Breene, K F - Jessica Brodie Diaries 01 (17 page)

What I did say: “Oh, um, I’m not
exactly sure. I thought you might know...”

Snotty waitress walked up with a
few empty bottles and a Sniffing-Poop type expression.

The bartender shifted his gaze to
her br**sts. “Hey, Denise, what’re them boys drinkin’?”

“They ain’t ready for a round.
Plus, it’s on a tab.”

“Right, yeah, I realize that.” I
leaned against the bar, advertising that I was an annoying bitch that intended
to get her way. If I didn’t order one now, those boys would never let me order
one at all. I wasn’t that type of girl. My friends went in rounds, each person
picking up the tab when their turn came. I wasn’t going to sacrifice my bar
ethics just because I moved states and some boys were willing to throw money at
me.

No matter how great that idea
sounded to a poor chick that could drink a lot.

“Still, I want to get them a round.
I’ll pay right now,” I persisted.

Snotty waitress stared at me for a
beat, her eyes scanned down my body in the way women did when sizing you up as
an intimidation tactic. It made me want to punch her in the face, which was
probably the opposite of what she was going for.

Noticing I didn’t plan to back
down, she turned to the bartender and rattled off an order. “You want
anything?” She threw that question over her shoulder at me.

“A full round, yes. Please.” The
bartender smirked and got to it.

I paid and wandered away, Randall
again in tow.

“Why didn’t you grab the beers?”
Randall whispered.

“She’ll take them. The guys will
tip her, thereby making it so I don’t have to. She was a bitch.”

“Yeah.”

Back in our section, and back at
our stools—Randall immediately headed in that direction—Adam once again found
us.

“Hi ya, Jess. Hi Randall. It’s
Randall, ain’t it?” Adam asked in a friendly way.

“Hey Adam,” I said happily.

“Yes, it’s Randall.” His voice was
monotone as he looked back the way we’d come. I patted his knee, waiting for
the shot to kick in. Hoping it kicked in. Soon.

Adam nodded and pretended not to
notice. “How do you two know each other?”

“We work together,” I said. “He’s
in I.T. and I am in Accounting.”

“Good stuff,” Adam said, still
smiling.

I finished my drink and noticed the
waitress was coming with her full tray.

Adam followed my look, then stood
rapidly. “Y’all it’s my round. Who went and got this ‘un?”

The waitress was even with me when
she said in a sultry voice, “The lady here got y’all the round.” She smiled and
batted her eyes. I rolled mine.

“Now, what’d you go and do that
for? Ladies don’t pay.” Adam had his hands on his h*ps like a mother scolding a
naughty child.

“That is very 1950’s of you, Adam.”

“Hey.” A new guy joined our stool
farm. His hair was a styled mess and his neck sported a necklace of white
shells that looked Hawaiian. It made him look like a surfer boy. A nicely
dressed one.

“Hello, I’m Brad,” he said. No
accent. “I met you earlier, but I’m sorry, I forgot your names…”

Randall sunk further into himself.
It was probably about time to go.

Trying to be friendly for the both
of us, I gave a gleaming smile and gave our names. Then how we knew each other.
Then said, “Adam, stop frowning, it’s rude.”

Adam snorted and took a sip of his
beer.

“Please excuse me; I have to use
the restroom,” Randall said, standing abruptly.

“Sure,” Brad said, nonplussed.

I watched Randall leave, my mouth
hanging open.

“Davies says you’re living at the
Peek place,” Brad continued, his attention back to me.

“Peek place?...Oh, Gladis Peek,
yeah, I am in her pool house.”

He smiled and nodded. “I have been
in that pool house. They used to have pool parties when I was a kid. That was
when Mr. Peek was alive and the family got along.

Well, got along better. I don’t
think they’ve ever been a close knit family.”

“It’s a pretty nice place.”

“Yeah, I always liked that place.
Gladis is a hoot!”

I laughed. He knew Gladis all
right. “She’s great. Treats me like her own daughter. Nice lady.”

“So, you’re from
California
?”

I nodded.

“How long have you been out here?”

“A couple months.”

“I’m from
Nevada
.
Not too far from
Reno
.”

“I’m sorry,” I said in mock
sympathy.

He laughed again. “Yeah, shit hole,
right? I came out here for college, then grad school. My grandparents are from
the area. That’s how I know the Peek’s. Knew the Peek’s, I guess.”

“When were you in
Hawaii
?”

He looked at me askew? “Who’s been
talking?”

It was my turn to laugh. “Shells.
They’ll give you away every time.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I do a couple
trips a year to
Hawaii
.”

