After I finish the one beer, Pops gives me that look and nods his head at Rane. "Okay, Okay. I am going Pops." I get up and walk his way. He is sitting at a table with the little blonde from the other night. When he sits down she straddles him and sits on his lap. Great. The blonde bobblehead. And then I hear that voice in my head again.
Get off him skank! He is mine." That's when I made a quick right for the jukebox. Allie joins me.
"Pops told me all about it. What I want to know is who is that cute sexy thing beside him, V?" She grabs my arm and pulls me over to their table.
"Allison, that's his twin brother Dane and he is busy." I pull back but Allie pushes me until we are standing in front of his table.
"Dane, this is my friend Allie from school. Rane can I have a moment with you please?" Allie sits down beside Dane, her eyes all glazed over.
"What? So you can act crazy? No thank you. I am having fun right now. Goodbye." He shoos me away. I grab Allie's arm and start pulling her back to where Pops is sitting when she yanks my arm and pulls me back towards Rane.
The blonde bobble head speaks up, "Who the hell is that fat ass, ugly girl and what does she want with you?"
"Oh shut the hell up, Hailey. I am not in the mood for your bitching tonight." He pushes her off his lap and onto the chair beside him. He runs his long fingers through his hair with his foot propped up on the chair across from him.
"Excuse me, dickweed. My friend would like to have a moment of your time. Be a real man and show some manners and get your nasty ass up and walk with the lady." She says in one breath. I giggled at the way she talked to him. But to my surprise, he gets up. We walk outside where it is not so loud.The hot summer air hitting us in the face.
"So, what is so important that you need me right this second? Make it quick. Hailey is waiting on me." He licks his lips which grosses me out.
"I just wanted to apologize for my rude behavior today, Rane. I hope you come back to work." I offer a sincere apology.
"Oh how big of you, V. I didn't quit because of your ass. Like you have that much power over me." He lets out a boisterous chuckle. "I got a call from the fire department. I start my training tomorrow. That is why I quit so don't flatter yourself." He gives me a devilish grin and starts to walk off. I grab his arm and yank it so he is facing me again.
"You freaking jerk. I take back my apology back. If you can treat me like that, I can return the favor. I don't know what I ever did to you to make you hate me, but the feeling is mutual. "I start crying so I punch him in the arm and storm off back into the bar. I can hear his boisterous laugh behind me. I stop before I go back in. Why did I start crying? I can't stand him. He's an egotistical douche bag. I gather myself and walk back in and down my beer.
"You want another one, V?" Terry asks.
"No, I will take a shot of bourbon please." Pops just stares at me.
"Only one my sweet girl," Pops says. I down the shot. It burned going down and made me cough. I really don't drink whiskey, but he stirs up emotions in me that makes my blood boil. He pisses me off. Just plain and simple.
"Fine. Give me another beer." I sit there giving Rane the evil eye and every time I catch him looking at me, I stick my tongue out at him. He would laugh and wink at me. That just made it worse. Then that damn little voice comes back.
"You know you like it. He is the one. He is our forever. Look at him sitting over there with those sultry eyes. I feel like I may just go into heat with those eyes on me."
Without even thinking, I scream out, "Shut the hell up!" Everyone just looks at me. embarrassment spreads through me. "I am ready to go home." I look at Pops.
"Okay, V. Let me finish this beer and then we will go." Pops takes his time sipping on his beer.
"If you want to stay a bit longer, I can run you home when I get off work or Allie can take her on home Damon," Terry says batting her eyes at pops.
"Sounds good to me. I am tired from the drive anyways. You ready Kendra?" She grabs my elbow pulling me towards the entrance.
"Thanks Allie. I appreciate it. Thanks Terry. Love you Pops." I kiss him on the cheek.
We start walking towards the door and Dane comes up and asks, "Are you headed home, V?" I nod my head yes. "Care if I get a ride? I can walk home from your place."
"Sure, Dane. As long as Allie doesn't mind." I shrug my shoulders.
"Okay let me go tell Rane I am leaving." He scurries off and is back in a flash. We get out to the car and I let Dane ride up front. Him and Allie flirt with each other all the way to the house.On the way home, we get blue lighted. Allie panics. The sheriff walks up to the car and shines the flashlight right into my eyes.
"Well, hey Kendra," the voice says. I put my hand up trying to get the light out of my eyes. "Oh, sorry." He turns it off.
"Oh, hey Avery," I say shyly.
"License and registration young lady," he tells Allie. She fumbles in her purse to get her wallet out.
"And why did you pull us over?" I ask, smiling at him.
"Well you just left the bar and it is after midnight you know. I seen you get in the car and wanted to see how your stay was going," he flirts.
"It is past midnight ?" Allie asks all happy. Oh my god. Allie starts singing.
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. You look like a monkey... and you smell like one too." She starts laughing.
"Ha! Ha! Allie," I jest.
"Oh it is your birthday, Kendra?" Avery says and opens Allie's door. I nod my head yes."Well get out here so I can give you, your birthday gift." I get out of the car and look at him.
"How do you have a birthday gift for me if you didn't even know it was my birthday?" I question him while looking at him in disbelief. He pulls me to the rear of the car.
"I guess I will just have to improvise then." He pushes me against the back of the car and grabs my neck and pulls me into an embrace and kisses me fervently. I blush from his boldness and the reaction his kiss has on my body.It's like fire burning low but the more you breath on it the more it awakens. He releases me and my need for that smoldering heat. I grab him and pull him back in for another kiss. He takes it without remorse. When he releases me this time I blush all over. "Happy twenty-second birthday Kendra. Hope it's a good one." He winks at me.
We walk back to the side of the car and I stand at his side. "Okay, you are free to go. Hope to see you soon Kendra. You all be safe now." He opens Allie's door for me.
"Thank you Avery." I say getting back into the car. Now I am the one all starry eyes after that kiss.
"Oh, Kendra has a policeman boyfriend." I swear, if she doesn't start singing again...
"Kendra and Avery Sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Kendra with a baby carriage. That's not it, that's not all, the baby's drinking alcohol!" I smack her in the back of the head.
"You goof ball." We all start laughing.
"Maybe it should be you and Dane?" They both abruptly stop laughing. I laugh louder.
"Now that's funny," the little voice says. We get back to the house and I go on in. Dane and Allie sit on the porch swing and talk. I give them a few minutes alone. I lay down on my bed .I can hear Allie giggling like a school girl with her first crush. Of course! That could be it. I never seen her date in all our four years together. He finally leaves around two in the morning . Allie comes in, looking all love struck with starry eyes. She grabs her duffel bag and pulls out a present and hands it to me.
"Oh thank you, Allie. You shouldn't have," I say modestly. I rip it open. It's tickets to the wolf sanctuary near by. "Oh cool, Allie. We can go while you are here. How about tomorrow, before I show you around town?" I look up at her.
"Sounds like a plan. They even have bobcats Kendra. I thought it would be neat." I yawn as I drift off to sleep listening to her chit chat, something I done a lot of at college.
That night I dreamed of Avery kissing me on my lips and down my neck and us getting married. As I said I do, a green eyed wolf bites Avery's head off and I fall to my knees crying. I wake up sweaty, so I get up, go to the kitchen and get me a sip of water. I walk out on the front porch and sit down on the front porch swing, giving it a push with my foot. I pull my foot up as it starts swinging back and forth, creaking occasionally. I hear a noise beside the house. "Who's there?" I yell out. No one answers. I get up and head toward the direction of the noise but I hear it scurry away. I go back in the house and climb back into bed and fall back to sleep.