I stood in front of Holly's apartment door that Friday evening in early March, a bottle of cheap pinot noir in my hand. Though Holly and I had worked together at the city library for several months, this was the first time she'd invited me over to her pla...
The next morning, Holly woke me before my phone's alarm sounded, and when I sat up on the couch, I released a low groan. "Morning, Josh!" she said, appearing completely unfazed by all the chardonnay she'd had the night before. Her eyes were bright as she...
I arrived at the bar just before nine the following evening. For a long moment, I sat in my car and stared at the rundown building while trying to calm my jittery nerves. This felt weirdly like a date. Once I'd taken several deep breaths, I got out and lo...
Weeks passed, and Troy and I continued to spend plenty of time together. We would often meet for dinner after I got off work and before he started a shift at the bar. On the rare occasions when our work schedules permitted us to do more, we would sometime...
As I watched Troy and Alex, panic gripped me like a tight hand around my throat, making it hard for me to breathe. I couldn't utter a sound, and my mind was reeling when I slid off the stool and started toward them. "Josh, wait!" Holly called after me, bu...
