It wasn't hard for Molly to see what was going on. She glanced between her sister and the man at the front door, intrigue present in her features. Eventually, she watched the man walk towards the bar and take a seat, chatting with Johnny.
"...Who was that?" TJ asked, a smile on his face.
"...Hmm?" Kristina blinked before looking down at her little sister.
"That guy you were staring at, do you know him?" Molly questioned before gasping, "Do you like him?!"
"What? No! No. He's just an acquaintance."
"How do you know him?" TJ followed with.
"He works for my dad."
"In the coffee business or…?"
"Both."
"Oh God," Molly shook her head, "Mom would freak if you got with a mob guy."
"Lucky for her, I'm not. We've only really talked once. It wasn't anything special."
"Then why did you stare at him?"
"He came through the front door and I looked at him," Kristina sighed, "You're making this into a bigger deal than it is."
"I just want you to be happy and find someone," Molly pouted, grabbing her sister's hand, "Sam has Dante and I have TJ. You should have a nice guy or girl to go home to as well."
"And someday, I will," Kristina giggled, relaxing her posture, "but Dex won't be that person."
"So he has a name," Molly hummed, "And you swear you don't like him even a little bit?"
"...I'm going to get your drinks," Kristina made a face, which Molly mirrored back to her, before walking around the corner of the bar counter. She kept her head down, pouring the drinks and trying her best to avoid Dex's eyes on her (she knew he was staring) before she delivered the order.
"Kristina."
His voice caused her to look his way when she returned to the counter. She looked at him and gently sighed.
"Hey," she began, "I didn't know you were a trivia buff."
"Trivia-" Dex looked around the room, "I mean, I can be. It depends on the topic."
"Tonight's topic is the local hospital. Know anything about it?"
"Well…no."
"Then it'll be a quick night for you."
"I can observe," Dex put his hands up, a smile spreading across his face, "Maybe I'll learn a thing or two."
"Maybe," she tried to suppress a smile.
"You okay? You seem a little stiff."
"My parents."
"What happened?"
"Just…them thinking they can police my life," Kristina sighed, "You'd think that, since I'm in my late twenties, they'd finally back off and trust me to make my own decisions."
"I think they're just worried about you. It shows that they care."
"You and everyone else think that."
"I wish my parents were like that."
"You wanted your parents to obsess over every little thing you do?"
"Well, no, but I wanted to know that they cared. As annoying as it is that your parents get paranoid, to me it shows that they care."
"Your parents didn't care about you?" Kristina frowned.
Dex blinked a few times, processing exactly what he said, "...You know what, this is not the time or place. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. I'm sorry-"
"No, wait," Kristina laid a hand on his knuckles, "it's okay."
"You have a trivia night to work. I don't want to drag down the mood. I'll just go-"
"Stay."
Dex froze, taking in the determination on Kristina's face. He felt his heart soften under her gaze, subconsciously running his thumb across the side of her own.
"You sure?" Dex asked softly.
"Yeah."
"...Then okay," Dex pulled away, drumming the wood, "I'll have a Manhattan."
"Good choice," Kristina replied, grabbing a glass, "and in return, you can tell me more about your family."
"I don't think-"
"It's only fair," Kristina passed the glass to him, "You work for my family; it's only right that I find out about yours."
"...You're sure you want to know?"
"I'm all ears."
"...Okay," Dex took a sip, "As you know, my parents didn't really care for me all that much, not in the way yours do."
"How come?"
"I wish I knew the answer. I've thought about all the reasons: not wanting a third kid, upholding stupid 'traditional values,' wanting to 'toughen me up.' But I'll never really know."
"You can't just ask?"
"I haven't spoken to them in years."
"Oh, wow," Kristina raised her eyebrows, "What led you into cutting them out?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Dex winked, finishing the last of the drink, "But thanks for listening. I'll take the check now."
Kristina squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose in response, smiling as she handed him his check. She avoided Molly and TJ's playful faces as he signed it.
It took everything in her not to smile wider at what existed on the bottom of the paper: Dex - (323) 555-0807
"Thanks," Kristina said, "and be sure to wait a bit before you get back on the road."
"No need: I took a rideshare here. I don't drink and drive."
"Polite and responsible?"
"I know, I'm a catch," Dex got to his feet, "I hope you have fun tonight."
"I'll do my best," she giggled before watching him leave. She could see Michael glare for a brief second, her grip tightening on the receipt impulsively. She slowly made her way around the counter, approaching her brother in measured steps.
"Krissy!"
She froze mid-walk, swiftly turning around to see Molly and TJ's eyes on her. She gently rubbed the receipt between her fingers and thumb.
"Feel free to tell me again that you don't like Dex," Molly chided.
"Not in the way you're implying."
"You lit up talking to him."
"He's easy to talk to."
"Your eyes sparkled."
"They always do that."
"Why are you in denial like this?"
