Leah POV
Classes start in less than a week and I couldn't be more excited, for the first time in my life I feel like I'm doing what I need for me and not what someone else is telling me, growing up my parents worked a lot to be economically comfortable, and they are, both of them still work but only because not doing anything would drive them crazy. I've had my college fund since I was about 12, all I had to do was get good grades, and by good I mean excellent, Mom doesn't accept anything less than perfect, I have been an honor roll student my whole life because of her high expectations.
Don't get me wrong, my parents being economically comfortable never meant that i got everything i wanted with mommy and daddy's money, they have given me and my brothers everything we needed and nothing more, from a young age we learned that anything worth having we have to work for, I've had a job since I was 18, yes my parents paid for my school, but anything else I needed including school supplies I got with my own money, at home we had people that cooked and cleaned for us by cleaning I mean laundry and common areas because the cleaning of our rooms had to be done by us.
Now at 21 I moved to New York to continue my career at NYU, I took my first 2 years of university at CalArts back in California to learn as much as I could about art before presenting the admissions test for the Fine arts institute in New York, one of the hardest to get into and most expensive ones. When I decided to come to New York alone I made an agreement with my parents, they will pay for my apartment during the time I'm in school and 6 months after finishing, everything else I need I have to take care of. So in order to survive here I found a job as soon as I got settled into my apartment, it's not much but it helps me pay for my expenses which is just what I need. So Here i am a 21 year old bartender, and art major, I've never been so excited to start school before, maybe because it never was the school of my dreams but this one is.
Mom wasn't too thrilled about my career of choice, because according to her unless you're an art prodigy is hard to make a living off of it, so because of this she had one condition, I have to also get a business degree as a back up plan, in case art doesn't work for me and since they both are investors they would prefer if I followed that path too. Honestly whatever condition she had I was going to agree with, if it meant I could try for NYU. So here I am I've been in the big City for about 2 and a half months, I've worked mostly every night, the bar I'm working at has a nice atmosphere and it's close to home and school, I'm pretty sure once classes start we will see a lot more NYU students around.
I haven't made many friends since I got here, actually hardly any at all, I've been strictly working and getting ready for the upcoming year of school, and keeping in mind that my parents stayed in New York for the last 2 months, most of my free time I tried to spent with them, they just left today and I have a shift tonight, bartending, it's what I've done for a while, back in Cali since before I was 18 I was bartending at one of my parents friend's high end social club, I've never been a big drinker so it was no problem for me to work with alcoholic beverages before I was even able to legally drink, i like doing this, it gives you enough time during the day to do other things, plus the stories people tell you when they're drunk are honestly the best part of the job, drunk people do not have a sense of what is too much to tell and what isn't, so I've heard some really entertaining stories.
My day was fairly easy, the bar seems to be slow tonight but it is still early and it's the Friday before school starts, I'm cleaning the glasses when I notice someone just sat down at the end of the bar.
"Hello, what are you drinking?" I say approaching her, I didn't realize she was crying because she was looking down before but now that she's staring at me with those sad blue eyes and I regret being so unsensitive, "I'm sorry I.."
"Scotch please, the strongest one you have" she says before she continues looking down.
I pour her drink and when I approach her again I realize, she wasn't just looking down, she was staring at the ring in her left hand, it must be a wedding ring, not that I am trying to be up in her business but I can't help it, she's alone crying at a bar and I'm probably the only person she will talk to tonight so the least I can do is try to make her feel a little better or at least distract her from what got her so sad.
"This is one of our bests and my dads personal favorite so hopefully it helps" I say with a smile.
"If it will make me forget that my fiancée decided to cheat on me after 8 years, then I will personally write a letter to whoever makes it" she says before drinking it all in one go.
"Well if you're planning on drinking it like that maybe I should give you something softer" I try to make light of the situation, the last thing she must want to think about is how stupid her fiancée must be, she's absolutely stunning, her baby blue eyes match perfectly with her blonde wavy hair, something about her radiates sunshine even when she looks sad, I can't believe someone that had her could be so stupid to hurt her like that.
