Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Thoughtful Misconceptions ❯ Bar Stool Confessions ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

Marcus followed Erin into the bar while chatting on the phone with Sabrina. Erin tried to refrain from rolling her eyes at her friend. He was trying to convince Sabrina to come out. She was sure this was normal behavior and maybe if she wasn't feeling so weird about Ian, she would be the one inviting someone out.

"All right, I'll see you soon." Marcus said finally, hanging up the phone. "Ok, Sabrina is coming out a little later. She's got homework she's dealing with for now."

"Oh, giddy." Erin said dryly.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "See there's that charm that everyone loves."

Erin stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm getting a beer."

"Get me one too." Marcus called after her as he joined other people from their rehearsal. She considered getting him the lightest, fruitiest beer she could to make fun of him but with her luck, she'd be in a group of people who wouldn't think that was weird.

She ordered two dark beers being in a mood for beer over wine and surveyed the bar while she waited for the bartender to get back. It was a quiet night being a weekday. She figured most people from rehearsal wouldn't stay too late. Even when she worked a day shift, she didn't go in to open the restaurant until after 10. She was probably going to be the night owl of the group.

She saw Aidan come in the front door. He smiled casually at the girl he walked in with, chatting like they were old friends. She laughed and pushed him playfully. It was Kaylee, her rival in the play. She acted like she knew Aidan but Erin wasn't sure. She hadn't seen them talking before. Aidan took her jacket and hung it up for her near the entrance. Erin frowned to herself. She hadn't even noticed that. Her coat was currently draped over her arm and she waiting to throw it over whatever seat she ended up claiming.

Kaylee headed toward the bar, her smile growing as she neared where Erin sat. "Hi!." She said cheerfully, "It's Erin, right?"

Erin forced a smile back. "It is."

Kaylee smiled broadly, "I'm so glad we are doing this tonight." She caught a different bartender's eyes and quickly ordered a cosmo.

Erin resigned herself to being friendly. The girl was nice enough. It wasn't Kaylee's fault that her being friendly with Aidan somehow rubbed Erin the wrong way. "What do you mean?"

The bartender returned with Erin's drinks but Erin paused to allow the conversation to continue. "I mean, it's so nice people are already going out together to get to know each other." Her cosmo was set in front of her and she handed them her card. "We'll be so much more in sync."

Erin shrugged. "Or because people have gotten to know each other, there will be drama and people will fight and it will show up in their acting."

Kaylee laughed thinking Erin was joking. "We're all adults. I doubt that."

Erin didn't argue. "Shall we?" She asked holding her beer and Marcus'.

"Oh, yes." Kaylee said, bouncing up from her chair.

Erin let her get ahead and met up with Marcus who was in conversation with other cast members. She handed him his beer and sat back, content to just listen to their conversation for now. Kaylee was very sweet but she was probably wrong about them all being adults. No one is more dramatic than a group of theatre people. Even those who weren't necessarily dramatic by themselves, there was something about being together that turned most plays into a high school drama. She tried to stay out of it but she still often found herself in the midst of it.

She sipped her beer not adding to the conversation. Marcus was both cute and charming with dark hair, dark eyes, and handsome olive skin. People gravitated toward him. All the time he spent being the outcast in school made him compassionate as well. He fit in well anywhere. She didn't have that same talent. It wasn't that she couldn't be friendly, she just never really tried. She always had Ian, she never needed anyone else.

From across the room, she could see Aidan sitting at the bar alone with what looked like whiskey in front of him. He had been so animate with Kaylee just a little while ago but now he looked like someone who wanted to be left alone. It surprised her. Erin thought Aidan would be similar to Marcus. The center of attention and glad of it but he sat alone looking thoughtful. She considered talking to him but she only had half a beer in her and not nearly as much courage. He made her nervous.

She slugged down the rest of her beer and rose to get another one. Kaylee caught her at the bar, looking a little red in the face and talking much louder. She hollered at the bartender, "Another cosmo, please!"

Erin laughed at her and ordered a second beer. "Having fun, Kaylee?"

Kaylee giggled. "I am." She looked over at Aidan and grinned conspiratorially. "Everyone seems to be having fun but Aidan. He's sitting over there all by himself."

