Small Town USA: Famous in a Small Town (Short One)

Chapter Twelve: Big Brother Jake

CHAPTER TWELVE

Memphis walked into the Red Star Bar. He hadn't been here during the week since... well ever. Tuesday crowd seemed to be the same crowd that was there on weekends, except much fewer people. Fewer people was good though.

The jukebox was blasting Garth Brooks and there were people on the dance floor that seemed to be having a good time.

Memphis didn't notice the new English teacher over by the jukebox flipping through the catalogue, looking for anything but country. But she noticed him. She noticed him the second he walked in. She made a couple selections and then disappeared into the bathroom to check on her make-up and hair.

Memphis walked up to the bar and sat on a stool. Dave came over to him and passed him a beer. Memphis nodded his thanks.

"Everything ok, Wheels?" Dave asked. Dave had been on the football team that went to state when Memphis was sixteen.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Dave nodded, though he didn't believe him.

Natalie walked over and sat down on the stool next to Memphis and ordered another. Dave grabbed her drink for her, but Memphis didn't seem to notice her sitting there.

Natalie went to say something to Memphis but before she could, Dave handed her her drink and started to talk to Memphis.

"Got a lot of you boys in here tonight," Dave said.

Natalie took a sip and wondered if she'd look weird if she just stayed there.

"About twenty-five of us?" Memphis said.

"That many, huh?"

"Yep."

"Sorry, man."

"Yeah me too."

A couple of kids who Memphis thought looked too young to be in a bar, walked up to the counter. Dave went over to them. Memphis took a long sip of his beer and enjoyed the cold as it slid down his throat.

Natalie took a sip of liquid courage and turned her face towards him.

"Memphis!" somebody said from the door. Natalie cursed underneath her breath.

"What's up, baby brother," the guy said coming over and sitting on the stool on the other side of Memphis. Natalie looked at him in the mirror behind the bar. He was a police officer. She thought his badge said Shariff but she couldn't see it directly. He looked like he was older than Memphis but she couldn't really judge by how much. He had a little bit of grey in his otherwise dark hair. He looked a lot like Memphis but tougher, like he'd seen more. He also had dark eyes rather than Memphis's baby blues.

Memphis took a sip of his beer. "Nothing."

"Why you drinking on a Tuesday night? Triplets sixteen, you figure it's time to have a couple more?" He laughed but Memphis didn't seem to find it amusing. "You better be careful Miss," he said and Natalie realized he was talking to her.

She looked over at them and noticed they were both looking at her. "What?" she said.

"Ignore my brother. He's an ass," Memphis said.

"An ass that has the power to throw you in jail."

"You can't throw me in jail for no reason."

"Oh, if you give me time, I bet I could find a reason." He got up and moved to the other side of Natalie. "I'm Jake by the way. This is my brother Memphis."

"Hi. I'm Natalie," she said shaking Jake's hand. "And actually, me and Memphis have met."

Memphis looked at her suspiciously for a second and then nodded. "Oh right. You're Lucy's cousin, right?"

"Lucy?" Jake said. "Curtis Hartnell's wife?"

"That'd be the one," Natalie said.

"What was her maiden name?" Jake asked. "Campbell?"

"No, she was a Hansen," Memphis said. "Fred and Jenny's daughter."

"Oh right. Didn't you used to have a thing for her?" Jake asked leaning his back against the bar. Natalie's eye's drifted to her drink and Memphis just shook his head and took a sip of his beer.

"Although, you pretty much had a thing for anyone in a skirt. Kind of surprised you only have three kids. Three kids that you know of, I guess. And Lucy... Well she was..." Jake looked over at Natalie who was staring at him. "Well, she's your cousin, so nevermind."

"That sounds scandalous. You should definitely fill me in on that story."

"If she hung around with Memphis, you can bet something scandalous went down. Every other weekend he did something stupid. Usually ended up getting himself and everyone else he was with in trouble. Probably not the type you want your cousin hanging around."

"That's kind of mean," Natalie said.

"Aww," Jake said going up behind Memphis and putting his hands on his shoulders. "He's my baby brother, he knows I'm just playing."

"Your games are getting kind of old," Memphis said.

"Actually though," Jake said. "Him knocking up his girlfriend was the best thing that happened to me. See, up until that point, I was the screw up and he was the golden boy. He could do no wrong. He was going to play college ball, he was going to go to the NFL, hell, the way mom talked you would think he was going to cure cancer."

A couple people around them laughed.

"But all he did was get his girlfriend pregnant."

Dave slid another beer to Memphis and he took a long sip. Natalie watched him, feeling like he was probably used to being the butt of his brother's jokes. But right now, he seemed defeated. And Jake didn't seem to notice. He just kept picking at the tear.

"That's not all he did," Natalie said. Jake looked at her questioningly. "Well... he stayed, right? Which, I don't mean to sound sexist, but that's more than most men would do."

Memphis turned his head and looked at her but she couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Jake slapped Memphis on the shoulder hard enough to cause his body to shift to the side.

"Look at that, you got another fan. Natalie, is it? You don't happen to come with a cheerleading skirt and pompoms, do you? Because if you do, you might want to watch yourself around him. You might wind up pregnant."

"Ok, first of all, you want to be a dick to me, go ahead. But she didn't do anything to you. And secondly, Isabelle wasn't a cheerleader."

"Yes, she was."

Memphis stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

The expression on Jake's face changed. He wasn't suddenly wasn't smiling anymore. "I'm sorry, you're right. I was thinking of Whitney Jack. Anyway, I got to go. I'm patrolling tonight so don't drive drunk. Miss Hansen, it was nice to meet you."

Jake stood up and left the bar. Memphis stared after him.