Reminders of Him
By
Colleen Hoover
Chapter 2
Ledger. I'm pulling my truck into the alley behind the bar when I noticed the nail polish still on the fingernails of my right hand shit. I forgot I played dress-up with a four-year-old last night at least the purple matches, my work shirt. Roman is tossing bags of trash into the dumpster. When I exit the truck he sees the gift, sack in my hand and knows it's for him. So he reaches for it, let me guess coffee mug, he peeks inside, it's a coffee Mark, it always is, he doesn't say thank you. He never does, we don't acknowledge the sobriety these mug symbolize, but I buy him one. Every Friday, this is the 96th mug. I've bought him. I should probably stop because this apartment is full of coffee mugs. But I'm too far in to give up. Now he's almost a 100 weeks sober and I've been holding on to that 100th Milestone mug for a while now. It's a Denver Broncos mock his least favorite team. Roman gestures toward the back door of the bar. There's a couple inside harassing other customers. You might want to keep an eye on them. That's odd. We don't normally have to deal with unruly people this early in the evening. It isn't even 6:00 yet. Where are they sitting next to? The Jukebox is eyes fall to my hand? Nice nails, man. Right? I hold up my hand and wiggle my fingers. She did pretty good for a four-year-old. I opened the back door of the bar and I met with the grating sound of my favorite song being slaughtered by Ugly Kid, Joe through the loudspeakers. Surely not. I walk through the kitchen and into the bar and immediately spot them, they're hunched over the Jukebox. I quietly make my way over to them and see, she's punching in the same four numbers again. And again, I look over their shoulders at the screen. While they give a like mischievous children Cat's in the Cradle is set to play 36 times in a row. I clear my throat, you think this is funny. Forcing me to listen to the same song for the next six hours. My father spends around. When he hears my voice Ledger, he pulls me in for a hug. He smells like beer and motor oil and limes. Maybe are they drunk my mother backs away from the Jukebox? We were trying to fix it. We didn't do this. Sure you didn't, I pull her in for a hug they never announce. When they're going to show up, they just appear and stay a day or two or three and then head out in their RV. Again, they're showing up, drunk is new though. I glanced over my shoulder enrollment is behind the bar. Now, I point to my parents, did you do this to them? Or did they show up this way? Roman shrugs, A little of both. It's our anniversary. My mother says we're celebrating. I hope you guys didn't drive here. We didn't. My father says our cars with the RV in a shop, getting routine maintenance. So we took a lift. He Pat's my cheek wanted to see you, but we've been here two hours waiting for you to show up and now we're leaving because we're hungry. This is why you should warn me before you drop into town. I have a life. Did you remember? Our anniversary? My father asks Slipped my mind. Sorry told you he says to my mother pay up Robin, my mother reaches into her pocket and hands him a ten dollar bill they bet on almost everything my love life which holidays. I'll remember every football game I've ever played but I'm almost positive, they've just been passing the same ten dollar bill back and forth for several years. My father holds up. Empty Glass and shakes it, get us a refill bartender. I take his glass. How about an ice water? I leave them at the Jukebox and make my way behind the bar. I'm pouring two glasses of water. When a girl walks into the bar, looking somewhat lost, She glances around the room. Like she's never been here before. And then when she notices an empty corner at the opposite end of the bar, she makes a beeline for it. I stare at her the entire time, she's walking through the bar, I stare so hard. I accidentally over fill the glasses and water goes everywhere. I grab a towel and wipe up my mess. When I look at my mother. She's looking at the girl. Then at me, then at the girl shit. The last thing I need is for her to try to set me up with a customer. She tries to play matchmaker Plenty, when she's sober. So I can't imagine how bad the tendency might be after a few drinks. I need to get them out of here. I take the waters to them and then hand, my mother my credit card You guys should go down a jake steak house and have dinner on me walk there. So you can sober up on the way. You are so nice. She clutches at her chest dramatically and looks at my father. Benji, we did so well with him. Let's go celebrate. Our parenting with his credit card. We did do well with him. My father says in agreement, we should have more kids menopause honey. Remember when I hated you for an entire year, my mother grabs her purse and they take the glasses of water with them as they go. We should get ribeye since he's paying my father maters, as they walk away, I release a sigh of relief and then make my way back to the bar. The girl is talk quietly into the corner writing in a notebook. Roman isn't behind the bar right now so I'm assuming no one is taking her order yet. I gladly volunteer as tribute. What can I get you? I asked her water and a Diet Coke. Please, she doesn't look up at me. So I back away to fulfill her order. She still writing in her notebook. When I return with her drinks, I try to get a glimpse of what she's writing, but she closes her notebook and lifts her eyes. Thank she pauses in the middle of what I think is her attempt at saying, thank you. She monitors the word you and sticks. The straw in her mouth. She seems flustered. I want to ask her questions, like, what her name is, and where she's from, but I've learned over the years of owning this place that asking questions of lonely, people in a bar can quickly turn into conversations. I have to mow my way out of, but most of the people who come in here, don't capture my attention. Like she has a gesture toward her two drinks and say, are you waiting for someone else? She pulls both drinks closer. Nope, just thirsty. She breaks eye contact with me and leans back in her chair. Pulling her notebook with her and giving it all her attention. I can take a hint, I walked to the other end of the bar to give her privacy Roman returns from the kitchen and nudges his hand in her Direction. Who's she I don't know, but she isn't wearing a wedding ring so she's not your type. Very funny.