Authors: Alexis Lauren
"Wow, quite impressive. Looks like ya'll have quite a load of drinks in front of you. Ya'll think you can handle all that alcohol?" asked a man of about 30, with black hair and green eyes. He had a pretty impressive build, but was dressed the same as every other person in the bar, with his Wranglers, cowboy boots, and cowboy hat.
Sierra and Willow looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "What, you think we can't keep up with you Country Boy?" Willow asked.
"Oh, ladies, ya'll have no idea. I doubt ya'll could ever keep up with my drinking skills, not to be rude." The man challenged.
Willow called the bartender over, ordered him 3 shots of Tequila Rose and 2 beers. She handed him his first shot and said "We're one ahead of you, you're on your own for this one." He took the shot and slammed it easily.
"Girls stuff!" He said cockily.
"Well, seems like they don't know how to mix drinks in this back woods establishment! We tried to get some better stuff, but no one has the mental capabilities to mix anything better." Willow snapped back. "Let's go, next two shots together!"
After the shots were gone, they started on their beers. "I'm Brody Harris by the way." He said to his two drinking competitors.
"I'm Sierra, this is Willow." Sierra made their introductions.
"Can I ask what ya'll two are doing in these parts? Ya'll definitely don't seem like southern girls." Brody asked.
Sierra waited for Willow to answer, but she chose to ignore Brody, so she answered for her. "Willow's mom just moved down here, and we're here to help her get moved in. We're from New York, and can't wait to get back there!"
"Interesting. Sounds like ya'll aren't exactly having a good time." Brody said.
"No really? What made you think that?" Willow asked using a sarcastic tone.
"Yikes, ya'll got a sharp tongue, don't ya?" Brody drawled. "I bet ya'll just don't like it because you haven't had anyone show ya around the right way. I could take ya under my wing and give ya a tour if ya'll want."
"Time for more shots!" Willow said.
"I'll take that as a no." Brody said.
By the end of the night, both girls were drunk and finally enjoying themselves. Brody was buzzed, not quite drunk. He had to admit, the girls definitely gave him a run for his money. He'd never seen any woman keep up as close as they had to him when drinking, and he was quite impressed.
After hanging out with Brody all night, the girls decided that he was actually pretty fun to hang out with, and they agreed to meet him there again the next night for a rematch. He left in a cab, and the girls went off in search of Lauren. When they found her, she was surrounded by a group of men, and was enjoying the attention. She decided to leave and drive the girls home before they passed out.
All in all, it was a fun night out for the three women.
Chapter 3 Becoming Friends
The girls spent the next day helping Lauren finish unpacking. The house was really shaping up. When the last box was finally unpacked, all three girls gave a yell of victory and collapsed on the living room furniture.
"So, do you girls have plans for tonight?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah, we're going back to that bar to meet up with Willow's new boyfriend." Sierra said. Lauren looked at Willow with curious eyes and saw her jaw drop.
"What? I thought Country Boy was your new man. Please, I have Joshua." Willow said, shocked at what her friend had said.
"Yeah right. Country Boy was drooling over you all night. He so wants you, and I think deep down you want him." Sierra shot back.
"Um, thanks but no thanks. I like my boys citified." Willow replied.
"Wow, you made friends already. I can just tell you'll be the next to move down here." Lauren said.
"Fat chance mom!" Willow yelled. "Come on crazy, let’s go get ready for your date tonight." Willow said to Sierra as she pulled her up off the couch.
Lauren laughed at the girls heading upstairs. She looked around her house with pride, thinking that she was going to enjoy living here, and everything was going to be alright finally.
As soon as the girls walked into the bar, they were met by Brody and a set of shots. "It's about time, I thought I was going to have to start drinking without ya'll!" Brody said as he handed them their shots.
"Easy Country Boy! Don't want you to shoot your load too quick now." Willow joked.
Brody leaned closer to Willow and whispered huskily in her ear, "That's never been a problem for me." His hot breath passing by her ear made Willow's knees go slightly weak.
Sierra shot Willow a glance as if to say "I told you so." Willow just rolled her eyes.
