Fighting Chance

Olivia

I know that everyone around me is wondering what the hell I’m doing sitting all alone in this dingy old bar, sipping my fourth glass of whiskey while wearing a three thousand dollar wedding dress. Well, it’s a funny story. Not like ‘funny, haha’, but more along the lines of tragically comedic. Hell, as of two hours ago, my life became an overplayed romance novel cliché! Today was my wedding day, I know, really shocker there. I spent my morning being primped and pampered until I looked like the luxurious, blushing bride on a magazine cover then walked down the aisle toward my happily ever after and that’s when all hell broke loose.

“Wait!” Yeah, that would be my maid of honor, a.k.a. my sister, you know, in case that helps you hate her a little more.

“Anna? What are you doing?” Had I known what was about to come out of her filthy mouth, I might've found something better to say…I’m not sure what, but anything would’ve been better in the end.

“You can’t marry her, Ethan. I…I’m pregnant…” So, you want to take one guess who the baby daddy is? If you said the lying, cheating, pathetic piece of shit standing in front of me wearing a tux, you’d be right!

“Anna? Are you…you’re really pregnant?” See, this is where I should've thrown my lady like demeanor out the window and let some fists fly, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and I really would’ve hated to get blood on my dress.

“I am.” Two simple words from a woman who’s NOT his wife-to-be has that prick’s face lighting up like the fourth of July. I really need a drink…

So, that’s how I ended up here, here being the bar across the street from my apartment building, drowning my sorrows in a bottle of top shelf whiskey that’s being paid for by my now ex-husband-to-be’s credit card. Is this an immature way of handling this mess? Probably. Do I care in the slightest? Nope! Don’t judge my petty ass!

The poor bartender’s been walking on eggshells every time he approaches me and I honestly don’t recall him saying even one word to me since I arrived. I walked in, plopped my ass on this bar stool, ordered a whiskey and a few seconds later, it was sitting in front of me. He’s attentive though, I’ll give him that, never letting my glass run empty.

“I’ve seen a lot of people drowning their sorrows at the bar in my time here, but a bride? Well, that’s a new one.” I look up at the…wait…this face is new. The bartender working when I arrived was a lanky guy with shaggy blonde hair, but this guy…my eyes scan his tall, very muscular body from his hips to the thick head of tousled black hair on top of his head. His eyes are a deep green and he has a light stubble on his squared jaw with full lips that are curved into a grin…a grin because he caught me staring…great. Can this day get any worse?!

“Happy to check that box for you then. While you’re over here, can I get another?” I hold up my nearly empty glass that he, thankfully, refills.

“I bet there’s a good story behind that.” He gestures casually to my far from casual white dress.

“That’s a sucker bet. I bet you can’t guess what that story is.” He leans back against the bar, that grin never leaving his face.

“Groom cheated with the bridesmaid?” Wow, I really am a damn cliché if he guessed that close so damn easily!

“Close, but it’s worse. The ex-groom-to-be impregnated the maid of honor…who also happens to be my sister...who decided to announce her pregnancy right when I reached the altar.” He winces while he sucks in a sharp breath through his perfect white teeth.

“That’s fucked up.” I tilt my glass to him in silent cheers then down the whole thing in one go.

“That it is. Well, I guess it’s time to face the music.” I slide off the barstool and watch as he closes out my tab then slides me the receipt for a signature. Seeing the total of $47.50, I get a wide smile as I fill in a $200 tip on top of it then sign off and slide it back.

“Whoa, that’s a little too generous.” I give him a mischievous smirk, or what I hope comes across as one, but with how much whiskey I’ve consumed, who the hell knows what my damn face is doing right now.

“It would be if that wasn’t the asshole’s card. Take the damn tip. It’s less than a therapy session would’ve cost me.” I turn and make my way to the door when a hand on my shoulder stops me.

“You forgot the card and…let me call you a cab.” I smile at his concerned tone then reach up and pat the hand on my shoulder.

“Thanks and there’s no need. I chose this place because I live in that building across the street there.” I take the card from him then make my exit, not a grand exit, but more of a walk of shame…so…damn…cliché.

A month later…

My life, as it turns out, is most certainly not like a romance novel. Sure, it’s pretty cliché, but I’d lean more towards it being like a Greek tragedy. Not only did I find out that Ethan was screwing around with my sister and got her pregnant, a fact she chose to announce at the damn altar, but my mother just left me a voicemail to let me know they’re getting married and she even had the nerve to ask if I would help her plan the wedding!

So, yeah, you can say the last month hasn’t been so great. Oh! Did I fail to mention that the drool worthy bartender I met during my pity party is my neighbor? Not just any neighbor, but the guy lives right across the hall from me! I’ve managed to avoid him seeing me, but I may or may not have seen him through my peephole on a few occasions…or maybe a few too many, but who the hell’s counting, right?

