Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
I went to the Lucky Lady early, stepping up to the bar by myself. It was just before seven, and the band was setting up. It was a country cover band, and I knew the guitarist. He had been into the lumberyard to pick up some pieces for a shed he was working on. He was a little bit older than me but still cute.
I grabbed a beer and walked over to inspect their work. The entire band stopped what they were doing when they caught sight of me. The attention was rewarding. I felt like a princess among commoners, like I had something that everyone else wanted. Never mind that I knew exactly what they wanted, and I didn’t actually plan on giving it up.
“Aly, right?” the guitarist said.
The rest of the band went back to their instruments, assuming that I was spoken for.
“That’s right,” I said. “I didn’t know you were in a band.”
“It’s not a big thing,” he said, dismissing the compliment. “We play nights and weekends sometimes.”
I nodded. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
“Thanks.” He came down off the stage to talk to me. “I thought you were with that soldier.”
I shrugged. “Things don’t always go as planned.”
“Okay.” He grinned, sensing an opening. “I’d love to buy you a beer if you stick around till our set’s done.”
“We’ll see.” I smiled, not giving an inch.
“Still at the lumberyard?” It seemed he didn’t want to let me go.
“Jacob!” the lead singer called.
“Gotta go,” Jacob said apologetically.
I nodded without caring, wandering back to the bar. There was another guy leaning up against the brass railing, checking me out. “Hi,” I said.
“Hi yourself.” He smiled. “You waiting for someone?”
“Just my girlfriend,” I answered.
“How come I haven’t seen you around here before?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been around.”
“I bet you have.” He winked.
Eww. I moved away. It was one thing to dress up and flirt with people, but it was another to dive headfirst into another bad situation. That guy was trouble, and I didn’t want trouble. I wanted something to take my mind off Linc. I wanted people to tell me I was pretty, to notice me and not push me away. But I didn’t want to jump in the sack with anyone tonight.
I was relieved to see Gina enter the bar moments later. I gave her a hug and we found a seat. “That’s some outfit you’re wearing,” she said.
“Thanks, Mom,” I chastised.
“Okay, okay. So, tell me what happened.”
I sighed. I had already begun to feel better. The attention and the alcohol were making a difference. I was afraid that if I opened up about the events of the morning, I would start to cry again. There didn’t seem to be any way around it, however. Gina wouldn’t appreciate being put off. I was determined to get the story out without breaking down.
“Linc broke up with me,” I began.
“Porter said that he panicked when he saw you looking at him and Seth—whatever that means.” She shrugged.
My jaw dropped. So it was about Seth? It hadn’t been anything I had said or done, but a look I had given him? Of all the unfair, chauvinistic, messed-up things for him to do, freaking out over a look was chief among them.
I must have been seething because Gina recoiled slightly. “You didn’t know that?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Tell me what happened,” she encouraged.
I swallowed and forced the story out. “He asked if he could spend the night, and everything seemed great. He was all over me. We had sex twice, and he slept on the couch. Then he told me that he couldn’t see me anymore, and I drove him to work.”
I took a long drink to wash the bitter taste out my mouth.
“Am I allowed to apologize for him?” Gina asked.
“No.”
“Do you want me to murder him?” she joked. “He’s got military training, but I’m sneaky.”
I smiled. “That would be nice.”
“Aly, I’m so sorry,” she said again. “You don’t deserve to be treated that way.”
“It’s not your fault. You tried to warn me.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think he would do this.” She seemed at a loss to explain her own brother.
I finished off my beer. “Well, he did. But I’m going to put it all behind me. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay,” Gina agreed. “I thought you might be on the prowl tonight, so I wore this.” She opened her arms so I could get a good look at the blue satin top she wore.
“Nice,” I said.
“Where’d you get that skirt?” she asked. “It looks like something out of the nineties.”
“I prefer to call it vintage.” I laughed.
The bar had begun to fill up. Guys and gals were mingling on the dance floor, and the band had stepped up to the mic.
“I’d like to thank you all for coming out tonight!” the lead singer shouted. They opened their first song with a cover of “I Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash.