A/N: Here lovelies have a chapter. Not the best ending, but believe me I'm excited for the next one. Oh yeah, fun fact, I'm changing this from a one-shot to short story but because I can't for my life write anything short. Whoops. Sorry not sorry.

Also has everyone been updating today? I swear I had five new updates in my inbox which made me thrilled, hopefully I can make you thrilled! Tell me what you think. WWF should be updated this week too!

Last thing, Happy fourth for all you USA babies! I HOPE YOU ARE WATCHING WOMENS WORLD CUP THIS WEEKEND VIVA LA FUTBOL.

Disclaimer x10-I'm terrible at keeping up with disclaimers so I'm hoping this has enough these aren't my characters disclaimer to not get me sued. Enjoy(:

One for the Road Ch 3 – Ignorance

Effy can't say she disliked her job for now. She wasn't looking for anything serious or time consuming so McClair's was a perfect fit for her as a bartender. And she was good at it. Really fucking good. When she wasn't getting slammed with orders that she knew like the back of her hand, she used the lull time to people watch, and see why exactly they came to drink themselves stupid. She could determine in a matter of moments if the round of shots were meant for celebration or sulking. She was content in her observations.

What she wasn't content with was the rising worry she had for her best mate. For whatever reason, the stubborn blonde had openly allowed Cook to lay his schedule on her and it was taking its fucking toll, that was for sure. With already pale Bristol skin and nearly white peroxide hair, Naomi was becoming ghostly ill and it was not suiting her at all. Effy didn't like to hover, she let people go about their own business while she watched, but this was different. Naomi was her mate and if she didn't take care of herself, Effy knew there wasn't a lot of people in her life that would ensure she would.

So in that third week since the blonde had started acting strangely, almost seventeen days of being at this repetitive place, Effy blocked her at the counter. Neither said a word, waiting for the other to say whatever was coming. Surprisingly and unexpected, Effy broke the silent staredown first.

"I think you should go home."

"What?" Naomi laughed, "Course not, it's a Friday, we're busy. It's fine." Effy wasn't an idiot though and could see right through the ruse.

"Nai you are working yourself into exhaustion. When's the last time you looked in a mirror?" the brunette said with a pointed brow. Naomi looked away and Effy sighed, "Exactly. You need the day off. You should leave, Thomas can come up to the bar from the back."

"No, lemme just finish the night and I'll take a day off next week-"

"No. That's an order. Go home Naomi, you aren't allowed in here for the night." Effy said sternly, a bit guilty for playing the authority card but knowing it was necessary.

"You can't be serious?!"

"If you're still here in ten minutes, I'm getting security." The blonde scoffed incredulously, feeling completely betrayed and simmered away toward her things, clearly fuming. She stood against the wall, lingering for eight minutes, the brunette counted, before shuffling out, pissed and unadmittedly knackered. Effy glanced at the time above the bar- 19:54.

Let's hope that buys her a few hours, the sole barkeeper thought, God knows she needs it.

…...

Effy was finishing pouring a round of rum for the usual plastered men by the game, when bright red hair she had seen a few times before waltzed in, the look on her face nothing short of beaming. She took quick steps to the other end of the bar, and sat herself down, smoothing out her skirt and running her hands through her hair. The barkeep smirked and almost felt bad for having sent her friend home, but ultimately, it was better this way. She continued to take orders and leave the girl be.

The only occupant that stayed on the far counter was the girl, eagerly waiting.

…...

When two hours had passed, and there was a considerable drag in orders around 22:00, the brunette's pity overran her. She walked over and the girls head shot up, eyes gleaming, until she saw Effy instead, slumping in her seat again.

"She was here you know," the barkeep stated simply. Emily perked up, curious. "I sent her home about mmmm...2 hours ago?"

"Why?" the girl blurted out. "She told me to come see her this week."

"Yes but do you know how long her week has been?" She didn't answer. "She's been on the clock for about two and a half weeks now, no breaks, no days off." Emily's eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly.

"Why's she been working so long? Don't you let her take time off? She shouldn't be allowed to do that-"

"Precisely why I sent her home. She took over another worker's shift for his entire week so she could be here."

"Why would she want to come back here on her time off?" Emily questioned, confused. Effy leaned on the counter smirking.