She shouldn't have been surprised that other women in the cast noticed Aidan. Marcus was cute and charming, sure, but Aidan was almost beautiful without being feminine. You could approach Marcus. Aidan, especially with stoic expressions and impressive height, seemed unreachable. "Why don't you go say hi and bring him out of his little corner?" Erin asked, not really wanting her to. "You guys were so friendly when you first walked in."

Kaylee shrugged, taking a gulp of her cosmo. "He was but now he seems so morose. Like how I'd imagine a tortured author looking after dealing with writer's block."

Erin genuinely laughed. "I see the comparison."

Kaylee looked embarrassed. "He's very cute." She said softly.

"He is."

"Does he strike as the kind of guy who would like it if a girl asked him out?" She asked hopefully.

Erin cringed inwardly. Kaylee was very sweet but she was also pretty and vivacious. Erin had seen her flitting around the pub, chatting with everyone and everyone chatted back. Even Erin liked her, small jealousy aside. She knew that she would never even consider trying to date Aidan but it would be so much easier if the girl who did was ugly, or at the very least shallow. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you. Maybe." She answered, unwilling to commit to an answer.

"He intimidates me a bit."

Erin patted her hand, "I get that."

Grinning sheepishly, Kaylee wandered away, joining a group closer to Aidan. Probably in hopes that if he did get up and join people, he would join the closest group.

Erin took another drink realizing that she had already finished another beer. Kaylee's conversation had agitated her more than she realized. She raised her hand to order another beer but ordered a whiskey on the rocks instead. She could condescend to Kaylee for hovering around Aidan in hopes he would notice her. Erin took almost as pathetic a route and drank what looked like was his drink instead. At least she genuinely like whiskey.

She got her drink and headed to their patio for a cigarette. She knew she walked by Aidan but she didn't look at him as she passed.

Sitting on the picnic table outside, she put her face in her hands feeling stupid. Three days ago she was crushed because Ian didn't want to be with her after sleeping with her and yet, here she was competing with the pretty girl for the pretty boy's affection.

"Ugh." She groaned out loud. "What is wrong with you?" She asked herself as she lit a cigarette.

"Could be any number of things."

Erin jumped, not realizing anyone followed her outside. "Rhetorical questions." She stated after taking a long drag. "Do you smoke?"

Aidan shook his head. "Nope."

"Then why come out here? It's not exactly warm." She zipped up her sweatshirt for emphasis. It was a normal fall night, brisk but comfortable.

"You looked lonely." Aidan said, sitting on the picnic table across from her.

"Says the guy who has sat alone at the bar since we got here."

He shrugged. "I wasn't in the mood to make small talk." He sipped his drink. "You were just as reclusive. You just did it with people around you."

Erin smiled mockingly. "Oh, are you one of those?"

"One of those what?" He asked, looking genuinely confused.

"One of those guys that likes the girl with low self esteem. She keeps to herself and is shy but is desperate for attention." Erin said, sneering.

Aidan smiled unabashedly. "Are you one of those girls with low self esteem?"

Erin took a large sip of her whiskey. "Not usually."

"Honest enough of an answer."

Erin raised her glass to him sarcastically.

He smiled and left the patio. Erin watched surprised as he walked away. "What a freaking weird-o." She said out loud, this time knowing she had the patio to herself. She decided to smoke one more cigarette before joining everyone else inside. She did keep to herself but you didn't need to be a super sleuth to figure that out. Although she wasn't one who thought she was the most beautiful woman in the room, she felt good enough about herself to not just throw herself at every boy who gave her the time of day. If Aidan was looking for easy prey, he could find plenty of girls that would fawn all over him. His ego annoyed her to no end.

She rose to rejoin the masses when Aidan walked back out of the bar. He held another drink out to her. "Peace offering." He sat across from her again without an invitation. She sat back down.

"So why did you come out with a bunch of people to just be by yourself at the bar?" She asked him. She took a sip of the drink he bought her. It was a bourbon and pretty good.

"I always like the idea of socializing." He answered, swirling the ice in his drink. "Then when I actually do it, I remember how much I don't like people."

Erin laughed softly. "I know the feeling."

"So how about you? You came out to hang out by yourself? You even brought your friend."

