Once and For All

Chapter 1.2

Joey frowned as he watched the door slide close behind Carly. Things hadn't been the same between them in months. She didn't grab him to dance anymore. She seemed distracted and  was drinking more than usual. She was unhappy about something and wouldn't tell him why. Carly had always told him everything. This distance had his stomach in knots. He wondered what it was he had done wrong. He had considered talking to Noah or their other friend, Ryder about it, in case she had said something to them, but had never asked. He kept hoping it was just a phase, that she would snap out of it. But, so far, she hadn't.

He placed the last of the bacon on a paper plate and poured another cup of coffee. He leaned against the kitchen counter. He sipped his coffee and thought of her coming out of the bedroom that morning. Her blonde hair a mess. Her brown eyes still heavy lidded from sleep.

He wanted so much to take the few steps that separated them and take her into his arms. To feel her body pressed against his, but he couldn't do it.

They seemed to have reached an impasse. He had been friends with Carly too long to not be able to read her like a book. He could see it in her eyes that she wanted him too. He could also see the fear too.

And it was the fear that kept him from acting on what he knew they both wanted. Carly ran when she was scared or hurt and Joey couldn't bear it if she ran away from him.

The glass door slid open again, Sammy and Carly were back. Carly poured another cup of coffee and sat at the bar.

"Still no idea really where the storm is heading?" she asked, gesturing the TV where a weathercaster stood in front of a map, gesturing to a blob of green.

"Nah, you know how it is. They have all kinds of models and whatnot, but it's still just a tropical depression somewhere around Jamaica."

"Oh good."

"I'm thinking I may head out tomorrow and pick up a few things, just in case. We're off tomorrow and it's best to beat the rush. You know how it gets. You can't find water, bread, or ice, anywhere if you wait too long."

"That's a good idea."

"Want to come with?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes, "We can stop at that Mexican place you like. The one with the 2 for 1 Margaritas."

She smiled, "Maybe."

Her smile twisted his insides and made him look away. He was a chicken. He was scared, plain and simple.

Yes, they might work out. But, the fear they wouldn't and that everything would change was too big. Joey couldn't risk losing her on a maybe.

***

Carly opened the doors to the bar to allow the breeze to blow in. It helped to clear out the overall musty smell of the old wooden building and the stale smell of cigarettes and beer. Coming back in, she turned on the weather channel. The weather forecasters had been talking about a disturbance in the Gulf, and she wanted to check the status of the situation.

She walked through the small, dark, bar, making sure the tables were wiped down, the ashtrays were set out, and that everything was the way it should be. As she did, she turned on the neon beer signs hanging on the walls.

The daytime regulars were mostly retired fishermen and oilfield workers and her favorite crowd. They were hard-working men that loved to get together for a few beers and some conversation. Carly never had any idea where their discussions would lead. It could be sex, sports, politics, or the weather. Most of the time it was sports and weather. Today, with the storm,  it would be the latter. Where did they think the storm was headed, how bad would it be, and most importantly, would they evacuate?

Would she evacuate? Where would she go? Every time a storm formed in the gulf, Carly was plagued with these questions. This was home. Her comfort zone. To leave filled her with anxiety. What about Sammy?

Carly turned the TV off and played some music on the jukebox. Such thoughts would get her nowhere. In South Louisiana, tropical storms and false alarms were the norm.

She was finishing stocking for the day when her first regular came in.

"Hey pretty girl," Daniel said, taking a seat at the bar. He was usually one of the first to come in. He would go have breakfast at the Redbird Inn with Glinda, read the newspaper, and then make his way to Snapper's. Carly poured him a Coke and sat it in front of him.

"Hey, Daniel. How's it going?"

"It's going. And you? Getting any writing done?"

Carly frowned, "No. I'm stuck, Daniel. I just sit and stare at the empty page. Nothing is coming to me."

"Have you thought about working on something else for awhile?"

"No. I'm just not feeling it. I think I've lost my mojo."

He smiled, "It will come back. Maybe you just need a break."

"I definitely need a break."

"Why don't you take a little vacation? Get away for a little while? That might get your gears going."

"Maybe. I have too much stuff going on with this place right now. We're celebrating Tessa's birthday tonight. After that, it's time to get ready for Halloween. That's just around the corner. You know how much I love Halloween. All the decorations, the costumes."

"It's a month away, Carly. Surely you can find some time to escape. Maybe take Joey with you. He could probably use the time off too. He's always busy in that kitchen."

"No!" She panicked at the thought of her and Joey somewhere alone. Her voice rose higher than she intended.

Daniel's eyes widened, "Something wrong between you two? You having one of your little spats?"

"No, nothing like that," she said, tempted to tell him everything, to lay it on the table. Another customer walked in, and she changed her mind. It would have to wait for another day.