Whimper (3 page)

We got dressed for a night out, but I packed a satchel of supplies in case we’d need them. I had to find out if the virus strain released here was identical to mine, or if it had been manipulated. To do that, I needed a tissue or blood sample from someone who was infected. I wanted to be prepared if another infected subject showed up on campus.

Psyched about having a “normal” night, Brianna had styled her hair into big blonde waves and layered on eyeliner and shadow. Her slinky tank and short shorts didn’t meet my approval, but I wasn’t going to say a word about it. She needed to have fun, and that was hard enough when you were being escorted by your brother, let alone playing nursemaid to him.

She made
me
change twice before I met her approval. I hadn’t even packed that many clothes. I didn’t even remember owning the soft black shirt she made me wear. I think she may have planted it. I filled the pockets of my charcoal gray cargo shorts with inhalers and my wallet while Brianna slapped some goop into my hair and spiked it up every which way.

“You look too much like a science nerd otherwise. Or maybe it’s that I
know
you’re a science nerd,” Brianna teased. Normally, I would have protested and worn whatever I felt like throwing on, but I wanted to look good tonight. Brianna was the expert when it came to fashion and party wear. I spent most of my days in a t-shirt and lab coat.

We walked together towards the collection of bars, restaurants, and shops that bordered the university campus proper. The air was sultry, practically vibrating with the bass pouring out of the open bar doors. Bri and I stopped at a little taco shop and had some dinner while I watched the crowds mill around the square. The street on this block was closed to traffic from 6pm to 6am daily, allowing for students to gather in the roadway as they moved from bar to bar.

“I’m so excited!” Brianna squealed. “I haven’t been to a club in forever. Which one do you want to start at? I kind of want to go to the one playing techno music. It looks like they have a dance floor. What do you think?”

I cleared my throat. Dancing was the last thing I had planned. “I think I’ll have to pass on that much exertion today, but if you want to go I can stand watch. I was thinking more along the lines of the one that looks like an Irish pub. Firebrand?” I said it casually, playing with my napkin to avoid making eye contact with my sister.

“Oooooh, this is about that girl I caught you staring at this morning, isn’t it? Oh my God, Elliott! It’s about damn time!” She grabbed our empty trays and swooped towards the trash can. “Come on! Let’s see if we can find her.”

We dodged college kids until we made it to the door of Firebrand, where we had to show our IDs to the bouncer. Brianna had turned 21 a few months ago, so that wasn’t an issue, although my ID was obviously a fake. The DMV doesn’t hand out licenses to dead guys. I tried not to squirm as the bouncer scrutinized my card and held in my sigh of relief when he waved us through. The bar was packed. I couldn’t see any tables open and people stood in clumps between the full ones.

“Wow!” Brianna yelled into my ear over the noise of the crowd and of the small band playing in the corner. “This place is awesome. I love all the knick knacks and pictures on the wall. You can really feel the history.”

I looked around, trying to find a safe spot for us to stand until we could find a seat. Then, over the crush of college kids, I saw her again. Her dark hair framed her face with wispy tendrils, the chestnut mass of it held up in silver clips. A tight green t-shirt emblazoned with the word “Firebrand” stretched across her chest as she weaved around tables, gathering empty glasses. I was riveted. My sister followed my gaze and didn’t bother hiding her mocking laughter.

“Dude, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? I’ve never seen you even check out a girl, let alone stare at her like she’s edible.” The humor drained from her face. “Oh shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean...” She trailed off, staring at her cuticles.

As if I’d forgotten the risks. I let it go, not wanting to discuss the issue any further here.

“You’re in a good mood tonight, Zoe,” Seth, my favorite bartender, quipped as he poured me another round of draft beers for table six.

“I am in a
spectacular
mood tonight actually. Thank you for noticing. Sure, I’ve been up since 4am, but I barely feel it. The inspection went perfectly, not a single violation. I’m giddy with relief!” I laughed, grabbing the beers and balancing them on my tray as he poured.

