Scraps - First Encounters

Evie knew it wouldn’t last. She deluded herself in thinking that Oliver would end up being the one for her, even if she knew deep in her heart of hearts that nothing lasts. That’s the whole point of the game of life, right? Make it count while it’s there but knowing that all good things fade away eventually.

“Another?” the bartender asked with a nod towards Evie’s empty shot glass.

“Yeah,” she muttered. “Make it a double.”

“You got it.”

Evie sighed and turned in her seat to look around the bar. Harvey’s wasn’t as crowded and excitable as it usually was tonight. It was slow and quiet, not unlike Evie’s current mood.

It was a bit of a curiosity that she was even at Harvey's in the first place. This was Rawly’s hangout, not Evie’s. She was usually out at Mulligan’s or some other drinking hole with a younger crowd, such as the Blind Beef.

        That’s an innuendo if I've ever heard one, Evie mused darkly. It was especially hilarious when she thought about how many hookups with blind beef she had after a night at that bar. It was enough to get her to shake her head before a tinge of pink colored her cheeks in a brief flash of shame. That emotion disappeared the moment the fresh shot was placed in front of her, however.

Evie eyed the glass for a second before reaching out and simply holding it between her fingers. She thought again about Oliver. Over a year down the drain and for what? What did she have to show from that time except the biggest scar on her heart?

“Fuck him,” Evie spat and drained the shot before slamming it back against the counter.

“I pity the guy who pissed you off,” a smooth voice spoke to Evie’s right.

She threw a sour look at this new arrival that dried up almost instantly. The stranger was tall and handsome. His olive skin blended well against the dark suit he wore, as did the blinding smile he bore for Evie.

“Ex-boyfriend?” the man guessed astutely.

Evie grunted. “What gave it away?”

“Lucky guess?” he suggested to a flat, stale look from Evie. This got the stranger laughing. “Mm, I would say it was a cross between your look that says you’ll kill something and your muttering of fuck him.”

“Pretty brave to talk to me if I’m exuding murderous energy,” Evie remarked, the ghost of a smile attempting to break through her stoic facade.

He shrugged. “I guess you could say I live a bit dangerously.”

“Really now?” Evie asked. She resented the fact that there was actually a tad of interest in the question.

“Really,” he confirmed. “I could buy you a drink, tell you all about it.”

Evie gave a look of feigned disinterest. A look that was so practiced it would have been taken for authentic immediately. “Sorry, I don’t accept drinks from stranger.”

“That’s fair,” he replied with a light, pleasant chuckle that stirred something within Evie. “My name’s Trent. Your turn.”

Evie grinned at this guy’s brash attitude. She looked him up and down, from the polished shoes to the tailored suit to that cocky grin. Just what Evie wanted in a man and more. She briefly wondered if that power suit came with the complex as well. It had been awhile since she had been a little rough with anyone.

“Evelyn,” Evie said and extended a hand towards Trent. “My friends call me Evie.”

Trent took the girl’s hand but instead of shaking it, he pulled her in closer. “How about that drink then, Evie?”