Tessa's Turn

by Jill Sanders

  By the time she had said, “Ouch,” John was no longer sitting next to her. Instead, he was pulled up close to Luke, so their noses were practically touching.

  “You’re leaving now,” he softly growled out.

  John chuckled again. “Why don’t you leave us? We’re just catching up on old times.” John reached to push Luke, but Luke was quicker and pushed him towards the front door.

  Just then a group of cops came in. One of them was Wes Tanner, Haley’s husband. When John saw the group, he looked back towards her and smiled. “Guess we’ll catch up later.” His eyes moved to Luke and the smile fell away. Then he turned and left.

  She’d been frozen. Her legs were rubbery, and she doubted that she would have been able to move even if the building was on fire.

  “Are you okay?” Luke stood next to the booth.

  She nodded her head, keeping her eyes glued to her hands on the tabletop.

  “Hey,” he said, sitting across from her, reaching out for her hands. “He didn’t hurt you did he?”

  She shook her head slowly from side to side. “I’m okay.” She focused on her breathing. In. Out. Slowly. Heard each heartbeat as she closed her eyes until her heart settled.

  Things came back to her. First, she heard the music pumping from the jukebox. Merle Haggard was singing “Mama Tried,” a song she’d grown up hearing over and over from her own father’s favorite collection.

  Then there were the wonderful smells from the kitchen, and she realized she’d come to Mama’s not only to work, but to eat.

  The fact that John had scared and upset her so much that she’d only thought about running pissed her off.

  When her eyes moved up to Luke’s, he smiled. “There, that’s the look I like to see in those brown eyes of yours.” He nodded and leaned back, taking his hand away and crossing his arms over his impressive chest.

  “What look?” she asked, taking a deep, cleansing breath.

  “The I-should-have-kicked-his-ass look.” Her eyebrows shot up. “As opposed to the scared, cornered, kitten from a minute ago.”

  Her chin rose up quickly. “Scared kitten?”

  He laughed and nodded. “If you’d seen yourself a moment ago, you would agree.”

  Closing her eyes once more, she sighed. “Okay, maybe I can see that. But…” She glanced towards the door, then over to the group of cops sitting across the room, laughing at a joke. “Why I ever wasted a moment dreaming about that boy in school eludes me now.”

  Luke glanced over towards the door with a slight frown. “Most popular kids grow up to be jerks.”

  Her eyes moved back towards his. “Didn’t you say you used to be popular?”

  He smiled. “I suppose so.”

  “How did you break the stereotype?”

  His smile fell away. “That’s a long story.” He glanced around the brightly lit room. “And one for another time.”

  She nodded just as a waitress walked up to them.

  “Sorry, hun. It’s been a zoo in here today. Are ya’ll ready to order?”

  Luke looked towards her in question, so she nodded quickly. “Join me?” she asked.

  His smile was his answer.

  They ordered lunch, then talked about some of the terrible things Johnny Drake and his clan had done to her growing up. She even forgot that Christy and Stephany were still sitting across the room from them.

  Luke told her stories of what he’d gone through in school. It seemed that even the popular kids had troubles.

  She couldn’t stop herself from laughing at the story he told of the time he’d been shoved into and locked in the girl’s locker room.

  “It seemed that the ladies PE teacher had taught them all kickboxing that year.” He chuckled and finished off his burger. “I walked out of the locker room ten minutes later with more bruises on me than after football season and basic training combined.”

  She smiled. “I always thought I was the only one who’d ever gone through something like that.”

  He leaned forward and pushed his plate to the edge of the table. “So, you’ve been locked in the lady’s locker room before, too?”

  She leaned forward. “More than once. However, it was usually after hours and all the lights had been shut off. Or they had stolen all my clothes and I had to wait for my mother to bring me a change of clothes.”

  His smile slid from his lips. “There’s a difference between harmless fun and just being cruel.”

  “I’m over it.” She leaned back and glanced around. The lunch hour had come and gone. Now the place was almost empty and quiet, except for the jukebox wailing out Conway Twitty singing about tight-fitting jeans.

  “I…” She swallowed. “I wanted to see if you wanted to go to the Rusty Rail this Thursday. Alex and Grant are going to try out a few more of my new songs.”

  “I haven’t been there yet.”

  Her eyebrows shot up, then she smiled. “It’s a requirement to live here. I remember the first time my folks took me there. Sunday evenings, they open it up for families. My father used to spin me around the dance floor for hours.” She leaned back and lost herself in the memories. “I used to love watching my folks sway on the dance floor. My mother used to be a dancer.” She stopped and focused on his eyes. “Ballet.” When he nodded, she continued. “She was so smooth. She and my dad were easily the best dancers out on the floor.”

  “I don’t dance,” he blurted out. She watched his face and his eyes.

  “You don’t have to dance, just bring your ears.”

  He still looked unsure, so she quickly added, “Lauren and Chase are going to be there, too.”

  “What time?”

  “Karaoke starts at five and open mike usually starts around seven.”