"You tell me. She's been waiting for something for the past few weeks and it seems pretty obvious what's been occupying her time, and apparently her mind."

"Why would I know? What's she waiting for?" Effy sighed, giving her a blatant up and down look, raising a brow. The smaller girl's eyes shot up. "Me?! No, no she wouldn't, she's much too good to waste her time like that. Besides she's not..." she faded off.

"Look," Effy interrupted, "I just didn't think you'd want to sit here til close, moping. I'm trying to help. The girl's as stubborn as a cow, so she'll most likely be back first thing tomorrow, come back then alright?" Emily took a deep breath and nodded, thanking her, before heading out. "Oh and Emily," she called out across the room as the tiny girl turned around, "Don't text her tonight. Let her sleep okay? Otherwise there was no fucking point in sending her home." The girl nodded and waved goodbye before leaving.

An enormous belch sent the men roaring at the table watching the game, before leading to then puking across their drinks.

The bartender cringed and sighed wearily. You fucking owe me, Effy thought as she grabbed gloves and towels.

…...

The sun poured in the room, leaving Naomi Campbell to stir in her sheets. With heavy limbs, she twisted and squinted tightly as the brightness hit her square in the eyes. She wasn't a morning person at all, but the often evasive sun was pleasant today and she decided to drag herself up enough to stretch, surprised to be confined by the wear of denim on her legs.

She thought back to her foggy night. Effy sent her home, she remembered that. She came back annoyed but as soon as she hit the heat of her apartment, a sleepy laziness washed over her. She barely trudged across the room and had just enough energy to open her door before she knocked the fuck out on top of her sheets still fully clothed. She never slept clothed so the blonde knew she must have been extremely tired. She felt a bit groggy, but got up anyway looking to make some hot tea—she had enough coffee to last her for a while. She checked her phone then, and grinned at seeing a new message just an hour old. She was also surprised to see it was already 10:15, but that wasn't a problem, she worked evenings.

"Hey you, good morning! Wanted to pop by tonight, you working? :) -Em x"

She bit back a rising smile and thumbed back an quick response.

"A very beautiful Bristol morning to you! Of course I will be, can't wait :) ~N x"

It was shaping up to be a very bright day indeed.

…...

After a day of lounging and going back to bed for a nap, Naomi finally got ready for her shift at 18:00, not even bothering for a jumper because it was such a lovely day. She arrived back at McClair's and promptly walked behind the bar seeing Effy. She expected the two of them to have a tense stand off but she surprised herself, the both of them really when she said a quiet 'thanks, it helped', and proceeded to get glasses and common orders out.

She didn't have to wait long because not an hour after things started to fill up, the front bell rang and in walked the tiny redhead looking slightly nervous but still excited nonetheless. Once she spotted the blonde at the counter, she beamed brightly and walked the rest of the way a lot more confidently to her favorite spot by the counter.

Naomi took her walk over to take in the girl for the day in a mid-thigh, loose white summer skirt and a dark red v-neck tshirt just barely darker than her hair and Naomi couldn't help but admit how beautiful she looked with the slight gape of her mouth, quickly adjusting into a smile when she came nearby. Her shoulder length, shiny, red hair bounced with each step and Naomi could feel her cheeks heating as they settled under the warn bar lights.

"Hi," the redhead grinned with a fully feline smile. Naomi had to pause before ansering.

"Hey yourself, it's great to see you," the blonde grinned.

"Its great to see you too. How are things? How are you?"

"I'm good, things are fine, what about you, how are things at home?"

"It's okay. What about you, how have you been feeling lately? The blonde became a bit suspect.

"I'm good like I said, why do you keep asking?" She asked suspiciously,

"Um...well... the girl stumbled through, clearly nervous, I may have popped in here last night?"

"You were here last night?" The blonde exclaimed, eyes widened, "Why didn't you tell me? I would h-"

"Your friend already told me what happened—Effy right? Naomi why would you do that to yourself? If she hadn't sent you home, you'd have worked yourself to the death. And for what? So a bunch of drunks could get pissed for a night and-"

"I know," the bartender interrupted, snagging one of the girls hands waving around in the air, clutching it, "I know okay? It was stupid and I know that." Emily had finally let her speak as she was too busy feeling how cool the girls' hands were around her own, soothing and smooth.