“You’re awfully easy to excite, my girl. What would
I
have to do to make you that giddy?” He waggled his thick eyebrows and shot me a leer.

“Just keep pouring, Seth. You know fast money and good beer holds the key to my heart!” I snagged the last beer and emptied my tips into the coffee can I kept under the cash register.

“I’m not interested in your heart, Sweetie. What do I have to do to get in them jeans?” Seth couldn’t even finish without busting out laughing. I shot him a mock dirty look and left for table six, swiveling my hips as I went.

I dropped off the round to the rowdy guys at six, firmly removing one hand from my butt as I leaned over to deliver the last of the tall mugs. “Touch my ass again and I’ll snap your hand off at the wrist, Buddy!” I said in a deceptively sweet voice. “You only get one warning.”

The offending hand shot up in the air in mock surrender and the whole table erupted in raucous laughter. Chances were good that I’d have to fend off more hands next round as they egged each other on to even greater feats of bravado.

Rolling my eyes, I turned to swivel away to the next table and found myself chest to chest with my handsome stalker from this morning.

“Are you okay?” he asked, glaring past me at the guys occupying the table behind me.

“Um, hi. Yes, thanks. Hazard of the occupation, I’m afraid. Can I get you something?” I yanked the pencil out from behind my ear to cover my nerves. I hadn’t felt uncomfortable in my tight t-shirt until I’d smashed up against his broad chest. Now I found myself wondering if I looked like a floozy or if my makeup had melted. He was looking down at me with a strange expression I couldn’t quite read, and still hadn’t answered me. I fidgeted, moving away from his closeness.

“I, um… Sure, we were looking for a table, but I’ll take a beer and…” He looked back at a stunning blonde standing behind him, waiting for her order. Shit! He was here with a date and I was practically rubbing my boobs on his chest.

“I’ll take a Long Island, please,” the blonde called over the noise.

“One Long Island Ice Tea and what kind of beer would you like? We have six on tap and about forty different brands of long necks.” I babbled and stared hard at my notepad, as if I had to concentrate to take their drink order. I swear I could
feel
his blue-grey eyes boring into the top of my head.

“I’ll take whatever you recommend. What’s your favorite?” he rumbled. His voice was so smooth and deep it was like an engine purring.

“Right. Coming right up!” I stammered, dashing back towards the bar. I hadn’t answered his question. The truth was I almost never drank beer. I rarely admitted that to anyone. I mean, it seemed pretty damn hypocritical given my occupation. Seth would pick something good for me.

I mixed the Long Island myself, while Seth pulled a draft for me. The other two waitresses were circling the room, filling orders and bussing tables. I could take a moment to clear my head. One of the back tables started to leave so I grabbed a cleaning rag and the two drinks and dashed for it before any of the other patrons could sit there. I finished wiping it off as Mr. Mysterious and his date showed up behind me.

“Your drinks and a table,” I gestured proudly, as if I’d conjured spun gold or something.

“Thank you so much,” the petite blonde said sweetly, sliding into one of the high back chairs. “I’m Brianna, and this is my brother, Elliott.” She put a slight emphasis on the word
brother.
Had I been that transparent? Still, I was relieved she was his sister and not my competition.

“Brianna, Elliott, pleased to meet you. Welcome to The Firebrand. I’m Zoe Clark. I’m the owner. If you need anything, simply ask.” It was my standard greeting, so it rolled easily off my tongue. I loved the reactions I got from people when I dropped that I was the business owner and not merely a waitress. Elliott reached out to shake my hand, but I had to juggle my rag and tray to free one up. He ended up running his fingers across my forearm instead. Tingles followed wherever his flesh touched mine, and I shivered. I was making a total fool of myself and I needed to walk away. Now. I stammered some kind of apology and threw myself into waiting tables, trying desperately to ignore the table in the back.

I saw Brianna dancing with a few of our regulars.
She
at least seemed to be having a grand time. Every time I risked a glance towards the table where Elliott sat, he caught me looking and smiled.