“Okay, Liv, time to do this shit. You’ve been a moping mess for long enough and now we’re done. Screw Ethan!” I roll my eyes at my best friend, June, and flop back on the couch.

“In case you hadn’t heard, Anna was doing plenty of that already.” You know how good friends will support you and help you through the hard times by being loving, kind and sympathetic to your suffering? Well, June supports me by laughing her ass off at my misery.

“Okay, that was good, but now it’s time to get the hell up. We’re going to go have a drink and act like normal twenty-three year olds for a night.” Ugh, sometimes I really regret giving this bitch a key. Be that as it may, I still get up and head to my room to change…but just to be clear, I’m not happy about that shit. Even with my lack of enthusiasm for this plan of hers, I’m ready in only fifteen minutes and we’re out the door in another five.

You know those moments where you wish the ground would open up and swallow you to save you from yourself? Yeah, that’s the very moment I step out of my apartment and June bumps into me, sending me stumbling forward…right into, you guessed it, the hot bartender.

“Damn, Chance, you literally have girls tripping over themselves to get a piece of you!” I have no doubt that my face is as red as June’s obscenely short skirt as I quickly straighten myself and pray he’s not giving me that…oh, there it is…the fucking grin. To make this situation even better, there’s another guy with him who’s smiling like an idiot…a cute idiot, but an idiot no less. Nothing better than having multiple people witness my embarrassment. It’s okay, it’s fine…nothing a dozen or so shots won’t fix.

“Sorry, my friend was raised by wolves and has no manners. June can’t help but be a pushy bitch.” I shoot her a stern glare, but, unsurprisingly, she’s too focused on my neighbor’s friend to notice.

“It’s not a problem, really.” I force a smile for him, but it feels awkward, I feel awkward. Apparently, spending a month avoiding human interaction has greatly affected my ability to act like a normal human being.

“Well, not that this hasn’t been thoroughly embarrassing, because it really has, but my unruly friend promised me enough liquor to numb my humiliation for a night and it looks like we now need to double down.” June, finally out of her trance, wraps an arm around me and nods her confirmation of this absurd plan.

“If you guys find yourself across the street, you’ll have to let me buy you both a drink.” I feel relief knowing that June had said we’d be going to our favorite bar downtown tonight, but then…

“How crazy is that?! We were just heading over there now!” As bold as she is, she links her arm with the hot bartender, Chance’s, friend and practically drags him toward the elevator, leaving me with Chance…alone. It’s this very moment where I realize that June is the worst best friend ever.

“So, I haven’t seen you for a while. How are things?” Yeah, I know he means my failed wedding and binge drinking at the bar in a wedding dress.

“Well, the ex is marrying the sister, my mom had the nerve to ask me to help with the wedding plans and I spilled wine on that three thousand dollar wedding dress, but otherwise I’ve been…good, I guess? How about you? Any entertaining stories from your drunk patrons?” He’s staring at me in disbelief as we head to the elevator, the one both of our friends took down without waiting on us…June’s plan no doubt.

“Wait, hold the hell on! Your mom asked you to help plan your sister’s wedding to the man you were engaged to that cheated on you with and knocked up your sister?” Yep, still sounds like a shitty Greek tragedy to me.

“Yeah, that about sums it up.” We reach the elevator and he presses the call button while shaking his head.

“No offense, but is your mom fucking nuts?” I give him a sad smile and shrug my shoulders. I mean, it is a valid question.

“Probably. I guess this is the price I get to pay for never meeting her high standards…but precious, perfect Anna can do no wrong, even when she’s screwing her sister’s fiancé and getting knocked up by the prick.” So, I might still be a little upset…just a little…hardly noticeable really.

“That’s bullshit. I mean…no, that’s just fucking bullshit. Look, if your family thinks that shit is in anyway okay and that you should just be happy for them, screw them. They don’t have to hate her for her choices, but they sure the hell shouldn’t encourage and enable her through her mistakes. How old is she anyway?” I feel my cheeks flush and I assume it’s because, aside from June, no one’s ever stood up for me before. Yes, I’m fully aware of how pathetic I am, thank you very much!

“She’s nineteen and Ethan's twenty-five.” He shakes his head again and he looks disgusted by the whole thing.

“Alright, so here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go over to the bar, take a few shots and we’re going to forget those assholes even exist, even if only for one night.” The doors open and he places his hand on the small of my back to guide me inside the small metal box.

True to his word, Chance keeps me company the whole night, while June hangs all over his friend, Mick, and he has me talking and laughing without bringing up my bastard ex or screwed up family even once.