Chasing the Bartender

A Date or a Disaster?

DAVINA POV

I was working the bar when my brother and Levi walked in and came right up to me and took a seat. They ordered, and I tried to stay away from them as best as possible, well away from Levi, but I did want to talk to my brother.

Levi just watched me as I made drinks, spoke with customers, and spoke with my coworkers. Dane stands and walks over to me while Levi continues watching as nursing his whiskey.

"Vi, give him a chance, please. He keeps asking me about you." I sigh and toss my towel over my shoulder.

"Dane." But before I could finish, he spoke up again.

"Xavier deserves to know his dad, and Levi deserves to know his son. He was heartbroken when you left, Lillian is just a distraction from you." I look over as Levi as two women are trying to get his attention, but he just continues to watch me.

"Fine, I'll talk to him." I roll my eyes before I start moving in his direction. I stop in front of him and lean on the bar. "Can I get you anything else, or is that whiskey it?" He sets his drink down and leans forward a little.

"How about a conversation, outside of work?" The two women roll their eyes and walk away to find someone else.

"I get off in thirty." I say as I start to straighten up to walk away. He grabs my hand, and tingles and heat begin to overcome me.

"I'll take that time, but I would also like an actual date with you." I scoffed a little.

"Lillian too busy?" I ask.

"I should have never gotten involved with her. It was a mistake." Someone down the other end of the bar calling for me broke my eyes from his intense gaze.

"I'll talk to you in thirty minutes, Levi."

Those thirty minutes went by too quickly. As I walked out to my car, I saw Levi leaning on his car, conveniently parked next to mine. He gives me a small smirk as I roll my eyes. He opens his passenger door and I climb in, and then he moves to climb in the driver's seat. We didn't go anywhere, just talked. It was easy to forget all that happened and just be there with him like I was a teenager again talking to her childhood crush that never ended. By the end of our talk, I agreed to go out with him tomorrow night. Hadley and Dane will watch Xavier. He seemed to have already thought about finding someone to watch him cause that was objection until he let me know he already spoke to both of them. All he told me was that Hadley would know how to help me get ready.

I spent the day with Xavier since it was Saturday, and when Hadley got back from shooting an engagement session, she started helping me get ready. While Dane played downstairs with my sweet boy.

Hadley has been putting the finishing touches for what feels like forever. The whole time, I've been nervous, watching the clock that seems to never move forward. I'm finally going on a date with Levi, I've wanted this for years. I was crushed after we slept together, and he wanted nothing to do with me. I always wondered if I had done the right thing when I never told him about Xavier. What would have happened if he had known? Would we have gotten together and had a happy family? Could we have been friends who raised a child together? Would it have been a nasty custody battle because neither of us would have wanted to raise him together? Have I been selfish in keeping him to myself and not sharing him with his dad? Have I been selfish in not letting him know who his dad is? I've grown a lot over the years, I know I'll have to tell them the truth. I want to protect my son, but I also want him to know his dad. Is there a way to do this without any of us getting hurt?

Hadley speaking up snaps me out of my whirlwind of thoughts. I didn't register what she said, but her smile tells me she's finished and is very excited. I give a small nervous smile back and shift my gaze to my reflection in the mirror. My long brown hair is in soft waves down my back, the black tea length dress hugs me just right and flares out at my waist. The sweetheart neckline flatters my collarbone as the thin straps move over my shoulders. The low sparkly black heels I'm wearing add to the look. Since having a kid, I've never gone back to high heels. They've always been short heels about two inches tall or flats. The doorbell ringing adds to my already erratic nerves. Hadley gave my shoulders a light squeeze. I grab my jacket and bag, and the two of us head down to where our brothers wait. Descending the stairs, I see Levi still in his suit from work. He had a last-minute trial today and decided we'd go somewhere a little fancier so we wouldn't have to be out super late. His gray suit fits him well, and the white shirt hugs his chest until it's hidden by the jacket he's wearing. When he looks up the stairs and smiles at me, I almost forget how to breathe.

"You look stunning Vi." He says while smiling.

"Thank you." I look down shyly and blush before meeting his gaze again. "You look pretty handsome yourself." He holds out his hand to me, and I reach out to take it. I look to my brother and friend as they smile softly.

"We'll take good care of Xavier, don't you worry." Dane says as he hugs me.

