Black Sabbath plays loudly from a jukebox in the corner.
The bar is full. I take it all in being reminded of the Roadhouse, feeling nostalgic for home. For a different time in my life when someone wasn’t out to get me. A time where my biggest worry was if I remembered to take my birth control pill and if I thought Kyler would think my clothes were sexy. How pathetic is that?
“Sit here. Don’t move. I’ll get you a water.” Reaper pushes down on my shoulder until I am sitting in a chair at an empty table. He looms over me from behind, placing his hands down on the table as he looks down at me. “Are you gonna behave?”
I mock smile at him. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good,” he grunts and pushes off the table.
I can feel eyes on me and hear hushed whispers coming from a nearby table. The chair next to mine scoots out and a woman with dark bob cut hair plops down. “Hey girl, I’m Amber. That asshole at the dartboard is my old man.”
“Hi.”
“You must have a golden pussy to get Reaper to bring you here and make such a display of claiming you.’
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Pfftt. Please. The way he was standing over you all possessive letting the other men in the room know you’re with him. It was hawt. Rawrrr.” She purrs, and I can’t help but laugh.
“You’re funny.”
“I know but still…”
Reaper interrupts, sitting a bottled water down in front of me, keeping her from pressing me for information. “Don’t be trying to corrupt Harley here. She’s a guest from Drag Creek.”
Amber purses her lips together and says, “Oh. Well stick with me and I will make sure you have fun while you’re here.”
“The hell you will.”
“You aren’t still mad over the whole chili thing, are you?” I can tell she wants to laugh but is trying hard not to as she sips her drink through her straw.
“Chili thing?”
“Oh. It was glorious. MaryAnn had made a big pot of chili for the guys, and I thought it would be funny to put plastic wrap over the toilet seats.” She shrugs.
I scrunch my nose. “Eww.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“I bet.” I twist the cap off my water and take a long drink. Reaper’s eyes are trained on me.
“Think the two of you can stay out of trouble while I go kick Terror’s ass at darts?”
“Go on. She’ll be fine with me. Better she sits with me than those twats.” She hooks a thumb toward the table I heard the whispering coming from.
Reaper grunts and lights up a cigarette before leaving the table.
“So why don’t you like them?”
“Who? Oh. Them.” She frowns. “They are judgmental cunts who think their shit doesn’t stink. Think that being an old lady means they are better than everyone else around here.”
“Well they sound fun.”
“They wouldn’t know fun if he shoved his dick down their throats.” She smirks and sips on her drink while bouncing in her seat to the music.
I take another drink of my water wishing I had something stronger.
Terror, Amber’s old man shouts and pumps his fist in the air when he hits a bullseye.