“Felix…” 

Embarrassed by Lisa noticing, I pushed tissues into my eyes, covered my face, and tried my hardest to muffle my sobs. “Sorry, sorry,” I stuttered. “I’ll be good to go … in a sec.” 

“Are you sure? You know, we’re not that busy right now, so you could just hide in the back for now.” Lisa gently rubbed over my hunched back and sent a hopeful smile my way, hoping it’d cheer me up, but it only made me sob all the harder. It had been days since that last conversation between Vince and I, and yet, I still couldn’t get over it. I had even contemplated texting him again, but I held back as much as possible. 

“It’s so unfair, Lisa! Why couldn’t he be honest with me? He was just using me, and threw me away like a dirty, covered cum rag! How could he be so mean?” 

“Aw.” Lisa pouted, sharing my sad emotions, and continued rubbing and massaging my back. “You deserve way better, don’t you think? You’re so sweet, I’m sure there’s a guy who’ll appreciate it way, way, way more!” 

As if she’d summoned him with those words, a man of above-average height and build entered the bar, and I was quick to rub my hands over my swollen eyes, knowing how terrible it was, and even through my blurred vision, I recognized him. 

That tailored suit, those large hands as he approached the bar counter, the silver watch. And then, that deep voice, but instead of ordering a drink, he wondered. “Perhaps … I should come back another time.” 

“No!” I squeaked right away, and the cracks in my voice embarrassed me from head to toe, flushing me in heated shame. “W-What would you like, s-sir?”

“Old fashioned, please.” The very same words from last time, the very same rasp in his voice, but this time, more followed. “And drinks for you two behind the counter.”

“Ehhh? For real?” Lisa immediately grinned from ear to ear, shining ever so brightly whenever the guests decided to offer us drinks. “I’ll have a mango margarita~! Yay! Thank you so much, sir!” 

With a deep pout, my lower lip sulking further out with every second that passed, I began preparing his order, and since he sat at the counter on a bar stool right in front of me, I could feel his gaze watching my every move, and when he did that, how could I not remember the message he’d left me the last time, over a week ago?

My smile, breathtaking? There’s no way I can smile now! I’m heartbroken, you hear me?!

“What will it be for you?” he wondered, possibly to get an idea of what kind of drink he’d have to pay for. 

As I pulled my sad face, I turned to the bottle-filled shelves behind me, illuminated with faint, warm lights, and glittering with mirrors behind them. The bar I worked at was quite luxurious, and had every possible drink you could ever wonder about. But I wanted something as strong and painful as possible, a deep urge to get drunk reigning within me. 

“Tequila,” I muttered. 

The handsome customer let out a deep chuckle. “That bad, huh? It seems you’re crying every time I come here.” 

“It’s two for two. So embarrassing,” I pouted, pressing the back of my fingers into my face in an effort to cool my reddened cheeks. “Does it look that bad?” 

He didn’t even try to lie. “Yes, it does,” he bluntly admitted, a faint smile on his face, when his voice was otherwise so monotone. Well, even though he appeared cold and frightening, and he was a little too honest for my liking, he seemed rather nice. Rather was quite the understatement when he’d made me 100 dollars richer just last week — tips like that were hard and rare to come by. 

I served him his Old fashioned whiskey, and served my tequila shot, and as I raised the glass and thanked him, tears still shimmering inside my eyes, he rose his own glass, and we tipped them against one another.

“Cheers.” 

“Me too, me too!” Lisa rushed over with the margarita she’d just finished preparing, and the three of us drank together. I downed my shot in one go, squinted my eyes and my face twitched in response to the intensity that heated my throat, and meanwhile, Lisa sipped on her margarita as if it was mango juice, and our handsome customer leisurely enjoyed his own drink. 

“Sir, if you’re planning to continue coming, you should totally tell us your name! We’ll have your favorite drinks always ready for you!” 

A slight chuckle of an incredible voice followed. “I suppose I’ve got to come more often, then. It’s Thomas.” 

“Oh, that’s easy to remember! I’m Lisa~!” 

“Tommy, huh.” I sighed, tequila still scorching my throat, and Thomas seemed a bit taken aback at the nickname I’d chosen for him. A grown man, who knew how old he was, being called by such an endearing version of his name. It seemed he wasn’t used to it.

“No, that’s … Thomas.” He whispered, our eyes locked onto one another, and I almost lost myself in them in a grumble, tequila taking over my whole body, and as he stared at me intently, I couldn’t help but think of Vince, and burst into tears once more.

“Ah, uh—“ Lisa, a bit taken aback, pushed tissues into my face before introducing me. “And this crybaby here, that’s Felix! Please, don’t mind him…” 

“Is everything alright?” 

“Y-Yeah, he’s just, um … It’s complicated, and silly relationship stuff. I’m sure someone like you doesn’t have those kind of problems!” 

“Nothing is alright!!!!” I completely redacted what Lisa had just said, and sobbed on. “I wasted my time on an asshole with a mediocre dick!” 

“Felix!” Lisa squeaked, pressing her hand onto my mouth to shush me, and embarrassment flushed over me; shame mixed with tequila, and tears continued dribbling out of my eyes. 

And Thomas? He simply chuckled. “Alright, then,” he whispered to himself, sipping on his drink, not daring to ask another question because I had already shared a little too much. 

A little? Hell no! Way, way, way, way too much! What’s wrong with me?! 

When Lisa rushed away to take care of some other customers, that’s when Thomas spoke up once more. With his fingers dribbling against the bar counter, one by one, creating a satisfying sound and rhythm, he observed me, and mumbled: “Sounds to me like he’s not worth shedding a single tear over, if he doesn’t know what he’s got. Cheer up, Felix.” 

With a voice so strong, he called my name so softly. Gentle advice reached my ears, followed by intense eyes that sought my reaction. All I could muster up was a quiet sniffle — when was the last time Vince had called my name like that? 

So sweet, almost, so polite, and yet, so daring all the same. Thrusting me into a wonder of whether he flirted with me, or simply gave advice to someone younger than him. It had me wondering who else he called this way, what kind of names rolled off his tongue in such a manner, and I was left speechless, and confused. 

First, he called my smile breathtaking. Now, he called my name this way, so unfairly tempting, and even, indirectly, called Vince an idiot in the process. If he doesn’t know what he’s got … He was so, so, so right! If Vince couldn’t appreciate what he had with me, then I shouldn’t cry about him? I hadn’t lost anything! It was Vince that lost something awesome!

Through my tears, and after days of crying and swollen eyes, I finally managed to smile. Rather shyly, my lips curved upwards, an all-the-more self-conscious chuckle to follow, and somehow, Thomas’ words had completely shifted my mood.