"I love you, sweet boy." I say as I crouch down to hug my world. There isn't a thing I wouldn't give for Xavier to be happy and safe.

"L, you take care of her. Hurt her, and you can consider us no longer siblings." Hadley warns as he smiles and shakes his head at his sister.

LEVI POV

The trial couldn't be over fast enough. As soon as I was done, I headed to Dane's to pick up Davina. There's a restaurant she always said she wanted to try, but as high school kids we could never afford. I have never gone, since I wanted to go with her from the moment she said she wanted to go there. She was absolutely stunning coming down those stairs to me. The drive so far has been quiet. As I pull into the parking lot, she sits forward, looking around, before she settles on me. I smile, knowing she's surprised at where we are. I get out and walk around the car to her door. She takes my hand as she gets out.

"Levi, are we where I think we are?" She looks at me how I've always wanted her to. For a minute, she looks like the young girl I fell for all those years ago. She hasn't aged much, and she still looks beautiful, but it's almost like we're teenagers again with the way she is looking around as excitement rolls off her.

"We are." I smile. "I remembered you said you had always wanted to eat here. I assume you didn't get to before you left for school." I say as I lead her inside.

The night passes easily, and our conversations have been fluid, with no awkwardness. I told her all about my time at school and becoming a lawyer. She told me about school, her travels, bartending, and a little about Xavier as he grew up. Her eyes light up whenever she talks about him, and I can't help but be jealous of whomever his dad is, even if he doesn't know. I paid the bill, and we began our drive back to Dane's.

"So, I've got to ask." I say as I pause briefly to see her attention on me. "Why doesn't Xavier's dad know about him?" She sighs and sinks back into the passenger seat. Her hands start moving nervously in her lap like they've always done.

"I've considered telling him many times over the years. I wanted to tell him when I found I was pregnant. But the company he was keeping at the time and sometimes still keeps holds me back from doing so. I don't care about the time or the money that may have come from child support or anything. He's my son, my world, and my greatest joy." She smiles as she thinks about him. "I would love for his dad to know and have a relationship with him, more than he does, but I also know I have to protect him from any harm. I don't want him to get his little heart crushed or to have his dad's hook up lifestyle hurt him. Kids need stability, not a revolving door of women coming in and out of his father's room." The last part she spits out a little bitterly, but also laced with sadness. Before I could say anything, we were pulling up to her brother's house, and I noticed my parents' car.

We head inside, and I see my parents with Xavier talking to him about how much he's grown and how it's nice to see him in person and not through a video call. I can't help but be a little hurt by the fact that I was the only one who didn't know about Xavier. Hadley knew, Dane knew, hell apparently my parents knew too. I lean closer to Davina, keeping my voice low.

"Are his father and I the only ones who didn't know about him?" She shifts a little before clearing her throat.

"Um, we're going to have a quick conversation outside. Hadley, Dane, could you get him ready to go home?" They nod, and I see the looks my parents are giving me. The looks of warning to not overreact. "OK, let me have it." She says as she looks down once we're outside.

"Am I the only one who didn't know?!" I shout. She nods, her eyes still glued to the driveway. "Even your parents knew?" She nods again. I run my hands through my hair as I pace a little. "All that s**t about wanting to contact his dad must have been a straight lie then! You had time to notify all these people, even your crap parents, but not me. Not me, and not his dad." I stop and look at her. She still hasn't looked at me. "You're just as bad as your parents." I spit out, and her head snaps up as she looks at me.

"You don't get to say that to me. I have given up so much for that little boy, and I don't give a damn about any of it. I would give up my life without question for him and not want anything in return. I am nothing like my parents. His actions don't decide what attention he gets from me. I have wanted to tell his dad, for years. But what am I supposed to do when I know he still sleeps around like a teenager who just learned what s*x is?!" She yells back at me.

"Like you're any better than him? You slept with me, then left a week later. Slept with dad, and never even told him you were pregnant. I bet you don't even know who his dad really is!" I see the tears glistening in her eyes as she tries to keep them from falling.

"I know exactly who his father is." She scoffs. "I have only ever had s*x with one person, and that was a mistake. But I won't be upset because it gave me MY son. My Xavier Levi Williams deserves better than this, and he deserves better than me. I'm not perfect, I've tried, I've worked my ass off to take care of him. I've been fine so far, and so has he. And we'll continue that way." She spits out as me as she walks back to the house to get her son.