Erin studied him for a minute. She was feeling sort of drunk, loose lipped but she wasn't used to drinking liquor. She didn't do it often. "I just feel..." She paused trying to find the right words. "I just feel disconnected."

"Why's that?" Aidan asked curiously.

There were a lot of reasons why she felt disconnected. Many of which were not for a stranger to hear. "I don't know exactly." She sipped her drink thoughtfully. "I had a weird weekend."

"Weird how?"

She furrowed her brow at him. "Why so interested?"

"Just making conversation."

"Hm." She answered distrustfully. "Kind of personal." She finished her drink and stood up. Aidan was so back and forth. It was confusing and she was too intoxicated to try and figure him out. "You should talk to Kaylee. She seems to want to get personal with you."

"Does she?" He asked, chuckling softly.

Erin rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, does she seem more interesting now?"

"Mildly."

"I'm going to go back in. Marcus is probably looking for me." She turned away from to reenter the bar.

"A girl showed up when I went back in for drinks." He paused. "Seems like they are dating."

Erin sighed. "Just started so they are still in the honeymoon phase." She swished the ice around in her drink. "I'm happy for me them but they make me want to gag." She admitted losing her motivation to find Marcus.

Aidan laughed. "So pessimistic."

She grinned at his laughter. "Occasionally."

"Stay outside with me." He said suddenly. He hadn't moved from his spot on the picnic bench.

She shook her head. "You seem like trouble."

Aidan looked surprised. "Trouble?" He smiled. "Like bad boy trouble?"

"Ha!" Erin exclaimed, shaking her head at him. "You're way too much of a pretty boy to be a bad boy."

"You think so?"

Erin rolled her eyes again. She finished the rest of the bourbon that Aidan brought her. "No, you seem like trouble for me."

"Part of your appeal is your eloquent and clear speech." Aidan said dryly.

"Bite me."

"Yeah, just like that."

Erin was silent, thinking about what she was going to say next. "It's hard to explain." She stood up, "I'll stay out here with you but I need another drink."

Aidan nodded and she slipped inside and took a deep breath. She could see Marcus and Sabrina across the bar, chatting with other people from the play. The crowd had gotten smaller as the night got later but Erin lacked any interest in joining in. She ordered another drink switching to beer. Another whiskey or two and Marcus was going to have to carry her home. It was clear to her that Aidan found some interest in her. How much she wanted to respond to it was another thing. He was cute and took her sarcasm with surprising good nature. He seemed intelligent but also a little full of himself. He dressed like he had money and seemed surprised she was just a waitress which was a good sign that he had a good job.

She admonished herself inwardly. Here she was saying 'just' a waitress herself. Like it made her less than because she didn't have some degree. There was her problem with Aidan. He was a guy who would make her feel that way. She was not 'just' a waitress. She was a hard worker, someone who enjoyed reading and writing, and acting, and she made enough money to get by and that was all she needed.

She went back outside almost expecting Aidan to have gotten bored and gone back in. He hadn't. He was sitting on the picnic table, still sipping his drink. She sat at the table across from him and frowned. "You're trouble for me."

Aidan raised his eyebrows waiting for an explanation but didn't say anything.

"I've seen your type before. You're cute, smart, talented, and had it all handed to you." She lit a cigarette, pausing. Aidan stared at her, waiting for her to continue, his face inscrutable. "I bet you have a really good job and went to a nice school and think that somehow makes you better than other people. You'll hang out with me and start getting me to think that my life is not good enough, that I need to be doing things to make it different. That if I'm content where I am, it somehow makes me less. I like being a waitress. I like having a roommate. I like going to community college."

"And you're getting this analysis from me because I... what? Because I acted surprised when you told me you were a waitress?" He asked quietly.

"Not all of it but some of it. Sure. I've gotten that reaction before. 'Oh, you're so smart, how come you're just a waitress?' they ask."

Aidan laughed harshly, getting up and heading to the door. "You know for someone who decided that I think I'm better than everyone else, you sure are a judgmental bitch."

He went back into the bar before Erin could respond. She stared at the door in surprise. Not surprise for what he said. She was being a bitch. She had to chase him away before she decided that she wanted to give him a chance. He was too different for her, too good. Her surprise came from the fact that his comment hurt her feelings and she found herself caring what he thought more than she wanted to.