She nursed an ice tea and chatted with her friend Danya, who served up a Long Distance Lover, one of Julia’s popular drinks, to a new customer. Julia checked her watch, and saw that it was near ten. Since Clay had a late dinner with a client, he’d said he’d stop by on his way home so they could share a cab downtown. As she looked to the door, eager for the familiar sight of her husband, Danya motioned for her to come closer. “Can you cover for me for two minutes? The other gal is in the stockroom, and I have to run to the ladies room,” she said. “Absolutely. Shoo,” Julia said, grateful to be busy. After hustling behind the bar, she served a few quick drinks to the remaining customers, loving being in her element. As she poured a vodka over ice, she heard a voice this still sent shivers up her spine. “I’ll have whatever’s on tap.” She turned around to look in the gorgeous brown eyes of her handsome husband, as he recited the first words he ever said to her the night she met him at Cubic Z in San Francisco.
