk to you soon."

I look at my best friend once again as he has a smug smile on his face.

"So, who's the girl?"

"It's the fighter I've been representing for the past few years. She'll be passing through town and called to let me know."

"Sure." He said sarcastically with a smirk across his face.

"Get out." I laugh.