"actually, get me another one of those" she says and I do as I'm told, this time before giving it to her I add a extra big smile.
"I'm Leah by the way, I have to take care of other costumers but if you need anything just give me a wave" I say heading to the other end of the bar to serve some more drinks.
As the night is advancing the bar is getting a lot fuller, which is pretty normal for a Friday night, the girl with the pretty eyes that was crying earlier is no longer sitting at the bar, she got up not long ago and hasn't come back, the last glass I served her is still half full, I moved it behind the bar while she's gone, I wouldn't want anyone trying to spike it or something, that's the last thing she needs right now.
About half an hour later she comes back, now sitting on the opposite side of the bar since the spot she had before is now occupied, she waves at me and I head her way with the same glass she was drinking from before, except I changed the ice on it so it wouldn't be watered down, I usually throw them away but something told me she was coming back so I saved it for her.
"I changed the ice but its the same one you had before" I say before handing it back to her.
"Thank you so much, I had to take a call because if I didn't my phone was going to drive me crazy" she says with an apologetic look.
"The dumb one?" I say before thinking "I'm sorry I meant was that your fiancée?" now having a full conversation since everyone in the bar has a drink already.
"the dumb one?" she asks before continuing "Yes that was her, she has been calling me none stop since I found her cheating on me, and I've been trying to ignore her but she keeps doing it and i just had to tell her to stop" she says with a sad smile.
"I'm so sorry you had to see that, and why is she even calling? the least she could do is give you space" I say and I'm honestly a little mad, how is she going to cheat on her and then force her to talk to her like what? you messed up, your time to feel entitled is over.
"That's exactly what I said, she messes up our whole relationship and I'm the one to blame because I don't want to hear her out" she says with a frustrating voice, before downing the entirety of her drink again, "hit me again please" she says handing me her empty glass.
"well she is dumb and entailed if she thinks she is in any position to ask for anything right now" I say before heading to the costumer that has been waving his hand for a little bit, "sorry, I'll be back"
"you're working and I have nowhere else to be, so don't worry about it" she says as I hand her a new and full glass.
I'm about to take a break for 20 minutes just to go to the restroom and take a breather, the bar is definitely at its full capacity now. I'm in line to the restroom when i hear a familiar voice.
"Hello, this is not the bar" she says pointing out to the line I'm currently standing on.
"nope, its the restroom line, seems like the scotch's are doing a number on you" I say smiling, she's now standing next to me in line for the restroom too.
"I just want to forget about her, I loved her so much and now all I can think about is her, in between someone else's legs" she says resting her head in my shoulder, she's definitely drunk, "you know I was trying to surprise her, because we have both been working a lot and we hadn't been spending a lot of time together so I decided to make her dinner and set it up in her apartment before she got home from work..." she continues and I can tell she's hurt, she's now crying barely able to finish her story "well the surprise was already there for me, when I opened the door they were on the couch, she couldn't even made it to the bedroom and the worst part is that they were doing it and there was a picture of us in her living room, she couldn't had the decency of even taking the picture down" now she's full on crying and I don't think this is the place to be doing this so I take her hand and lead her outside.
"come on, I have about 15 minutes before I have to go back" I lead her through the crowd so we can go outside, there is a little sitting area we could finish this conversation on, "Sorry, i didn't think the restroom line was an appropriate place to continue the conversation, this is your private life and i wouldn't like anyone trying to listen" i explain with an apologetic smile, she's beautiful more than anyone i've ever seen but she's not in a good place right now and i don't want her to think i led her outside to try and have my way with her.
"Thank you" she says with a sad smile.
"Did you know her? the girl she was with" i ask trying to help her let it all out, sometimes talking about it helps.
"Yes, she has been our friend for about 2 years, we met her at an event we had to attend in downtown" she continues "I didn't see it, and I don't understand how, she was normal, nothing had changed between us to make her want to be with someone else" she continues and the tears start coming "8 years Leah we were together for 8 years and it didn't matter. All I can wonder now is how many times did she do it without me knowing, and where did I fail, when did I became not what she wanted" she says, I hate that's she's blaming herself so i have to say something about it.