“You should talk to Randall when he
gets back. He lived there for a while. Loved it!”

“I would move there but the work
front isn’t the best. Surfing is great. I’ve been to
L.A.
and
San Diego
, too—to surf, I
mean.”

That got us in a whole mess of
conversation. Where each of us lived, what places we liked, things that were
different, things we missed or didn’t. We could have kept going, but Randall
finally returned in his customary slouch.

“Hey Randall. Brad has been to
Hawaii
,”
I said, trying to immediately include him in the conversation.

“Oh.” He gave me a sour look.
“Look, Jessica, I’m not really into this scene.”

“Oh.” I threw Brad an apologetic
look and stood. “No problem. I’ll just go let Candace know.”

I glanced around at what I’d be
leaving. William was over in the corner talking to some guy in a cowboy hat. As
my eyes lingered on his face, his flitted up and met mine. A shock of
electricity scrambled my stomach. He was all the way across the room, but that
deep stare grabbed me and held on, pulling me in. I flushed and gasped at the
same time, breaking out in a sweat with the effort of ripping my eyes away.

Maybe leaving was for the best.
There would be other times I could dance. Now that I knew Ty’s crowd was in to
this sort of thing, I just had to make sure Candace called me when they came
here again—without William.

“Look, Jessica,” Randall said into
my preparation to leave, “I had a really nice time tonight, and you are
definitely fun, smart and engaging, but I’m not really into this scene. I’m not
into this lifestyle. I’d love to keep the pretense of us fitting together,
because I really like you, but I think we both know this couldn’t work.”

I was struck mute. He gave me a pat
on the shoulder with a sympathetic gaze. “Do you want to walk me out?”

It was our first date and he dumped
me. Maybe I should have been relieved, but…what the hell?

“Oh, okay,” I said through numb
lips.

“You headed?” Candace whined when
she noticed my wrap in my arms.

“Um…” I looked imploringly at
Randall.

“I am." Randall answered.
"Can you give her a ride home? She wants to stay but is too nice to say
so.”

Candace did one of those brow
furrows that had made worrying creases in her makeup. She was as perplexed as I
was. “Sure…”

I followed him with a numb body. I
could not believe what was happening. I could not believe he was planning to
leave me here, without a car, in the care of other people, when we’d come
together. On a date.

I was crushed, and not because I
thought there was a future for us. There wasn’t, he was right. But I had never
had this happen, and I had been with some real f**k-ups in my day.

He was supposed to be a nice guy!
Is this why they finish last? I thought with colorful distain. My anger level
was bubbling up to replace my hurt.

“Well, I’ll leave you here,”
Randall said when we were in the bar. He had a pitying expression on his face.
“I’m sure Mr. Davies will look after you. You know, since he has a vested
interest.”

“What are you talking about?” I
asked in a hollow voice.

He shook his head. “Money corrupts,
Jessica. Even the pursuit of it. Anyway, I’ll see ya around.”

I almost wanted him to try for a
kiss so I would have reason to slap him.

“Hey baby,” some idiot said on my
right.

“Fuck off,” I snapped and turned to
the bar.

I ordered a champagne cocktail,
then stewed for a second. The numb of bewilderment was wearing off. It had
literally come out of nowhere. People weren’t like that. They didn’t leave a
date behind. “That was so f**ked up!”

The guy next to me looked up,
startled. A glance at my expression had him shimmying down the bar, giving me
space.

I finished my drink much too quickly,
and decided that maybe I should just get a cab home. Nothing good could come of
drinking champagne with a bunch of single guys without someone to reign me in.
Nothing good at all!

Half way through the bar I noticed
Brad and William chatting up two girls.

He got down here quick.

William glanced up as my step
faltered, noticing my wrap in my hands, but no date. His eyes darted away, back
to some blond with black roots and huge, fake boobs less than half covered. My
eyes were shadowed by my lowering eyebrows.

Next to the friend of Fake Boobies,
Brad glanced up, then did a double-take as he recognized me. His smile made the
bosom buddy he was talking to frown.

“Hey Brad,” I stepped forward when
he opened his body to welcome me over.

“What, no drink?” He glanced down
to my wrap filled hands.

“Oh, uh, no. I think I might head.”

“Nonsense, have one more.”

William glanced back over his
shoulder, gave me a half-second flat stare, then returned to Boobie McGee.

Well, hell, screw you, man. I
thought sourly.

“Okay.” I sighed, allowing a
relieved smile. At least someone wanted me around.

Brad immediately dug for his
wallet.

