From my periphery, I caught Fork’s eyes graze me and then go back to the television above the bar where a news station was on mute, subtitles scrolling. There was space beside him, so I decided to step up.
“Hey,” I said from beside him.
God, he was tall. And built. He had meat on his bones as well as muscle. And I fucking liked it. A bunch. Brady was on the other side of him, talking to Scooter and Bronto.
He didn’t answer my greeting; his eyes remained on the TV.
I bumped him with my shoulder. Yep. Bravery. I meant business tonight.
“I said, ‘hey’.” I looked up and waited as I got comfy on my stool.
His eyes took forever to leave the screen. They moved down to land on me and they were annoyed. Annoyed like I was a little mosquito buzzing around him in a dark room. And it hurt a little, but I didn’t let it show.
“Jack ‘n Coke, Lil’ John,” I called out to the passing bartender. He was a big fella with the disposition of a giant happy teddy bear.
“Jojo! Whadaya know! I thought I sent a drink over two minutes ago, little darlin’.”
“Oh, did you? I’ll be double fisted then. The girls’ll watch that for me.” I shrugged and reached into my boot, which had a pocket inside it that was big enough for money, my phone, and a lipstick and mascara. I pulled out a twenty.
“And whatever Christian’s havin’,” I added.
His eyes burned into me for a split second and I felt them sear me, before they moved to the burly biker bartender in front of us. “Naw, J, I’m good. Thanks anyway.” He gave the ‘thanks anyway’, without looking at me and said it like it was painful to verbalize.
I frowned. “You’re almost empty. Two swigs and you’ll be ordering. Why not let me buy you a beer?”
He looked at me sourly, threw back the last of the bottle with a big gulp, set it down on the bar, hard, and then he walked off.
Walked off! My head spun to follow him as he headed up the two steps toward the dartboards where I saw a bunch of cuts with eagle-driven motorcycles on them.
This gap left me beside Brady who had definitely been paying attention.
And I was a little, no, actually a lot put out by it. So, I hopped off my stool, hearing Brady mutter my name under his breath, but I ignored that calling out, “Tab, little John,” shoved the twenty back into my boot and headed the two steps up to the darts and billiards area, which was elevated at the same level as the stage it faced, the dance floor between. The billiards and darts area was crawling with people, as it was most nights, especially Saturday nights. Saturdays often saw live bands though was most often a girlie dance night with Scooter as DJ or even with just the jukebox, which we’d leave the key in for on Saturday nights.
Suddenly, music went louder than the din of conversation, glasses tinkling, and pool balls hitting one another because the band, AbstractED was on stage and playing, and they were covering Badfish by Sublime. No intro, they just got up there and launched straight into that song.
Below the pool and darts area was the dancefloor and people were moving in to watch the band and get their groove on.
The band was good. Way good. And I knew this already after being there at the bar when my dad auditioned them. Not only was the singer hot and flirting with me that day (nearly losing him the gig because Dad got surly about it), but they sounded fantastic and I’d told my father he was crazy if he didn’t book them in multiple times. They did Sublime and Magic! covers for their audition and gave us a list of other similarly styled covers they did. They played one of their own songs during the audition too and I knew just by hearing it that they could make it big. They would. I was sure of it.
I’d come in and run into the singer and his manager again a few days after that when they’d come in to do a sound check and bring some of their equipment in plus go over some stuff with Dad.
Both times, the singer, Chase, had flirted despite my dad’s obvious attitude about it. If I didn’t have my eye on someone else, I’d have found it extremely hot that my father’s attitude didn’t seem to dissuade him. It was rare. Like… blue moon rare.
Chase was tall, fit, and hot with a look that was almost too pretty about him. I was fairly certain that all he had going on with the looks, the swagger, and the full lips got him laid after every gig. He looked at me like I was naked.
“Don’t worry Daddy, I don’t go for rock stars. I go for bikers. You know this,” I’d said under my breath when my dad gave him a dirty look for very obviously ogling me the second time on their way in the door with more of their gear.
Dad had chuckled and said, “And lord help the biker you next set those aqua eyes on, darlin’.”
I’d gone into a mini daze at that comment.
“Fuck no. Who is it?” Dad had growled at me.
Shit. Me and my secret-telling face.
“No one,” I defended slash lied, but defended because my expression wasn’t about the who, it was about the past.
Dad made a grumble sound that meant ‘bullshit’ but made no further comment. Though he made no comment, he gave Chase another dirty look.
“It’s just that the last one I set my sights on… you know… died.” My voice was extra-low when I said that.
Dad’s expression went angry and then softened as he pulled me in for a tight hug. “I know, punkin, and that is not your fucking fault.” He whispered this into my hair, kissed my head and then moved away.
As I walked by Chase on my way to the kitchen, he bit his lip and leaned over, giving me a smoldering look. “Got a bike and a guitar, pretty girl.”
I jerked back in surprise.
“Lip reader,” he said. “Good skill to have.”
“Yeah. Uh… handy. Sorry. Got my eye on somebody already, but thanks for the confidence boost.”
He smirked. “Well, you got a lot to be confident about.” He winked and sauntered off.
He definitely had it goin’ on. But again, I had my eye on someone else.
I was a one-man woman. Or, would be, as far as I figured, because I’d never had a real out-in-the-open relationship to actually test that out. And I wanted one. Badly.
***
“Hey. It feels like you got a problem with me,” I said to the tall, blond biker god I had my eye on after having run to catch up to him as he was just about to get to the guys at the dartboards. I didn’t want anyone to hear.
He spun and looked down at me with annoyance.
“Why would I have a problem with you?” he snapped.
“Why won’t you let me buy you a beer?” I fired back.
“Why would you buy me a beer?” he returned.
I blew out a long breath while I quickly tried to think of an answer. “Well…” and then I bit down on my lip and shrugged. “Because I’m nice like that. Don’t look a beer gift horse in the mouth.” I licked my lips. “You wanna play the question game all night or you wanna get drunk with me?”
His eyes dropped to my mouth and this made my body tingle. His eyes crinkled like he was about to smile but he seemed to physically shake it off.
“I’m good. Thanks anyway.” He turned, dismissing me and I felt a little bit of outrage at being dismissed so I tapped on his shoulder while trying to tamp it down.