"it wasn't your fault it might sound cliché but each one of us makes our own decisions simply because that's what we want to do, so don't ever think that you did something wrong to make her do that to you" I continue, I will not let her blame herself for this, because I've been in her place and it will only make things worst for her.
"i must have done something, you don't hurt the person you love just because, not like that" she continues crying.
"You're right you don't hurt the person you love, I'm so sorry you're going through this, i wish i could say something to make it all go away but it doesn't work like that, to move on from this you have to let it hurt" i say giving her a sad smile, my heart is breaking for her she truly seems like a good person and no one deserves to feel the way she's feeling right now.
"you talk like you know about this" she says giving me a sad smile back.
"I do, I've been in your position, we were only together for months but that was my first love, I was completely in love with her the day I walked in on her and my bestfriend making out" i give her hand a squeeze "i promise it gets better, it takes time but it gets better", she continues crying but doesn't take her hand away, instead she kisses me, I'm not trying to make a move on her i mean i would if the situation was different but right now I'm purely being a good person, so i pull away from the kiss.
"I'm sorry i..." she starts explaining but i cut her off.
"I'm flattered that you would want to kiss me, but right now you're feeling a lot and i wouldn't want you to regret it later" i say with an apologetic smile.
"Well tonight i don't feel like feeling anything at all, let's get back inside so you can make me another drink, yeah?" she says smiling, and wow, she has dimples and they make her look so pretty, it takes me a second to comprehend what she said, but before I know she's heading back inside and I'm just standing there still thinking about the kiss, i know it wasn't ideal but her lips were soft and i would be lying if i said i didn't want to kiss her back.
It's been a while since we got back inside and dimples girl wasn't joking when she said she didn't want to feel anything at all, she's drunk really drunk, I've tried to avoid giving her any more drinks but she's not stopping any time soon, not long ago she went to the restroom and i could tell by her walking how drunk she really is so since then I've been giving her a softer scotch, which she didn't even notice. I've been really busy so we haven't talked much but that's fine she hasn't moved from where she's sitting so I have been able to keep an eye on her even while I'm serving other costumers.
"Alright Leila, I'm getting out of your hair now, here" she says as she hands me back her empty glass, and i notice she pulls out keys from one of her jean pockets.
"You're not driving are you?" i ask with a shocking look.
"Well i have to get home right? don't worry I'm not far" she says and she tries to walk away, but I'm faster than her and sober so i grab her hand before she can continue walking.
"The bar is closing in 20 minutes, i can take you home, you really shouldn't drive like that" I say hoping she isn't one of those stubborn drinkers.
"Fine, but only because everything is moving while I'm standing here"
"then sit back down, i will come get you as soon as I'm done ok? here drink this" i say as I'm handing her a glass of mineral water with lime on it, not what she wants but i think she's one scotch away from passing out so she's done for tonight.
About 25 minutes later, I'm ready to go, dimples girl has been waiting for me like i told her, and when i get to where she was sitting to collect her she's half asleep, so i pretty much have to carry her to my car, not that it bothers me because it doesn't but i just hope this doesn't become a normal for her, trying to get over the pain. I got her in my car and we are ready to go, the only problem is that i have no idea where she lives and i don't want to check her wallet because is in the back pocket of her jeans and i don't want to make her feel uncomfortable so instead i do what i think its best and i take her to my apartment.
Finally home, i again pretty much carry her up the stairs to the main entrance and we are heading up to my place, she really has no intention of waking up at all, she's been talking a little bit but not making sense at all, i put her in my bed with a trash can next to her because she might feel sick later, I don't even know her name and she's sleeping in my bed, i can't wait to see her reaction tomorrow.
Instead of going to sleep next to her i decided to just stay in the living room. I don't want her waking up thinking she came home with me to do something else, not that i would had ever turned her down, but that's not what she needs right now, i turn my TV on just to have some sound, i never lived by myself before and adapting to the quiet has been a struggle so my TV is set to turn off by 4am in case i fall asleep.