I rested my hand on his arm to stop
his reach. “Relax, soldier, I got it.”

This time William looked at me
fully. His face showed no expression. Ordinarily I would feel self-conscious
that I was slightly cock-blocking, because Boobs-R-Us was pissed that I was
stealing attention, but at present, I didn't care. Not one bit.

Also, I was feeling slightly
vindictive. Being left at the bar will do that to a girl.

I dug in my arsenal. Oh, here’s a
good weapon. Taunting. My favorite.

“Do you and your lady friends want
a drink, Davies? I’m paying.” I was hamming it up, playing the sincere lamb.
Based on what I knew of his dad, and how he’d probably been raised, he did not
think a lady should pay for herself, or worse, for him. He’d be annoyed I
offered.

A fantastic scowl replaced the
blank face.

Ha!

Just as I was about to taunt him a
second time a solid beat vibrated through the bar scene. The DJ was up and running,
and he was spinning some good stuff!

“Brad, quick, dance!” I said
excitedly, grabbing his hands.

“Wha—no, Jess, I don’t—“

“C’mon!” I tugged at him, mostly
dragging him across the bar, not caring that William’s eyes were following our
progress.

Brad was right when he shook his
head no to dancing. He was doing the white man shuffle. No beat, no rhythm, no
clue as to what to do with his body. Shoulders bounced, arms flapped, and legs
shuffled from side-to-side. It was cute and hilarious at the same time. The
problem was, he was extremely intent on watching my body move, and happy to
move up close.

He was cute and fun with an easy
smile. But he was a stranger and I did not want to go home with him. I would
consent to give my number, if he wanted it, but that was as far as it could go.

I needed to tell Candace to remind
me of that when I was draped over him later.

Dance done, and Brad not needing to
suffer through another, we headed upstairs to Candace.

“I thought you left!” she
exclaimed.

“No. He wasn’t kidding when he
asked you for a ride. For me.”

“What a douche. Which I knew,
but…Well, I didn’t want to spoil your date. You’re better off!”

Perfect words. I smiled in relief.
We weren’t from the same pod, but we were still a couple'a peas. She was a good
friend.

“No more work dates." I nodded
at her. "Hey, What is Brad’s story?”

“Girlfriend two towns away.”

Damn it! “Really?”

“Apparently they are not around
each other much, but they are basically engaged. Why, you like him?”

“I was thinking about it. Not
anymore.”

A flash of blond drew my eye. “He
brought the boobs up.”

“What?”

I pointed. Candace noticed the
girls and rolled her eyes. She shrugged, unconcerned. She had her man.

A cocktail later I was standing at
the balcony, surveying the dancers below. The floor was half-full of people
with a fairly good grasp as to how to move their bodies. Not great, but there
were a lot of white guys that, in their youth, were too busy being taught to
run the world and missed the lessons on rhythm.

“Drink.”

Startled, I noticed Adam with a
drink thrust my direction.

I smiled and accepted. “Thanks. You
seem to be following me around tonight. Not that I mind.”

He chuckled. “I can talk to these
guys any ol’ time. Why do that when there’s a beauty to talk to instead?”

“What about those blond ones?”

“Beauty, I said.”

I laughed.

His soft brown eyes took me in.
“You seem down in the mouth. What’s up?”

“Nada mucho, Senior.”

“In other words, you don’t need no
never mind.”

“I have no idea what that means,
Adam.”

“Leave ya the hell alone.”

“Yeah, that’s about it.” I laughed
and settled on to the railing with drink in hand.

“So...” He leaned against the
railing with me, sharing a moment.

“Adam, you’re not going to hit on
me, are you?” I blurted without thinking. He let out a bark of a laughter and
rubbed his chin. I immediately backpedaled in absolute horror. “I’m sorry! Oh
my God, that was so rude! I’m so sorry! I’ve had a weird night with guys. You
want to hit on me, take your best shot! I’m totally up for it!”

“Totally!” he mocked. He hadn’t
straightened up in anger or embarrassment, somehow steering through my
craziness with expertise. “I was half thinkin’ on it. But I reckon you’re too
much woman.”

Ouch. But then, I’d just thrown
water on his fire!

I took a moment to reflect while I
took a sip. He was attractive and just as much a gentleman as William, but… I’d
just never thought of him that way. He was good-looking, yes, but when you
first meet someone during an attempted rape episode... For some reason he just
fit snuggly in the “friend” category, and up until that second I’d thought he
was on the same page.

But then, he had a penis. I should
have seen it coming.

