Stalked by the Gods, Blessed by the Moon

Ch. 2 - Wrong Place, Wrong Time

AYLA’S POV

A drink. I needed a stiff one. But what did that even mean? It sounded like something a man made up. I shook my head as Jake, the bartender, slid to a stop before me, placing both hands on the counter. “What can I get you, Ayla?”

Jake knew I was underage. He should have since we went to school together, and I was a freshman when he was a senior, unless he couldn’t count. I didn’t know much about him in school, so maybe he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box. But right now? He was my best friend. My only friend, I thought bitterly, remembering Jackie’s betrayal. “A stiff drink.”

Jake laughed, showing his abnormally bright smile with perfect teeth. Did I mention that Jake was hot? Too hot to be a bartender but I’m sure it helped him rake in the tips. His blonde hair, blue eyes, tan skin, straight white teeth, like a Ken doll…he belonged in a magazine. Not serving beers to locals at some dive bar.

The bar, Smiles, was a local hangout. With only the occasional tourist that caught on it was a local spot after a drink or two and left promptly. Not that we were unwelcoming. We were the most welcoming in the area. But we didn’t break out in song and dance or wave welcome banners when they showed up. And maybe some locals occasionally picked a fight with the random tourist college kid passing through to get to the beaches, which were only a half hour from us.

Still, Smiles was a good bar at which to get drunk. Especially when you were underage and just found your boyfriend f*****g your best friend. The bed you spent most of your nights over the last two years.

Jake snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Ayla. You in there?”

I smiled. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“You didn’t even hear my joke about a stiff drink, which I’m sure you don’t know the meaning of,” he said with a grin.

I shrugged. “Maybe not, but it’s what I want. But I’m sure your joke was hilarious.”

He shook his head, still smiling. “I’ll get you your regular. I don’t know if you could handle a stiff drink. Is everything okay, though? Jackie meeting you here?”

As he slid a beer in front of me, because I wasn’t a liquor drinker and beer was the only thing my stomach could handle, my eyes snapped to his. “You sure do ask a lot of questions for a bartender, Jake.”

A flash of pain crossed his face. “Oh.”

I wrapped my hands around my glass. “I’m sorry. I just…I’m not friends with Jackie anymore. It’s a long story.”

He leaned in. “I can tell you’re hurting, so I won’t hold it against you. If you want to discuss it, I’m here for you.”

Jake was there for me. We never hung outside of Smiles, but I had his number, and he had mine. I’ve given him a couple of rides to work; he’s done the same. We never broke our silent friendship or pushed it to be more than it already was. Just an occasional ride to work and a couple of beers at the bar summed up the entirety of it.

As Jake walked away, I sized him up. He was lean but built with broad shoulders and a thick neck. I wondered for a moment what else was thick about him but quickly dashed the thoughts from my brain. Complicating things with Jake was the last thing I needed. Then, I’d be completely friendless.

Instead, I took a sip of my beer and slowly turned around in my seat to scan the bar. It didn’t mean I couldn’t make the most of my newfound singlehood tonight with someone else. I quickly scanned the room, seeing the usual middle-aged crowd. Except there were a couple of what looked like college kids awkwardly playing pool, ignoring the stares from the locals. Jackpot.

I set down my beer and pulled on my shirt to bring the neckline down a little, hoping for a bit of cleavage to show. I don’t know what I was thinking, but you know what they say: the best way to get over someone is to get under someone new. I closed my eyes for a second, banishing the thought. That was a Jackie saying. I would not be living by Jackie’s euphemisms anymore.

But still. A little harmless flirting could help my damaged ego tonight. I strode towards the college boys, ready to get my flirt on. When I reached the pool table, they all stopped whispering to each other, and all eyes were on me. “Hey, guys,” I said, feeling all the awkwardness crashing down on me. What was I thinking? I couldn’t do this.

One of the two brunettes nudged the blonde before smiling back at me. “Hey there, beautiful. What you got going on?”

This, I thought, was exactly what I needed. Grinning, I looked back over my shoulder, seeing Jake looking on disapprovingly.

*****

I don’t know how many beers I had. It felt like a lot. It's a lot for me, at least. My head felt woozy, and I couldn’t lay down on the floor right now and pass out. But I couldn’t. I was in the middle of Smiles, laughing hysterically at something Brent had just said. A joke that I didn’t understand.

I shouldn’t have had so much, I thought. But looking over at my glasses, I saw I had only had three. So why was I so drunk? Realization dawned on me as I noticed that Kevin and Bryce were nudging each other, casting knowing glances at me, Brent’s arm slung around my shoulders. Oh, no. This was not good. I think they drugged me.

I looked desperately for Jake, but he was busy. The night rush had started, and he was slammed at the bar. f**k. I continued laughing, not wanting to let on that I knew what they had done. Instead, I needed to escape the situation, get to Jake, and get a rideshare home.

I smiled sweetly at Brent. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

He leaned in, his beer breath suddenly repulsive. “Want me to join you?”

“No. No, you stay here. I’ll be back in just a minute.”

He released me, but not before reaching down and smacking my ass. “Hurry back, beautiful.”

I tried not to jump too much when he slapped me but offered a sweet smile instead. “Will do, handsome.”

I grabbed my small purse and hurried in the direction of the bathroom as quickly as I could. I knew at this point that they had drugged me because I felt like the entire room was tilting, and I was swaying in place. But I still managed to make it to the bathroom, slipping inside and leaning against the door, relieved I’d made it.

I walked over to the sink to turn on the faucet. I stared at myself as I splashed cold water on my face, my eyeliner smudging and trickling down my cheeks. Great. I looked like a mess on top of it all. No wonder Jordan had cheated on me. I was a wreck.

The sound of the door opening behind me had me flinching and spinning around. Brent stood there, closing the door. “There you are. I wanted to check on you. The boys want to head out, and I thought you’d like to join us.”

I looked around the bathroom, desperate to find anything I could use as a weapon. “I’m okay. I think I’m just going to head home.”

Brent was in front of me quickly, grabbing my wrist. “You’re going to be a little c**k tease?”

I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off by a deep, rumbling voice. “Take your hands off her. Now.”