Page 14 of Better Together

The girl smacked her gum and listed the extensive beer choices. Alexis interrupted her when she mentioned Loon Lager.

“Tall or short?” the server asked.

“Tall, please.”

Mitch ordered a beer and picked up the menu. Without even asking her opinion, he ordered four different appetizers.

When the waitress left, he said, “I figured you’d like one of them.”

“You made great choices. I like them all.”

She wondered if he’d even heard her, because he stood, cursed, and screamed at the multiple televisions, dropping into negative points on her scale.

The waitress brought their beers, sloshing some on the table. Alexis reached for a napkin and wiped up the mess. Their server had moved to the next table before she could ask for a glass of water.

Mitch settled back into his seat. “I can’t believe they got to our quarterback.”

“Yeah. Somebody on our offense missed the assignment,” Alexis said. Her knowledge of football made him smile.

“So, you’re a football fan?”

“I like most sports. Football, baseball, women’s basket—”

“Oh, come on!” Mitch shot out of his seat again.

He sat back down and in one gulp, finished off half a beer and signaled for the waitress.

Alexis sipped her drink and glanced up at the television. There was a flag on the field. The network cut to a commercial break.

“Sorry, Alexis, I get a little carried away,” Mitch said.

“It’s fine. How long have you been on the fire department?”

“A few months only. I moved here from Rochester.”

She followed Mitch’s gaze to the television; the game had resumed with a replay. The opposing team kicked off and the Vikings fumbled the ball. She didn’t get a chance to ask Mitch why he’d moved to their town, and really, she didn’t care.

Mitch was on his feet again, screaming obscenities. He just missed the waitress with his flailing arm as she set down their food. At least their plates hadn’t landed on the floor, but Alexis’s shirt wasn’t so lucky. She pulled a buffalo wing off her sweater and placed it back on the plate.

Alexis downed her beer while Mitch remained standing. “I’m going to the restroom,” she said. “Be right back.”

“Sure. Sure.”

She grabbed her purse and looked around for the restrooms. Making her way through the crowd wasn’t easy, and her shoes were sticking to the floor, but when she made it to the hallway that housed the restrooms and the back exit, she breathed easier. The noise in the hallway wasn’t as harsh. She pushed the door open, went to the sink, and rinsed off her sweater the best she could. Even the speaker in the bathroom had the game on. At least it wasn’t blaring. She looked in the mirror, fluffed her hair, and applied more lip gloss. Maybe she could slip out the back? But how would she get home? Why hadn’t she insisted she meet him somewhere? Clearly, she was off her game and not remembering the rules for first dates. She sighed and opened the door.

“Alexis? What are you doing here?”

* * *

Zeke almost collided with Alexis as she exited the bathroom. His eyes roamed over her. Her sweater clung to her like a glove, and her boots—all kinds of sexy.

“I’m actually on a date,” she said. She shuffled her feet and looked over her shoulder. He couldn’t believe Mitch had brought her to a bar to watch the football game on their first date. Seeing Alexis looking toward the exit instead of the bar made him happy. Shutting Mitch down when he had asked him if he had any pointers had been his best decision ever.

Zeke pointed toward the bar. “The bar’s that way, or are you trying to escape?”

One corner of her mouth curved up. “Yes. I guess I am.”

Interesting. “Not going well?”