“Joking,” Adam said as he bumped
shoulders. “No, I wasn’t hittin’ on ya. God knows there are enough men here to
do that without me adding in, but I know there’s sum’in wrong.”

I relaxed. Definitely friend
category.

“Just missing my girlfriends, is
all. I need to liven up a little.”

“You swing that way?”

“Har har. I swear you boys have all
the same jokes.”

“Ah now, that ain’t fair.”

“Adam?”

“Yup?”

“What is with the boobie twins?”

He hesitated, not looking over his
shoulder where a few guys were chatting them up. “What do you mean?”

“Well, they aren’t beautiful. I
mean... sorry, they are pretty, but a little store bought, you know?”

Adam shrugged. “Any girls’r better
than a sausage fest.”

“Why not some cuter girls?”

“There’ll be others. Those girls’ll
be taken down for a dance right quick. Then they’ll probably get left behind
and new girls brought up. Same ol’ story.”

“Ah. That makes more sense.” It
did, too. Boys will be boys, after all. And these boys were on the prowl. Best
to steer clear of those interested in the blonds.

A lightning bolt struck. “Wait. Am
I one of those girls? If I go down to dance, is that it for me?”

Adam nodded soberly, waited until I
shriveled, then laughed and pulling me into a one-armed hug. “You’re a world’s
fair ass, you know it? You are one of the boys. Prettiest one, but one in the
same. Besides, if we left you down there, you’d just spit n’ yell and find your
way back up.”

It was only funny ‘cause it was
true. That, or Candace would freak out and drag Ty down to find me. I was happy
that at least I had some backup.

We watched the dancers in silence
for a second before I felt another presence. My intestines tightened up. Must
be William.

“Adam, I think it’s about time to
discuss the rules of the dance off.”

I took a step back, angry but
unsure why. William’s eyes, filled with humor, followed. His elation melted.
“You okay?”

My hands curled into fists. I
suddenly wanted to take out my life’s troubles on someone, and he was enemy
number one. He was the reason I was completely ass backwards. Happy, sad,
aggressive, left by my date! It was all his fault, I was sure of it.

Blue eyes drifted over my face,
then down to my tense arms. He held out his hands slowly, as if dealing with a
rabid creature. “What’s the matter? What’d I do?”

Georgie’s coon hunting comment came
back to me. In a whoosh, I let out the breath I was holding and sagged against the
banister.

Except, it was farther away than I
originally thought.

In the next second I was falling,
arms flayed, worried I would crash through the railing and plummet to my death
on the dance floor. I’d thought it millions of times in my life, but this one
could actually be a reality.

William stepped forward gracefully,
scooping me up before my shoulder and head hit the top of the railing. My
champagne glass went flying.

“Oh shit!” I breathed, held by
William.

We all watched the progress of the
glass, flying end-over-end, to the hard ground below. It sparkled a second
before it hit, waving good-bye, before it shattered, glass and liquid
splattering the dirty carpet.

“Hide!” I shouted, trying to get
out of William’s grasp.

“That could’ve been bad,” William
said, not letting me go despite my efforts. He was being an adult about all
this, watching to make sure no one stepped in the glass. He motioned for a
security staff member on the ground to check into it.

“Missed everyone. We ain’t over a
walkway.” Adam looked out as far as possible to get a glimpse under the
overhang of the balcony. “Good thing it ain’t more crowded.”

Both guys turned to look at me. In
that moment, I realized that the problem wasn’t William, it was that I was
drunk.
Champagne
can really sneak
up on a girl.

“What?” I asked, looping my arms
underneath William’s so I could put my fists on my hips. “Someone moved that
railing—that wasn’t my fault!”

They continued to stare.

“I’m drunk so it didn’t count as a
failing?”

Adam blinked. William’s lips were
curling upward slowly, as if he couldn’t believe a person like me existed.

“Okay, okay—you got me--it was the
drink's fault. Seriously, William, what do they put in that beverage?”

Laughing, William straightened me
up, and made a show of gently leaning me against the banister. He removed his
hands, palms up in the air, as if stacking a card house and worrying that it
might fall over.

“Oh, give over. What about this
dance off?” I asked, waving my hand away. “Also, someone stole my drink. I need
another.”

Adam finally broke, clutching his
chest and laughing. “Are all
California
’s
this ass-crazy?”

I shrugged. “I’m not crazy, I’m
fun. Pity you Texan’s can’t tell the difference.”

When I looked back at William, his
face had closed down again. All blank. Staring. Even slightly hostile. The man
had worse moods than a woman in the height of PMS!

