Mayfly Melodies

Six

"You look familiar. Have we met before?"

Noah turned his head to the side, watching as a tall, blond-haired cowboy in a green shirt and blue Levi's leaned against the bar counter and tried to flirt with a curly-haired strawberry-blonde. Noah recognized her distantly and it took a moment for him to place her. But that was the girl who'd called out to him in the parking lot earlier. The girl he'd thought might be a buckle bunny.

Mild panic raced across the girl's face but it disappeared quickly. She smiled, a flash of teeth, and shrugged. "I dunno. You from around here?"

"Texas. Dallas, to be exact."

"Then I sincerely doubt it."

The cowboy shook his head. "No, I've definitely met you before." Noah watched as the man leaned in close to her but his voice was loud enough that he could still hear what was said. "In fact, I think you might even be my soul mate."

Strawberry-blonde leaned back with a frown, nose wrinkled with what Noah assumed was disgust. "Does that line work often?"

The cowboy was still grinning, not put off by her dark tone. He looked like he was enjoying this, Noah thought. Like it was some sort of sick game. "More often than you'd think."

"That's just sad. You need better material."

"Maybe," the cowboy said. His already sleazy grin widened. "But you should know that even if my material is overused, my equipment sure isn't." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Noah didn't think he would ever forget the look of complete and utter revulsion on the poor girl's face.

"That's disgusting," she said. She turned away from him, went to walk away from the bar, but the guy wasn't letting her get away that easily.

"C'mon sugar," he cooed at her, reaching out to wrap his hand around her arm.

"Go away." Her voice was forceful, insistent. Noah got the idea that this wasn't her first time warding off a stupid drunk cowboy but he still didn't look away from the pair. Something about the cowboy was sending off warning signals to him and so Noah took a page from his sister's book and watched silently.

"One dance," he said. "Just one."

"No. Thank you."

But the guy still wasn't backing off. "Why? You got a boyfriend or something? It's just one dance."

"Yes," she said and her eyes lit up. "That's it. I have a boyfriend and I doubt he'd be happy about seeing another guy trying to force me into a dance I don't want."

"I don't see him around here anywhere. He should've known better than to leave you on your own."

Now, she looked mad. "If you must know, I came to the bar to get my boyfriend and I drinks when you so rudely interrupted my night. Now, I'd really like to get back to my guy so back the hell off."

The cowboy wasn't buying it. Noah pursed his lips, considering for a moment, and then hopped down from his barstool. He cut through a few people in the crowd, pushing his way through the masses until he came to a stop beside Strawberry-blonde and the cowboy.

"There you are, babe. I was beginning to think that you forgot about me," he said to her and then, while taking stock of her shocked expression, he kissed her quickly on the cheek. When he moved back, she looked stunned but conscious enough to realize what he was doing. He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, tucking her into his side but so that she was slightly behind him.

Noah turned to the cowboy who was staring up at him with his mouth open. "Can I help you?" Noah asked. The cowboy only stammered before turning and walking away, leaving him alone with Strawberry-blonde. Up close, he could tell that her eyes were hazel in colour, a perfect mix of brown and green.