Quatre's POV in this part.
Hungry Heart Part 4
"Quin!" Malia greeted me with a wave of her arm when I walked in the door of the bar. "Thank goodness, John got told you what happened?"
"He did- though he sounded really out of it- something about a bad wave?"
"He managed to break his leg," Malia snorted, tossing her sun-streaked hair over her shoulder. "So as you can imagine, he will not be bartending for us this evening."
"Just this evening?"
She snorted again. "That's what he says. He says the doc gave him a walking cast, says he'll be fine." She rolled her eyes. "So you don't mind standing duty do you?"
"Hardly," I assured her. "Anytime I can and I have a few days."
She grinned at me, ushering me behind the bar. "When are you going to get a real job?"
"Had one. Hated it."
"All of it?" Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Every minute. It was an office kind of job."
She lifted a skeptical eyebrow as she gave me the once over. "Really?" She shook her head. "I just can't see it." With a grin she tapped my chin. "That explains why you let some of that facial hair grow in."
"Just a little," I protested.
"Relax!" She waved her hand at me. "It looks good! Gives you an air of maturity."
I snorted at her and she grinned. "I know, I shouldn't complain. If you don't have a real job, then we get to call you in for emergencies." She laughed when I rolled my eyes at her. "You have to admit this is a great job. Easy hours, lots of people to flirt with..."
"Does your husband know you flirt with the customers?"
She huffed. "I meant you. You spend too much time alone Quin, we'll find you someone tonight."
I rolled my eyes at her. "Aren't we supposed to be working?"
She snorted. "You really need to drop the mainlander attitude- have fun!" She picked up her stack of receipts and headed toward the tiny kitchen. "Get comfortable- oh and we stocked up this morning, so we should be good for tonight."
I looked around the mostly deserted bar. I knew it wouldn't be that way in a few hours. Once the sun went down people would be out looking for a good time.
I picked up a towel and wiped off the counter. The bar wasn't trendy, but the alcohol was cheap and the food- cooked by Malia's husband- was good. They had a good crowd in here most nights so I knew I needed to be ready.
Sure enough a few hours later and the bar was crawling with people. Couples on their honeymoons, kids out to party, natives who stopped in for a drink and some conversation.
Malia moved among the tables with practiced ease, smiling, slapping wandering hands, setting down plates, delivering drinks and occasionally catching my eye to point out some good looking male or female. I had to admire her ability to multi-task.
It was near closing time when I noticed that one of the locals- Charlie- had finally given it up for the evening. I moved quickly down to his chair, knowing that money left on the bar had a way of vanishing sometimes.
I reached the seat and picked up the damp bills just as another customer sat down. "What can I get you?" I asked automatically, eyes on the counter, clearing the empties away.
"Beer," said a familiar voice and I looked up in surprise.
Green eyes peered at me from under a fall of dark hair and my heart skipped.
Trowa.
I clenched my hands together. I wanted to reach out and touch him... but... could I?
He gave me a faint smile. "Do you have beer? Or is it only those pink things?"
I blinked and then realized that those lovely eyes of his were looking at me without a trace of recognition.
He didn't know me.
I didn't know if I should be happy my disguise worked so well, or pissed off that it worked too well.
"We have beer," I told him with a smile. "What kind do you want?"
"The kind that will get me drunk the fastest." He slid a bill across the bar.
That wasn't like Trowa at all... at least not the Trowa I remembered.
What had happened to him?
I filled a glass and put it in front of him. "Just wave when you want the next one," I said and retreated to the other end of the bar.
How could he not know me? Granted, it had been three years or so since we'd actually seen each other, but... still... out of everyone I would've expected Trowa to recognize me...
And it was stupid to be upset that he didn't. I now had proof my disguise worked.
The question was... did I want to keep it up- or tell him that I was here?
Well, I knew which I wanted to do- but...
I filled orders and kept my eye on him. He was hunched over, sipping his glass slowly, seemingly paying no attention to the people around him.
Something had hurt him...
No one approached him, acted like they were with him... was he here by himself? Why? I turned the puzzle over and over in my head and tried to figure it out.
"I see you finally saw something you like?" Malia leaned over the bar and grinned at me.
I guessed my interest had been noted. "Obvious, huh?"
"He's gorgeous- I say you go for it."
"I want to- I'm just trying to figure out how..."
TBC...
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