“Okay, I’m going to…” I gave a
weird body point in the general direction of the section’s exit, as if I was
revving up to head that way. When William didn't let on he knew what I was
relaying, I started that way. I figured I might hit the bathroom, have a glass
of water, then catch a cab.

Adam was still laughing as I walked
away.

I stood on a very high precipice,
looking down. It was jagged and rocky and extremely dangerous. It was the
stairs. I was looking down at my early death

I looked across the expanse of the
world and saw a few guys from our area standing at the railing, watching my
progress. William and Adam probably made up two of those, though I couldn’t be
sure because beer goggles tended to be near-sighted. Or was it far-sighted.

“I’m not good at math,” I muttered
drunkenly, shrugging. I needed a seeing-eye dog.

“Problem?”

It was the gruff bouncer from the
first roped hurdle into the VIP area. He was just cresting the stairs, his
muscles bulging through his black t-shirt. Being that he was in his forties,
that was an achievement.

“Well,” I began, clutching the
railing in case I slid down, then rolled, then tumbled, then split my head
open, “heels, steep steps—wow, that was hard to say—and drunk, which I am not,
of course, is a terrible combination.”

“You’re not drunk at all, no.
That’s obvious,” he said in dead pan.

“Exactly. So, kind sir, it has come
clear to me. I wondered, in the most sincere sort of way, if you would be so
kind as to help me down the stairs?”

“What do I get out of it?”

“Well, your face intact, for a
start.” I curled a fist and mock growled at him.

Come morning, I would be
embarrassed I did that.

His head whipped back as if I had
struck him. He started laughing. “Feisty one, huh? C’mon.”

He held out his arm and I clutched
it. Wobbly, but managing.

“How you gonna get back up?” he
asked economically.

“Easy.”

“How?”

“Don’t know yet.”

He shook his head. “You should slow
down or you won’t make the night.”

“Don’t I know it! Definitely. Gonna
make an ass of myself on the dance floor first. Look for me!”

We reached the bottom and I headed
off into the crowd.

Deep into the crowd. I was way more
messed up than I thought I was.

A Madonna classic re-mastered came
on. I danced like it was going out of style. Probably threw too much hip at it.
Probably rubbed my body too much. Definitely threw one too many stripper moves
in the mix. Obviously didn’t care. I was going for it!

Men came and went. Some more
persistent than others. All turned away, of course. I was too drunk to make
solid decisions and I didn’t have my girls to give me the yay or nay. Plus,
new
city
; must be good.

“FOCUS!”

I just yelled that at myself.
Embarrassing. I looked around at the bobbing, blurry faces. Nobody noticed.

Time to head away. Beer time. I
felt more sober. Hopefully everyone else felt more drunk.

Man, I was sweaty. Dancing gets the
heart rate up.

I made it to the stairs, dancing
all the way. There was no one going up.

Precarious predicament.

*Giggle*

I saw the bouncer that escorted me
down a moment ago at the top of the stairs. Like he was a bus about to miss my
stop, I waved at him with both hands. He might have looked at me funny, but it
was hard to say because there were two of him.

“Well, that sucks.” I took a big
breath and put my foot on the first step. I could definitely make it. All I had
to do was keep my focus the whole time.

“No issues.”

I moved toward the railing. I
probably looked the fool. It was another thing I would care about tomorrow.

“Hold up. Hold on there, I’m
comin’.”

The bouncer to the rescue!

He reached me in a bound and stuck
out his arm. I loved
Texas
!

“I was nearly going to chance my
life to the railing,” I gasped, winded from all the dancing.

He chuckled. “I saw that. You
should wear smaller shoes.”

“And you shouldn’t mother me.
You’re no good at it.”

He shook his head. “I come down to
help you and see what I get?”

“Abuse. I am some bitch, aren’t I?”

“You got that right. Here, I’ll
walk you to the back. You with the Chamberlin booth?”

“I don’t know who that is. Adam,
Candace, Apollo, Ty, Brad...he has a girlfriend. Shame.”

The bouncer patted my hand. I
noticed he had a wedding ring. Good. He wouldn’t hit on me. And if he did, I
had a great excuse to jump ship without hurting his feelings.

We got to our area and Adam,
William and Ty were looking at me from the railing. The bouncer nodded to them,
smiled at me, and headed off with a “Ma’am.”

I walked in nearly a straight line
to Adam and friends. “Hey boys. Nice guy, that guy. Didn’t have to brave the
stairs alone. Now, where were we? Oh yes, that’s right, rules. Or am I too
drunk?”