"So, when do ya'll return to the jungle, I mean New York." Brody asked smiling.
"Not soon enough, actually." Willow laughed. "We'll be flying out the day after tomorrow. Time to get back to the real world."
"So I only have tonight and tomorrow to convince ya'll to stay?" Brody asked mischievously.
"Yeah, but save your breath, it won't work. There is no chance in hell of us staying here." Willow said.
"Oh, no kidding! I can't believe it!" Brody yelled, looking at the door. He shot away from the girls and ran towards the door.
"Must be upset that his new girlfriend is leaving." Sierra teased Willow. "But seriously, I haven't heard you tell him about Joshua."
"What's to tell about Joshua, and what difference does it make. It’s not like I will see this guy after tomorrow anyways. You're making this out to be a bigger deal than it is." Willow said. She finished what she was saying just in time to be joined by Brody and another guy.
"Sierra, this is my long lost best friend, Micah. He just moved back here from Connecticut." Brody said as Sierra and Micah shook hands.
"How rude! I'm Willow by the way." Willow said and gave a dirty look to Brody.
"Sorry, I just knew that if I introduced ya to Micah then he'd have his sights set on you all night." Brody teased. When he said this, Sierra shot her "Told you so" look at Willow, and the four of them laughed.
After quite a few drinks, all four seemed to loosen up. Micah took Sierra out on the dance floor to try to teach her how to two-step. Brody asked Willow to dance, but she requested to wait for a slow song. As luck would have it, the next song was slow, and Brody pulled a reluctant Willow out onto the floor, where Micah and Sierra were already dancing close together.
When Brody pulled Willow against him, she felt as if an electric shock went through her body. She breathed in his scent and felt his muscles rippling underneath his clothing. She knew she wasn't supposed to feel so comfortable being this close to Brody, but she couldn't help it. She felt so safe in his arms, like nothing bad could go wrong in the world. 'What am I thinking? I know nothing about this guy, and he knows nothing about me. Besides, I will be gone the day after tomorrow and I won't ever see him again.' Willow thought.
"Well, don't they look cute." Micah said to Sierra, pointing out Willow and Brody. "You know, as soon as I walked in here, Brody told me about these amazing girls that I had to meet, but to stay away from Willow." He laughed. "I'm glad you're not Willow."
Sierra looked into his eyes and said "I'm glad I'm not Willow either." She started to lay her head on Micah's shoulder, then looked back up at him instead. "We're leaving soon though to go back to New York."
"Oh, they don't have telephones in New York, or e-mail?" Micah asked.
"Ha-ha smart ass. I just don't want to start something we can't finish." Sierra said. "Man, listen to me. I sounds like a helpless little girl. You'd never believe how independent both Willow and I are. Ok, let’s see where things take us. I mean, Willows mom would love for us to come and visit her all the time." She laughed. "I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, sorry. I tend to ramble when I get drinking."
Micah laughed, then put his hand under Sierra's chin and tilted it up so that he was looking in her eyes. "Like I said, I'm glad you're not Willow." And then he leaned down and touched his lips to hers, softly. He pulled back and smiled, and Sierra laid her head on his shoulder.
After the song ended, the lights came on in the bar telling everyone to go home. Micah and Brody escorted the girls outside of the bar where they stood trying to make plans for the next day.
"Ok, how about lunch? Do you think we could see ya'll outside a bar?" Brody asked.
"Sure Country Boy, that's fine." Willow said. "Where do you want to go for lunch, we'll meet you there."
"How 'bout ya'll meet us at my house, we'll go from there. Dress casually, if you have bathing suits, bring them." Brody decided.
"I guess so." Willow agreed, then got Brody's address and headed home with Sierra in a cab.
The next day, Willow and Sierra drove to Brody's house. Willow had to admit that the house looked like nothing she had ever seen, or had even imagined. 'He must live with his parents' Willow thought. The property value alone must have cost a ton, let alone an architecturally perfect house!
Brody and Micah met the girls out in the driveway. When Sierra got out of the car, Micah took her hand and kissed her cheek lightly.
