Right On The Money Honey - Michael Hardy

TEN

J. D. as Hank

+++

"Hank?" Liz's eyes go wide at the sight of her blue collar ex boyfriend standing behind her. "What- uh, what're you doin' here?" She asks as she stands, stepping over to a spot next to an empty table.

"Here visitin' my folks." He responds, running his hand through his light brown hair. Liz suppresses a blush at all those memories she has of her fingers being twisted and tangled in those incredibly soft but usually sweaty strands. "What about you?"

"Visitin' my family." She looks him over. He's gotten a few more tattoos and he's been hitting the gym more often. He's wearing a pair of ass hugging Wranglers on, belted with a huge belt buckled belt and her favorite light blue Carhartt shirt of his tucked in. His hair is lighter from working out in the sun for twelve plus hours a day but he's starting to get rid of that farmers tan. "What have you been up to? Still workin' at that oil rig?"

"Yes ma'am." He smiles that heart stopping, panty dropping, dimpled smile. "What about you? Still at that pub?"

"No, actually." She says. "I moved to Tennessee."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She nods. "But I'm finally able to get a job with the agribusiness degree I got from Texas A&M."

He smiles. "Good for you." She blushes but looks down to hide it. "Tennessee, huh?"

"Yep, Nashville." He smiles again. "You look good, Hank."

"You do too, Liz." She starts to turn on her heel but something is telling her to stay put. "Would you want to get drinks later to catch up? I leave for Texarkana in a couple days."

She rolls her lips into her mouth and for some stupid reason agrees. "Sure. You still got my number?"

"Unless it changed over the last couple years."

"Still the same."

Hank flashes another handsome grin at her. "I'll text you later, then. See ya." She watches him walk out to his old square body Chevy and she can't help the pink that colors her cheeks.

Yes, she's with Michael but what's the harm in catching up with an old friend?

+++

Liz smiles as she heads to her car. She just got done visiting with Hank at some hole-in-the-wall dive bar in Plano. She could still feel that spark they had when they were together but those unpleasant memories kept her guard up. As she drives back to Lyn's place, she calls Michael.

"Hey baby." He greets.

"Hey." She says, trying to sound upbeat but it comes across as slightly depressing. "How's tour?"

"Great. Real good. We were in Florida today and tomorrow so we got hotel rooms tonight. Y'know what that means?"

"Huh?"

"A real shower and a real bed." He grins. "I just wish you were here with me. We'd be havin' lots of fun. Sex in a different city every night, a nonstop party..."

She hears him take a deep breath in and a slow one out. "Are you smokin'?"

Michael almost immediately drops the cigarette he's holding and steps it out. "No."

"Dude-!"

"It's fine." He says with a slight attitude lacing in his southern drawl. She can practically hear him roll his eyes. "I gotta go."