"You still didn't answer my question," the redhead said after finding her voice. Naomi twitched a brow while her eyes traveled over the girl in front of her, briefly noticing the skin above the red blouse and below her smooth white skirt. She wished she had more time to look, but quietly snapped back at realizing she was being spoken to. Her face started steaming with newfound heat.

"I—um...I...willlllll tell you before you leave! But I believe right now, you need a drink. It's the "Sorry-I-was-an-arse-and-went-awol" drink, on the house. Made masterfully by yours truly," she distracted with a proud, dramatic bow. Emily couldn't help but laugh and the seriousness was quickly forgotten as the older girl proceeded to mix together Long Island Iced Tea, adding extra blends of tequila and rum.

Four shots later and Emily's cheeks were as red as her hair as she giggled ridiculously and quite loud. Naomi didn't mind—not at all—and felt herself start to tinge pink when she finally had the time to give the redheads' outfit the proper look over it deserved. And it was doing things to the blonde, she had to admit. She was bordering on flustered so she poured a shot of her own and leveled out quickly as it kicked in. A smile settled on her.

Once the smaller girl his six shots, the blonde took the contents away from them both. Naomi could barely handle six, and with Emily nearly four inches shorter than her, it was safe to assume she was pleasantly plastered.

The Naomi's head was reeling. It might have been from the two shots of seriously hard liquor and the way her eyes kept dropping down to travel back up the young girls' frame, but if she had any brain function left to think about it, it would be because she had never ever seen Emily so outgoing and gone before. She was unprepared by how enticing it was. The calm and cool outer shell was cracking.

Emily, slightly rocking on her chair, leaned on her hand on the bar counter and traced over the rim glass, licking her lips before saying, "You know, my mum set me up on a double date last night when I got home—both Katie and I." The blonde's throat went dry and it wasn't from the alcohol. "We went to some midnight movie and I was left next to some guy named Brad, where we had to listen to two hours of my sister sucking face off his friend. Brad was rather cute, I think," Emily stated so simply, like she was remembering her dinner, that Naomi felt her stomach protesting and trying to make a swift exit.

She swallowed it down and blamed the alcohol, not daring to speak—instead humming a vague response. "He kept trying to hold my hand and stuff and I dunno, part of me couldn't do that, but part of me wanted to for some reason. I mean, he was really sweet and a gentleman and didn't push me or anything..."

The bartender was beginning to feel nauseous and ill and some tightness in her chest she couldn't quite place. Probably my fucking tequila, she thought, but either way it was getting frustrating hearing the redhead ramble on. "...but he wanted to take me out sometime. I was thinking 'What the fuck, why is he asking me, not Katie?' but I couldn't say that so I told him it wasn't a good idea."

Naomi loosened her grip on the glass.

"He asked if I was seeing anyone and I said it was complicated, which is right isn't it? What, with my ex, Lauren, and such, but he just wanted a drink so I said yes—I don't know why—and this was the first place I thought of," she pointed around the bar, "so I'll be here tomorrow just like planned, with you working, but not...here...you know, with...you."

The blonde couldn't speak, hell she was barely breathing, and she knew she was glaring daggers but it couldn't be helped. This poison oozing out of her skin wasn't the Long Island's work.

"You'll see it, he's actually quite likable and...kinda fit too," the redhead leaned in to whisper, and Naomi's jaw pulsed. Emily looked up at the time, scoffing, "Fuck, is it that late already? Ugh, dammit I've got to get going. I'm supposed-", she paused to hiccup, "-supposed to help mum with some gala shit in the morning and it's gonna take hours to sleep this shit you have me off." She stumbled off her stool, her hands flailing for balance. Emily mumbled a faint 'Bye Nomeyyyy,' not even looking back as she shuffled out completely pissed and headed home.

Naomi had not moved. She had a mix of fury, devastation, and the feeling of surrealness wafting around her bones. She quickly reached for the large remains of her mixed Long Island jug, downing nearly a tall glass worth in one go. She swallowed it down fiercely, going to wipe her mouth but ended up wiping her eyes instead. She looked down at the counter and saw Emily's own glass there, empty with a red half circle on the rim. Naomi thought of how it got there before she rushed to the loo and hurled up all her contents just outside the stall, dripping some on her jeans.

All she could think of was how much she wished she wore her apron.