Willow gave Brody a hug and said "You still live with your parents Country Boy?"
"Um, nope. It’s all mine. Sorry to disappoint you. But if ya'll really want to meet my parents, I can arrange that." Brody teased and Willow's face got beet red.
"Come on, let’s head out back." Micah spoke up and led the girls to the back yard and down a path.
When then got to the end of the path, the girls both gasped. In front of them was a beautiful, crystal clear lake. Off to the side was a table, all set up for a picnic. On the other side of where the table was, there was a dock, with a boat and two jet skis tethered to it.
"This is all your Country Boy? Did you win the lottery or something?" Willow asked.
"Actually, my grandparents left me a little bit of money when they died, and I've been working my ass off since I was 19 for the rest of it." Brody explained.
"Pretty impressive!" Sierra said.
"Yeah, and generous too. Brody is letting me move in with him since I sold my house when I left for Connecticut." Micah said.
"Ah, dang, that ain't nothing. Ya'll would be here all the time anyway, might as well let ya'll move in!" Brody teased, humbly. "Anyways, let’s eat. I can't wait to see what I cooked!"
"You mean what Lisa cooked?" Micah asked.
"Who's Lisa?" Willow asked, pretending not to care. Sierra looked at her with knowing eyes, seeing right through Willow's act to see that she was actually jealous.
"Um, Lisa's my cook and my maid." Brody blushed. "It’s not like I try to show that I have money, I just can't cook for shit and I'm pretty bad about cleaning up after myself.
The four of them laughed and sat down to eat. Lunch consisted of salad, mushroom chicken over yellow rice, and some kind of French dessert with angel food cake, pudding and strawberries.
"Wow, that was awesome Brody, thanks!" Sierra said.
"It was really good Country Boy. Thanks! I'm stuffed!" Willow said.
"I don't know where you put all that food in such a small body Willow." Brody laughed.
"Yeah, Willow sure can shovel it in. When I first met her, I used to follow her to the bathroom to see if she puked it up after she ate since she always ate so much and never gained weight." Sierra confessed.
"Yeah, nice after lunch comment there Sierra!" Willow punched her arm.
"Sorry!" Sierra apologized.
"Anyways. It was good, I'll have to tell Lisa ya'll enjoyed it." Brody said. "Hey, how 'bout a ride in the boat?"
"I don't know if you'll want to see me in my bathing suit after I consumed so much damn food!" Willow teased.
"Hell yeah I do!" Brody blurted out. "I mean…um…I uh…"
"Ok, let’s go boating!" Micah yelled and ran towards the boat. The girls laughed and followed him to the dock. Brody hung back for a minute, slapped his forehead for being stupid, then joined the others at the boat.
'Man alive, please let me get through the rest of this day without saying anything else stupid like that!' Brody thought as he got into the boat and headed out to the middle of the lake.
Chapter 4 Close But So Far Away
Brody and Micah spent the next hour showing Willow and Sierra different sites along the lake by boat. Willow couldn't help but think how absolutely beautiful it was on the lake, and how lucky Brody was to be able to live right beside it.
The foursome headed back to Brody's dock and decided to take the jet skis for a spin. They decided that Sierra and Micah would take the two jet skis out first, leaving Brody and Willow on the shore.
Willow took off her t-shirt and shorts to get some sun, and when she did this, Brody's jaw dropped. Willow laughed and said "Told you I shouldn't have eaten so much. Do I look like a beached whale or something?"
"NO! Not at all. I just didn't realize ya'll were in such good shape." Brody managed to stammer out.
"Well, thanks, I think." Willow laughed.
After Willow laid down on the beach towel to get some sun, Brody took his shirt off to join her. Willow snuck a look when his head was turned and was definitely impressed by what she saw. He was so different from Joshua. Brody looked good without even trying, whereas Joshua couldn't try harder but still didn't pull off the look that Brody easily did. 'UGH! Stop thinking of Brody like that. No need to compare them, you'll be gone tomorrow idiot!' Willow thought to herself.