the extra weight she'd packed on since the divorce.
Screw the cheating sack of shit.
She struggled to fight the ugly memory of Richard, her asshole of a husband. Swallowing another sip, she hoped she'd be too drunk by the end of the evening to care about much of anything. So she allowed the exotic drink to do its job, closed her eyes and waited. Ah, here it comes, she thought with a smile, and welcomed the sensation as the alcohol induced buzz she'd hoped for finally made its appearance.
She attempted to forget the humiliation that lingered from Dick's infidelity. The extra weight continued to haunt her, even after her ex had run away with his assistant, the bleached blonde, busty bimbo, Brittany. Ava scoffed at the ridiculous alliteration. The twenty something assistant having the illicit affair with the forty-something married boss. Talk about a cliche. And the wife is always the last to know.
Swallowing a deep sigh, Ava spun around to face the crowd at the bar she owned with her younger brother, A.J. She sipped and smiled, savoring the laughter and conversation taking place in their small, yet thriving establishment. With a Twist enjoyed a steady and faithful clientele. They not only served alcohol, but A.J. always managed to cook up appetizers so innovative and tasty that customers came to the bar just to sample his original fare. Ava always said her baby brother was a frustrated chef. They hired local bands to play on the weekends to attract the college crowd. Business was good. Her personal life was in shambles.
Several ceiling fans whirred lazily while the jukebox in the corner played the Black Eyed Peas. Nearly all ten tables were still occupied even at this late hour, and Ava could hardly hear herself think from the noise, but she loved it. She'd grown used to the sounds of people gathering at this place for a long time. Thankfully, With a Twist was the one thing her ex hadn't been able to steal from her when he left.
When her parents retired to Florida, it was A.J. who took charge of the business and assured Ava they would continue to make the bar a success. Besides being a great brother and clever businessman, he was a charmer with the ladies. Tall and handsome with a boyish smile and warm personality, he attracted some of the women who came to the bar like bees to honey.
Glasses clinked and laughter filled the air as Ava observed the flow and mix of humanity much as an audience member enjoyed an interesting play. She observed the young newlywed couple, Rich and Kelly, as they huddled at the other end of the bar, sharing kisses and whispers. Or Amanda, the young woman who stood alone at the front entrance, probably waiting for a date who would never appear. Ava's colorful friends, Jay and Chad, looked well groomed, buff and handsome as always. Discretely the men held hands under their table. Others sat alone, nursing their drinks in an obvious attempt to forget their troubles.
Ava swallowed a last sip and placed her glass on the cocktail napkin covering the mahogany horseshoe surface. She dreaded the short walk to the tiny apartment above the bar where she'd been living since the divorce. She'd since purchased a small condo nearby and would be moving in soon. Alone, forty, divorced, overweight and drunk was definitely not the way to remember this milestone . After all, forty was the new thirty, so she was told.
If this is the new thirty, it's so overrated.
Some of the Saturday night crowd began to thin out and head toward the exit, some bound for greener pastures. A.J. had already called cabs for some of the more inebriated regulars. Others went their separate ways. Some would get lucky tonight. Others would go home alone and wake up with a bitch of a hangover.
Time to call it a night, or a decade, Ava thought. She'd made her appearance, downed a few and now it was time to end the pity party. Maybe she could sneak away before Elena targeted her with another ‘you poor thing’ look.
No such luck.
"Did
Screw the cheating sack of shit.
She struggled to fight the ugly memory of Richard, her asshole of a husband. Swallowing another sip, she hoped she'd be too drunk by the end of the evening to care about much of anything. So she allowed the exotic drink to do its job, closed her eyes and waited. Ah, here it comes, she thought with a smile, and welcomed the sensation as the alcohol induced buzz she'd hoped for finally made its appearance.
She attempted to forget the humiliation that lingered from Dick's infidelity. The extra weight continued to haunt her, even after her ex had run away with his assistant, the bleached blonde, busty bimbo, Brittany. Ava scoffed at the ridiculous alliteration. The twenty something assistant having the illicit affair with the forty-something married boss. Talk about a cliche. And the wife is always the last to know.
Swallowing a deep sigh, Ava spun around to face the crowd at the bar she owned with her younger brother, A.J. She sipped and smiled, savoring the laughter and conversation taking place in their small, yet thriving establishment. With a Twist enjoyed a steady and faithful clientele. They not only served alcohol, but A.J. always managed to cook up appetizers so innovative and tasty that customers came to the bar just to sample his original fare. Ava always said her baby brother was a frustrated chef. They hired local bands to play on the weekends to attract the college crowd. Business was good. Her personal life was in shambles.
Several ceiling fans whirred lazily while the jukebox in the corner played the Black Eyed Peas. Nearly all ten tables were still occupied even at this late hour, and Ava could hardly hear herself think from the noise, but she loved it. She'd grown used to the sounds of people gathering at this place for a long time. Thankfully, With a Twist was the one thing her ex hadn't been able to steal from her when he left.
When her parents retired to Florida, it was A.J. who took charge of the business and assured Ava they would continue to make the bar a success. Besides being a great brother and clever businessman, he was a charmer with the ladies. Tall and handsome with a boyish smile and warm personality, he attracted some of the women who came to the bar like bees to honey.
Glasses clinked and laughter filled the air as Ava observed the flow and mix of humanity much as an audience member enjoyed an interesting play. She observed the young newlywed couple, Rich and Kelly, as they huddled at the other end of the bar, sharing kisses and whispers. Or Amanda, the young woman who stood alone at the front entrance, probably waiting for a date who would never appear. Ava's colorful friends, Jay and Chad, looked well groomed, buff and handsome as always. Discretely the men held hands under their table. Others sat alone, nursing their drinks in an obvious attempt to forget their troubles.
Ava swallowed a last sip and placed her glass on the cocktail napkin covering the mahogany horseshoe surface. She dreaded the short walk to the tiny apartment above the bar where she'd been living since the divorce. She'd since purchased a small condo nearby and would be moving in soon. Alone, forty, divorced, overweight and drunk was definitely not the way to remember this milestone . After all, forty was the new thirty, so she was told.
If this is the new thirty, it's so overrated.
Some of the Saturday night crowd began to thin out and head toward the exit, some bound for greener pastures. A.J. had already called cabs for some of the more inebriated regulars. Others went their separate ways. Some would get lucky tonight. Others would go home alone and wake up with a bitch of a hangover.
Time to call it a night, or a decade, Ava thought. She'd made her appearance, downed a few and now it was time to end the pity party. Maybe she could sneak away before Elena targeted her with another ‘you poor thing’ look.
No such luck.
"Did
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