  He nodded, then moved to get out of the booth. He picked up the check and she reached for his hand. “I can—”

  He shook his head. “I’ve got this. Thanks for letting me sit with you. There weren’t any open tables when I arrived.” He smiled. “I’ll see you Thursday.”

  She nodded and watched him walk to the cashier to pay. She moved back fully into the booth and flipped open her laptop.

  The words flew from her fingertips as she typed up a song about her parent’s lives that she titled “Smooth Dancers.” The story of how they had met had always been one of her favorites. The words on the screen told the story of a dancer falling for a cowboy with two left feet and the years it took them to learn to glide across the dance floor as they fell madly in love with one another.

  By the time she shut down her computer, there were tears in her eyes at the beauty she had created and the wonder of her parents’ lives.

  When she got back to the house, she wrapped her arms around her father and held onto him with everything she had. Here was a man who had grabbed and worked hard for everything he’d ever wanted.

  Even though she’d grown up desperately wishing for younger, more hip parents, she realized now that she’d had the best role models she could have ever hoped for. Parents that were not only hardworking but who actually loved one another, something she’d always dreamed of having one day.

  Luke shuffled across the floor and wished more than anything that he’d told Tessa he was going to be busy that night. He glanced around the darkened room, searching faces he didn’t know as he looked for hers.

  Finally, he spotted her near the stage. Walking over to the bar, he ordered a beer to help him relax before making his way towards the front.

  “I haven’t seen you in here before.” If an award could be given for having the sexiest purr, the woman leaning on the bar next to him would have won a medal. The scent of her strong perfume hit him a moment later. Her white shirt was open at the top, showing an impressive amount of cleavage. A large iron cross sat directly between the mounds, causing his eyes to focus on the shiny metal. Her long red hair was tossed over one shoulder and almost matched the color of her lips perfectly. She was wearing a very short pair of shorts and red cowgirl boots.
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  “First time I’ve been in here,” he said, tossing down some cash for the drink. He turned to make his way towards the front, but the redhead stopped him by putting a hand on his chest and moving closer.

  “I’m Christy Hinze.” She rubbed her hips up against his. “You’re Lucas, right?”

  He nodded, feeling all the saliva dry up in his mouth. Okay, so maybe it had been too damn long since he’d enjoyed the feel of a woman next to him. Any woman. Back when he was running around, Christy would have just been what he’d needed.

  “Maybe you’d like to join me? I have a private booth”—she tossed her head to the left— “back there. We could be alone, you know, get to know one another.”

  Her body rubbed up against his and for a moment, he thought about taking her up on the offer, but then the sounds of screaming and tires squealing broke into his mind, almost sending him back a full step. With his empty hand, he set her aside. “Sorry, I’m meeting some friends.” He stepped away.

  “Maybe next time,” she purred in his ear before he walked away.

  By the time he reached Tessa and the group she was with, the redhead was already out of his mind and he’d recovered from the sharp memory.

  “Wow, I’m impressed,” Grant said when he shook his hand. “Most men don’t get past Christy the first time.”

  Luke glanced back at the redhead, who was sitting in her booth with another man she’d pulled into her web. “I’ve been caught in a web-like that before.” He turned back to the group.

  Grant slapped him on his back. “Some webs are better than others.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around his wife.

  “You’re not the one getting up on the stage, are you?” he asked Tessa.

  She turned to him after taking a drink of her own beer. “I will be singing one song.” She glanced around the room. “It still makes me nervous. Especially since it’s people I know. You’d think that after doing this a few times, it wouldn’t bother me so much.”

  “Few times?” he asked, leaning against the high-top table.

  “Sure, we’ve been trying out my songs here for some time now.” She turned and looked around the room again. “There are more people this time than before.”

  He reached out to run a hand down her arm. “I’m sure everyone will love them.”

  She chuckled slightly and turned back towards him. “It’s stupid, being so nervous.”

  “No, not at all.” His hand once more came up to her skin. She was wearing a black tank top that spilled low in the front and only had a long piece of metal holding it up over each shoulder and down the back. Her jean skirt and black boots were sexier than any heels and dress he’d ever seen on a woman in the city. She had on a black cowgirl hat and large hooped silver earrings, which finished the look perfectly. Her hair was tied back with a black ribbon and curled in loops he wished he could run his fingers through.

  He’d denied himself for so long, he was finding it harder and harder to keep his mind off of his desires when he was around her. Funny, he’d had no problem brushing off the redhead a few moments ago, but when it came to Tessa…

  He took a deep breath and smelled the soft scent of her perfume and for a moment, dreamed of burying his face in the soft spot behind her ear and drinking it in.

  “Maybe if you took a spin around the dance floor first, you might get your mind off of your nerves?”

  Her eyes moved to his. “I thought you said you didn’t dance?”

  “Don’t. Not can’t.” He took her hand as the next song started up. He couldn’t have planned a better song if he’d tried. Willie Nelson crooned to “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

  When he wrapped his arm around her, she moved closer to him and placed her arm over his shoulder and smiled up at him.

  “Perfect song,” she murmured, and he nodded back.

