42


    The road home from Aurelith University wasn''t far, but for the first time, Yasmine felt exhausted on the way back. Once she got home, cooking dinner was thest thing on her mind. Instead, she grabbed a beer from the fridge and plopped down on the sofa. She felt a nagging irritation she couldn''t quite name. She was sure she didn''t love Xavier anymore; she even despised him now. Ever since the divorce, he''d been pushing. his boundaries around her, and it made Yasmine even more agitated-how had she been so blind to fall for such a guy? As the beer slid down her throat, the burn began to drown out her irritation. Suddenly, her phone rang. She answered without hesitation.


    "Hey, girl, you''ve gottae out. A new bar just opened in the city, and everyone''s talking about it!" Lucy''s excited voice came through the line.


    Yasmine paused for a moment before replying, "Send me the address."


    After hopping out of the taxi, Yasmine stood in the chilly wind, staring up at the bar''s neon sign. The foreign words were a bit confusing, but the vibe was totally her style.


    "Yasmine!" Lucy called out, jogged over, and wrapped Yasmine in a big hug while nting a loud kiss on her cheek. Then, stepping back, she frowned as she looked Yasmine up and down. "Seriously? This is what you wore to the bar?"


    Yasmine was in a in white tee, light jeans, and white sneakers-not exactly the m look for a night bar. Lucy groaned, rolling her eyes. "Ugh, that jerk Xavier! If I ever run into him, I swear I''ll give him a piece of my mind! He had you all tied down in that marriage." Yasmine poked Lucy on the forehead yfully. "What are you talking about? I just had a long day at work and didn''t feel like changing"


    Seeing Yasmine get a bit annoyed, Lucy grinned and linked arms with her. "Fine, fine! Just teasing! I got us a booth, and let''s get inside."


    They settled into their booth and ordered some specialty c**ktails. Vasmine hadn''t


    seemed a bit off, Lucy guessed something was bothering her. But since Yasmine hadn''t


    Noticing Yasmine brought it up, Lucy decided not to push. They leaned back,ughing and sharing funny


    stories.


    Meanwhile, they caught the attention of a group of guys at a nearby table, who kept sneaking nces in their direction.


    Lucy was petite and cute, her hair falling in thick waves over her shoulders, fully showing off her figure in a tiny tank top and short shorts. In contrast, Yasmine''s natural beauty still shone through, even in herid-back outfit-it was hard for anyone to ignore her. "Hey,dies! Want to grab a drink with my boss?" one of the guys called out, his tone sleazy.


    Yasmine looked up to see a chubby guy with two tattooed buddies, their faces oozing fierce and intimidating.


    Yasmine frowned, her eyes icy. "Not interested." Her tone left no room for debate.


    Lucy shot the guys a mischievous look-they were in for a rough night messing with Yasmine. Little did they know, before Yasmine married Xavier, she had a reputation for shutting down local troublemakers.


    Themotion attracted a few onlookers, and no one noticed two sharply dressed men stepping into the bar,


    As Chuck walked in, he instantly spotted Yasmine and Lucy. He turned to Yonas and teased, "Isn''t that your crush?"