"I know but I'm missing the twins' first."
"You've got a video phone right?"
"Yeah."
"So you spend Christmas morning with them that way. You still get to be a part of their day. Come on now. AJ was supposed to take Kylie to meet his Mom and Nick was going to propose to Jennifer tonight."
"Don't you miss Leigh?"
"What do you think?"
" I think I need another drink." Gaining the bartender's attention he ordered another beer. A bottle of tequilla probably would have drown his sorrows more rapidly but he was with Howie and he was still the 'good boy'. He could drink them all under the table, he just never did.
"I think you'd better slow it down a bit."
" I think I'm doing just fine. I can still count how many I've had."
"Just trying to watch out for you."
"I don't need a chaperone Howie, I need to be with my family."
"I hate it when you get like this."
"And I hate it when y'all think I need a babysitter."
"Do whatcha want Bri. I was just trying to be a friend,"Howie responded irritably and left Brian to his vices.
Alone at last. You'd think he was the youngest for as much as they looked after him. Even Nick was acting more grown up these days. Shocking ain't it? Nick. More mature than the family man. What a joke. Beer was a good friend to have right now. It didn't talk back and it healed what ailed him at the current point in time. He didn't mind his friends so much but he needed his wife. In the biblical sense he needed her. He could talk to her and even see her through his phone but with the three little ones, they barely had time to speak.
"And I thought you were the nice one."A mysterious voice drew him out of the conversation with himself..
"And I thought I was alone. Do you mind?"
"Actually I do. I'm waiting for my drink."
"Can't you wait a little further down the bar?"
" I could but you getting pissier isn't gonna stop the snow from piling up out there."
"I've been informed of that."
She graciously accepted her drink from the bartender and returned to the conversation."Then you might wanna listen to your friend and heed his advice. A lot of us are stuck here and away from our families. It sucks but crying about it all night ain't gonna help matters."
"And what makes you an expert on the subject?" He looked up from the label he was peeling away from the bottle.
" A husband, two kids of my own and a very loyal golden retriever named Benny."
She proceeded to pull out her cell phone and share the pictures with him. Nice looking family. Not a very smart man to let a beautiful woman like her leave the house alone. Well, she was. He was a man. Of course he was gonna notice.
"Nice."
"I apologize for wasting your time. I thought I was doing a good deed."
"Don't do me any favors."
After fidgeting with the label a bit longer, he realized that she was here all alone and that he'd been a complete horse's ass because he was feeling sorry for himself. After contemplating his apology, he approached. He'd been nasty before but he had no reason to be nasty to someone that was nothing but polite. And she had been polite up to the point he had decided her Christmas spirit was something he didn't need."Excuse me Miss."
"What?"
"I'd like to apologize for my behavior. You were right."
"It's okay. No harm done. I understand."
"Oh?"
"My husband gave me this trip as a Christmas gift. I was supposed to be at a concert tonight with some friends but they got stuck in a town 2 hours from here."
"And what concert would that be?"Feigning ignorance despite her opening remark to him.
"You know you're rather charming when you're not feeling sorry for yourself.�
�Most think I�m just adorable and funny.�
�And that�s not charming?�
�You think it is?�
�As a matter of fact I do.�
�So that would mean I�m your favorite.� He grinned.
�Actually I kinda like the one that was just here.�She stated with a straight face.
�Then I guess I�ll just go back to the other end of the bar.� He hung his head in defeat and moved from the barstool.
�Get back here.�
He stopped and turned back to her; lower lip trembling for effect.�Are you sure? I mean I can go find him and
�Get back here. I was just kidding.� She interrupted.
�I knew ya couldn�t resist me.� He grinned his silly grin.
�Behave or I�ll throw you back to the wolves.�
�Anything but that.� This wasn�t turning out to be such a dismal night after all.
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