"Okay, Molly," TJ held a hand out, "Leave Kristina alone. If she doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't have to."
"Thank you, TJ," Kristina nodded, taking a quick look at Michael, who was presently engaged in a cheerful conversation with his girlfriend.
"You could have what Michael has, you know," Molly spoke up.
"Maybe one day…" Kristina sighed, muttering under her breath. She turned back towards her sister before walking back behind the bar counter. After serving a few orders, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the receipt.
To: Dex (7:12 PM)
Testing testing 1 2 3
This is Kristina
From: Dex (7:14 PM)
Roger that!
Has trivia started yet?
The sound of a finger tapping the mic caught her attention.
To: Dex (7:15 PM)
It's just about to start now
From: Dex (7:17 PM)
I want the play-by-play.
To: Dex (7:19 PM)
You're ridiculous lol
Why didn't you just stay?
From: Dex (7:22 PM)
I just wanted something to drink.
And I wasn't really there to see the trivia anyway.
Kristina felt her cheeks flush. The event on the floor faded away as white noise.
To: Dex (7:24 PM)
What were you there to see?
From: Dex (7:28 PM)
Me to know, you to find out ;)
She did all she could to suppress a smile. She rubbed her thumb against the side of her phone case, Molly's cheers existing in her peripheral vision. She glanced between her sister's whiteboard answer and the question on the tiny television screen.
To: Dex (7:31 PM)
My sister just won big
Question was: This doctor's exhaustive notes were the catalyst for a cure against an intense outbreak of Lassa Fever.
Answer was: Dr. Steve Hardy.
From: Dex (7:33 PM)
That's incredible! I could only dream of being that adept and heroic.
To: Dex (7:34 PM)
Don't we all?
From: Dex (7:36 PM)
Who's your sister?
Was she at the table you were serving when I walked in?
To: Dex (7:36 PM)
Yes. She's here with her domestic partner.
From: Dex (7:36 PM)
You mean husband.
To: Dex (7:37 PM)
Nope
Domestic partner
From: Dex (7:38 PM)
What even is that?
Like more power to them, but that just sounds bizarre.
To: Dex (7:39 PM)
Eh they're in love
Plus Molly's always been a bit unconventional
It's weird but endearing
Time ticked by the longer the night went on. Kristina's attention was caught between a mix of different things: her phone, her sister's competitive cheers, her brother's dramatic production of defeat, and the customers asking for another round of alcohol. The event was slated to end at 9 PM, and as the competition winded down, she couldn't help but find a hint of amusement in the blossoming rivalry between Molly and Willow.
To: Dex (8:37 PM)
I think we got a rivalry brewing haha
Molly and Willow are shooting daggers at one another, it's intense
No response.
To: Dex (8:43 PM)
Dex?
You OK?
From: Dex (8:45 PM)
Yes! Sorry! I crashed.
To: Dex (8:48 PM)
You crashed?! The rideshare driver let you behind the wheel?! I thought you said you don't drink and drive!
From: Dex (8:50 PM)
No no, I fell asleep.
I got home in one piece lol
To: Dex (8:50 PM)
Oh good lol
That's a relief
From: Dex (8:51 PM)
What's this about a rivalry?
To: Dex (8:52 PM)
Molly and my brother's girlfriend, Willow, are tied for 1st
From: Dex (8:53 PM)
Who do you want to win?
To: Dex (8:54 PM)
I mean I love Willow
But Molly's my sister
From: Dex (8:55 PM)
Team Molly!
"What a dork," Kristina giggled as she caught Molly jumping out of her seat. She grinned as she watched her sister and TJ hug one another in triumph. People then began to filter out of the bar, leaving a plethora of unfinished meals and dirty glasses behind.
"Looks like we got our work cut out for us…" Johnny sighed as he walked past Kristina. She watched him get to work at the table to her right before scanning the rest of the room, feeling a bit of relief as she watched Molly, Michael, TJ, and Willow help out. Minutes felt like hours before Charlie's was spotless and the couples took their leave. Johnny nodded at Kristina before grabbing his coat and clocking out.
She took another look at her phone: no new messages.
To: Dex (9:28 PM)
Molly won
From: Dex (9:29 PM)
Hell yes! Pun not intended.
To: Dex (9:29 PM)
Lol sure
Kristina grabbed her purse and coat from the back, shutting down the business for the night. She locked each and every door from the outside there was, keeping an eye out as she walked to her car. Her phone buzzed just as she locked herself inside and turned her key in the ignition.
From: Dex (9:35 PM)
Get home safe.
She felt her cheeks flush again, her heart ever-so-slightly skipping a beat. She stared at the phone screen for a moment, sitting still in the driver's seat. She pressed her thumbs against the screen and replied back, setting her phone down and gripping the steering wheel. She stayed in place for another moment before finally backing out of the parking spot and driving off into the night.
To: Dex (9:37 PM)
I will.