“That guy has been checking you out all night, Zoe,” Sara Beth, one of the waitresses, whispered to me. “He’s also been nursing the last of that beer for about twenty minutes now, waiting on you to come back. He’s kind of hot, in a nerdy sort of way. You should get your butt over there.”

I glanced back up and sure enough, Elliott was looking right at me. He didn’t even seem embarrassed to be caught staring. She was right, he was kind of hot. Okay, I thought he was more than “kind of” hot. “Go!” Sara Beth shooed me, snapping me in the butt with a bar towel.

“Ouch! Stop it, Witch! I’m going, but
only
to take his order!” I grabbed my empty tray and headed back towards his table, looking everywhere but at his face. “How’s the beer? Can I get you another?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Elliott’s face lit up with a charming grin. “I’ve been hoping you’d come back over here. The beer is fine, although I have a confession to make.” He leaned forward, looking around like he was afraid someone was spying. “I don’t actually like beer all that much. It’s an embarrassing failing, I admit, but I can’t seem to overcome it.”

I laughed and sat down in the empty chair. Leaning close enough so that only he could hear me, “If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it until the day I die, but I don’t like it much either.” He laughed, leaning even closer. “Sacrilege!” he admonished. “So, what
do
you recommend?”

He didn’t pull away. He was close enough that I could see the hints of stubble on his jaw and the flecks of gray in his blue eyes. He smelled good, too good. I couldn’t help but wonder what I smelled like after such a long day of work. It was probably a pungent mixture of sweat, spilled beer, and fryer grease. That’s appealing.

“How do you feel about rum?” I asked, watching a muscle twitch in his jaw as he focused on my face. Was he thinking about kissing me? I leaned back, but almost immediately regretted the distance.

“Rum and I are only friends, I swear,” he joked. “Seriously, it’s fine. Are you a rum drinker?”

“If I ever get the opportunity to have a drink myself, I make a pretty fine rum punch. I’d be happy to make one for you.” I started to stand, ready to run back and hide behind the bar again, but Elliott caught my hand, gently tethering me to the spot.

“I’d love to try one, but I’m not in a hurry. Can you stay and talk for a few minutes?” His eyes had me snared as easily as his hand had. He should need a license to use those baby blues, especially with that grin. It wasn’t fair. I glanced around the bar, checking on Seth and my waitresses. Everyone seemed fine, and there weren’t any tables who looked dry.

“Sure, it looks like I can spare a few minutes. Are you new on campus? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before” I asked, playing with the water ring left behind by Brianna’s drink. I couldn’t decide if I should bring up the big fight this morning. Was it tacky to mention something so disturbing? To play it safe, I stuck to small talk, and Elliott seemed happy to follow my lead. He was able to make me laugh, simply talking about the weather. I could learn to like small talk.

“Who’s this?” a loud, drunken voice boomed from next to me, causing me to jump in my seat. Glancing up, I saw the dark hair and blue eyes that mirrored my own. Zack loomed over us, laughing and almost certainly judging me. Damn it. Of course, he would show up
now
.

Elliott looked up, did a double take back and forth between me and my twin brother before extending his hand, “Hi, I’m Elliott. And you are?”

Zack reached out, grabbed Elliott’s hand and shook firmly. “I’m Zack, Zoe’s fiancé. What the hell are you doing with my girl?”

“Zack! You idiot!” I screeched. “Don’t be disgusting! Elliott, this is my twin brother. At least that’s what the damn drunken nurses at the hospital claim. I think they made a terrible mistake.”

Elliott laughed. He didn’t even get up and run. “Why don’t you pull up a chair and join us, Zack?” he invited.

“Nah, I only stopped to see if Zoe was actually letting her hair down like I keep telling her to. She’s kind of uptight, watch out for that.” Zack’s eyes wandered away from us to the small area where a cluster of people, including Brianna, were dancing. “I think I’m going to have to go introduce myself to that little blonde over there and see if she wants to let
her
hair down.”