  “That’s what I’m here for,” he said as he started moving. For the first time in his life, he was grateful for the dance lessons he’d been forced to take as a child in middle school gym class. Thankful that the great state of Texas had always played by their own rules and had kept that requirement for learning.

  She felt great in his arms as they moved slowly around the dance floor. Several other couples flooded around them until the small dance floor was completely full.

  “This is something I’ve always dreamed of.” She sighed and glanced around.

  He smiled. “What? Dancing with me?”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Not that this isn’t nice, but this…” She nodded around. “Making people feel this with the words I write. Having couples fall in love while swaying to my songs. Making people think, feel more while listening to something I created.”

  His smile grew as he moved her closer. “I’ve always wished I had a talent like you do.”

  Her eyes moved to his and her eyebrows shot up. “I’m sure there’s something you’re good at.”

  He thought about it. “Not really. I mean, in school I was okay at sports. In the forces, I was as good as the rest. I’ve been told I have a good head for business. But, I suck at painting and…” He chuckled at himself. “I couldn’t write a poem if my life depended on it. Or, to be more exact, if a relationship depended on it. That’s how I lost my very first girlfriend in third grade.”

  Her chuckle almost caused his steps to falter. The smoothness and sexiness of the soft sound was intoxicating. He was determined to hear it at least a dozen more times that night.

  “Well, maybe you have hidden talents…” She moved back slightly and glanced up and down at him. His entire body tightened as her eyes roamed. “You’re pretty good at dancing.”

  “Thank you.” He pulled her closer to hide the fact that he was getting a little nervous with her looking at him like that.

  “Can you sing?”

  He thought about it. “I’m not terrible at it.”

  “Can you play an instrument?” she asked as the song came to an end.

  “I taught myself guitar in high school. My girlfriend…” He shook off the thoughts. “Yeah, I’m okay on guitar.”

  “I’d like to hear… that is if you want? Maybe you can help me sometimes. I’m mediocre at playing and sometimes I just want to hear what I’ve written from someone who’s better.”

  He thought about it and nodded as they made their way back to the table. “How about another beer?” He nodded towards her empty glass.

  “Sure.” She glanced down at her watch and then over to Alex and Grant. “They’ll be starting soon.”

  “I’ll be back in a few.” He took her empty glass and his and made his way towards the bar.

  He had to catch his breath after dancing with Tessa. Just a moment to catch up on his own thoughts. For his mind to catch up to his body, which was currently full of all sorts of desires. Desires he was trying to avoid at all costs.

  “Get bored of Tracy already?” The redhead pushed her entire body up against his.

  Moments ago, he’d seen her pressing that busty body up against another man as they swayed on the dance floor. Glancing around, he looked for the man but didn’t see him within sight.

  “Just getting a few more beers.” He nodded to the bartender and held up two fingers. The man nodded and poured two tall ones.

  “Well, if you do get bored…” She reached up and slowly slid a piece of paper into his front jean’s pocket. Her fingers brushed against him, causing his body to instantly react. He cursed silently and pulled away, then threw a twenty on the counter and grabbed up the two beers and walked away.

  By the time he reached Tessa, he was brewing. He hated it when his body reacted, and his mind wasn’t in control.

  “Thanks.” She took her beer, biting her bottom lip. He stood by and swallowed half his beer before the end of the next song.

  Just then, a woman in her sixties walked up on the stage. The crowd grew quiet and then started yelling and whistling.

  “Okay, okay, settle down.” She waved her hands and waited
out the crowd. “If’n ya’ll don’t quiet down, you won’t be able to hear what we have in store for you tonight.”

  That settled the crowd down.

  “That’s better. We’ve got a great line-up tonight.” Several cheers broke out. “First off, I know ya’ll have been waiting all week to hear them, Alex and Grant Holton singing Tessa Keys’ latest, “Time Will Heal All.”

  The crowd erupted as Alex and Grant climbed the stairs to the stage.

  He stood back as a soft guitar track started playing over the PA. When Grant started singing, he felt chills travel up his arms, and he had to lean against the table when Alex’s voice joined him. It wasn’t the music or the singers, but the words that had his knees growing weak.

  The song spoke of time lost, wasted on things that shouldn’t matter. It’s slow rhythm only added to the sadness of the time passing and the things left and lost behind. By the time the song ended, he felt a soreness in his throat and gut.

  He’d felt more in the past three minutes than he’d felt in the seven months since the accident.

  He was thankful that Tessa had been occupied joining Alex and Grant on the stage for her song. The couple stood back as Tessa waited for the next track to start.

  When her eyes moved over to his, he tried to smile and encourage her, but his emotions were almost out of control.

  When Tessa started singing this time it was about beating the Devil at his own game. The rhythm was much faster than the first song, and Tessa’s voice was something dreams were made of.

  She had a great range and seemed to enjoy standing up on the stage, clapping and getting the crowd into the beat. The lyrics talked about tricking the Devil into thinking she was something instead of nothing. Putting him in his place until finally, she started believing her own lies. Then, when the Devil called on her, he couldn’t call the bet, since she had convinced herself she was worth something.

  Once again, the song touched him and forced him to think about his own self-worth.