Tabloid (Dirty Laundry #1)

29. Cougar Alert

"Can I please talk to you now?" Zeke asked reeking of beer from the glass she poured on he and Rex.

Talia looked into his sad face.

"You don't have to." Jeremiah said looking at Zeke.

"I know." Talia gave Zeke her hand to pull her from the booth.

Zeke escorted her toward the bathrooms again. But, instead of making a right to go down the hall, he made a left leading her toward the dancefloor. Couples two-stepped around the floor. Zeke took a step down onto the floor, however, Talia's feet wouldn't move.

"I am not dancing. I hate the two-step."

"I know. Trust me. We won't be two-stepping." Talia looked around at the spinning dancers.

"Fine."

Talia stepped down onto the floor with him. The moment her foot stepped onto the floor the music changed. A slow melodic country tune began. It sounded familiar, but it had been years since she'd listened that music. Zeke pulled her into his arms and they began to sway.

"See, I didn't lie."

"No, you didn't but I didn't expect our chat to be out here."

He shrugged. "I like to be different."

"Yes, you do."

They danced silently for a few minutes. It finally struck her that the song was familiar because it was a country remake of John Legend's All of Me. Talia found herself relaxing and singing along while in Zeke's arms. He squeezed her tighter.

"What did Max do?"

There went the relaxation.

"He was being Max."

"So much so that your brother almost fought him, and you kneed him in the nuts?"

Talia worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "He wouldn't let me go."

Zeke stopped dancing. Under the laser lights, she saw his face turn stony. His grip flexed on her hips almost painfully.

"Ow...your hurting me, Zeke."

Quickly he pulled his hands from her hips. "Oh my god. I am so sorry. Are you ok?"

"It's fine." She put her hand on his cheek turning his attention to her. "I'm ok."

"Ok. Looks like he and I will need another chat." He picked up the slow dance again. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For thinking the worse before talking to you."

"I may have overreacted. Let's just enjoy this."

They swayed to the next slow dance the DJ played. Talia saw familiar faces on the crowded dance floor. Chrissy danced with Rex. Jeremiah danced with the older lady that had molested Rex. Terence and Max were no where to be found. Soon, the music flowed around them fading all else away. It was just Talia and Zeke. It was both a wonderful and crazy feeling. Her heart was beginning to fall for this movie star. How does a girl protect herself from that?

When the music picked back up, Zeke and Talia found their way back to the booth where Sitting with Max and Terence were two Rodeo groupies or buckle bunnies as Talia thought of them. Chrissy and Jeremiah stayed out on the dancefloor doing a quickstep with their partners.

"Isn't this awesome?" The blonde buckle bunny twirled hair around her finger.

"Awesome?"

"Duh. We are all hooking up with movie stars. This is so much better than the Rodeo riders." Blonde bunny number 2 twittered.

"Uh."

"Hey sweetness? Why don't you come over here and sit on my lap?" Max pulled the first bunny into his lap with his hand disappeared under her skirt.

Talia felt herself get nauseous.

"Really, Max? Here?" Zeke asked.

"What? I'm allowed to have fun. Unless you think someone is going to rat me out." Max gave Talia a pointed look.

Talia just sighed and watched the dance floor. While she paid attention to the dancers, Shannon Shine approached the table with one of her cronies, Jennifer. The night just kept getting better and better.

"Hiya, sexy. You haven't come to see me since you've been in town. I gave your secretary a message." Shannon sat on Zeke's knee.

"My secretary?"

"Yeah. Isn't that what Tub- I mean Talia is to you? Your secretary?"

Zeke moved his leg from under Shannon. She hit the floor with a thud. Jennifer laughed behind her hand. Rage flashed across Shannon's face.

"Why did you do that, Zekey Baby?" Shannon attempted to sit again but he caught her by the waist pushing her to her feet.

"Look, I'm with my girlfriend here. Could you please leave us alone?"

"Girlfriend? What a joke." Shannon spat. Max laughed.

"Yes, Lia is my girlfriend. I am the luckiest man in the world to say those words. Having her as my girlfriend has been something I wanted since I was in first grade. Even when I was with you I was thinking of her. So, just go and bother someone else."

Shannon stared at Zeke with a slack jawed expression.

"You heard him." Jeremiah said with his hand around an older woman.

Chrissy stood next to him holding Rex's hand and waited for Shannon to leave.

"You bitch." Shannon spat at Talia then stormed off.

Two high pitched giggles came from the buckle bunnies. "That was so sweet." They both eyed Max and Terence.

Max was staring at Chrissy and Rex. His eyes wouldn't leave their joined hands. "You said you didn't want to dance."

Chrissy looked at Max. "I didn't with you. I don't dance with people who treat my friends like shit."

"Don't forget he's a two-pump chump too." Jeremiah interjected.

Max pushed the bunny off his lap scooted out of the booth and stormed past Rex and Chrissy.

"What the hell did we miss?" Talia asked.

"It was nothing." Chrissy dragged Rex over to the booth with her.

"I think we are going to head out." Jeremiah said with the cougar hanging on him giggling.

"You need a ride?" Talia asked.

"Oh, I'll be giving him a ride." Cougar giggled again. "In more ways then one." Barf!

Jeremiah winked at Talia then smacked the lady's ass sending her into another fit of giggles. Silence descended on the table. No one knew what to say next.

"Well, that was disturbing." Rex said.

"There is nothing wrong with an older woman wanting a younger man." Zeke said.

"No, but I have to see her Monday. She's the high school librarian." Rex shuddered. "It was the giggling that was disturbing."

An OH moment landed on the table. Out of nowhere Terence started laughing. His laugh was contagious. Talia had never heard him laugh before. In a matter of minutes, tears streamed down everyone's faces from their laughter.

Zeke leaned toward her. "Do you want to get out of here?"

"Yes."

He linked their fingers pulling her out of the booth. "We are out of here. See you later."

Before anyone could say a word, Zeke dragged her through the bar. Talia mumbled apologies as she bumped people near the bar. Clearly, Zeke was on a mission. A mission that landed them on a bed. Or a floor. Or a counter. Or a backseat. Talia wasn't picky.