Page 137 of The Bartender Special

His dark eyes swung to Jack.

That stone didn’t move.

“If my regulars really do come to this thing, I suggest not picturing them in anything but what they're wearing.”

Benny’s voice was soft; Jack’s was cold. Clipped. He rolled his shoulders back, trying to distance himself from that damned piss-poor feeling that had been eating him up.

It, again, didn’t go unnoticed by Benny.

His eyebrow arched high.

If he kept asking what was wrong, what would Jack even say?

“I’m an idiot who fell for a fake situationship and now that situationship is about to leave.”

But Jack couldn’t say that.

Benny didn’t push, but he did try to keep the conversation going.

“Well, the parade was fun, right? Everyone from the bar took a ton of pictures and I was looking through them, and it might actually be a good idea to print some and hang them in Cassidy’s.”

Jack watched the runaway train that was Carol round the corner. She picked up speed toward them once she made eye contact. She was holding a clipboard but never once looked at it.

“Well, if it isn’t our two very own Arbor Bay stars,” Carol said in greeting. “The parade sure was a hit for y’all wasn’t it?”

“It was!” Benny rallied. “People are still uploading pictures and videos of our float too.”

Carol nodded, suddenly sage.

“It was real smart to decorate Roger's boat like a pirate ship,” she said. “Even if, you know, the theme was supposed to be sailors.”

Normally, Jack would have reacted to the passive aggressive response.

Instead, he stood there like a schmuck.

Benny fought her solo.

“I'm just glad so many people seemed to enjoy it,” he said. “At the end of the day, isn’t that what the festival is all about?”

Carol agreed.

That should have been their red flag.

But Jack was in his feelings.

He didn’t see it waving.

“All right, well, since you two are our celebrities here, why don’t we use you to check out the sound and lights for the About Me sections?” Carol pointed back towards the stage. “Marcus can help you get the microphone on and working, Benny, and Jack, we'll have you stand on stage so our lighting crew can get the positioning right. Does that work?”

Jack had to try hard not to grumble, especially when Benny met with and followed Marcus just off stage.

Had he ever been like this with Felicity?

Had he ever grumbled this much?

Had he ever felt this wrong?

Carol directed Jack to a spot that conveniently gave him a clear sightline to the two. Jack took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand.