You'll Think of Me

by Franco, Lucia

  “No, Luke, I'm not bitter about the past. I'm hungry and hungover and want to be left alone. All I want is a damn burger with a lot of ketchup and to be on my merry way,” she said emphatically. “We have nothing to discuss. We're not friends anymore. Friends talk, they keep in touch over the years. We didn't. I'm treating your mother and that’s as far as it goes. How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

  With that, Olivia turned around and crossed the street. She couldn't believe the nerve of him asking to catch up. Catch up on what, exactly? He was being friendly simply because of his devious little plot and the fact that he brought up their past to get what he wanted? She didn't give a shit how rude she just was. She hoped she got through to him. He may be a country rock singer now, but he was still small town Luke to her and she wasn't caving in to him or his charm. It also wasn’t helping that while he stood inches from her she could feel the heat bouncing off his unyielding body. Luke had grown into one hell of a man, and she couldn’t stop her body from reacting to him. Even though she told herself she was long over him, her emotions were saying otherwise.

  Walking a few blocks normally didn't bother Olivia, but today it did. Her high heels and pounding headache combined with the heat was something she was in no mood to deal with.

  But neither was running into Luke.

  Olivia opened the door to the burger place and was hit with a big draft of cool air that felt so good against her scorching skin. She grabbed the lunch order that she had called in earlier and began eating. She pulled her phone out of her purse when she heard something smack her table and looked up.

  Was he serious? For the second time today, Olivia was momentarily rendered speechless.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” she muttered shaking her head. A sexy smirk panned Luke’s face. He was too handsome for his own good with a smile like that.

  “What? I drove a while to get here. I’m hungry too. And since I don’t know the area I followed you here.”

  “It’s a strip mall full of places to eat. You just had to pick this one?” She shoved a fry into her mouth then cut her burger in half.

  Luke watched as Livy licked her plump lips. Who knew eating could be so sexy? He couldn’t resist not following her here. Not only was he hungry, but watching her parade down the street in that skirt she wore like a second skin had his mouth watering.

  “Listen, I just wanted to talk. I feel bad still and can see you had a rough night. I can only assume it was my doing that caused it.”

  “You assumed right, Einstein.”

  Luke nodded then reached over to grab the other half of Livy’s burger and took a bite. “Wow. This is good!” he exclaimed between his full lips. He hoped he could lighten the mood if he changed the subject.

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed. She knew what he was doing and to be quite honest, she was so drained that she didn’t feel like fighting anymore.

  She shrugged. “It’s my favorite hangover place.”

  Luke cocked a grin and said, “A favorite hangover place? I can see why.”

  Olivia angled her tray toward Luke to share her fries. “Yeah, well Shelly and I like to go out occasionally on Thursday nights. Sometimes I’ll hit this place up for lunch the next day.”

  “Where do you go? And last I remember you didn’t get hangovers.”

  A conversation with Luke was not something Olivia wanted to have for a multitude of reasons. For one, it made her hyperaware of every move he made, every bite he took, and each time his lips wrapped around her straw to sip the drink he snagged from her. Or how his long thick legs would move under the table and brush along her calf. Luke had packed on muscles over the years, his presence was so powerful that it was impossible not to notice everything he said or did. She needed to prove to herself that she wasn’t easily affected with him so near, but was doing a piss poor job.

  Not to mention, his raspy voice sashayed dangerously across her skin, spiking her pulse while her heartbeat pounded against her ribs.

  Olivia shrugged. “Oh, around here. I work a lot so I don’t like to wander far since I’m usually up before the sun rises. There’s a bunch of places with live bands and cheap drinks,” she said smiling at the live music part. “We’ll either hit them all up, walking from place to place, or just stick to one. I guess it depends on the mood we’re in.”

  “So you’re still into live music?”

  “Some things never die,” she answered bobbing her head.

  Hearing Livy was still into live music surprised Luke. Music is what pulled them together, locked them in from the beginning. For some reason he had figured she’d stop listening to it once she left.

  “That’s good to hear, Livy.”

  “Can’t help it I guess,” she continued, and looked deep into Luke’s eyes. “I love live music more than anything, especially from the newbie’s trying to make it in the business. That was the one good thing about living in New York. Gavin DeGraw opened a bar in downtown New York where singers can perform all week long. It was my favorite place to go when I needed time away from life. The feeling it gave me, the harmonic emotions would flow right through and crash over me in waves, sucking me under and making me feel each and every word. I loved it. There’s nothing better. All it took was a beat, a few hooks and everything fell into place. It’s real and it’s raw. Songs tell a story that I want to know more about, their sorrows spoken through lyrics that cannot be said in person. It kind of just takes over and I feel free… I just let go and find my center. Yeah…I still love it. Plus whiskey, I still love that, too.” She laughed casually, almost as if time had never stopped between them.

  Her smile wavered when she noticed Luke’s piercing eyes. Burning. Predatorial. Heated. He eyed her like a vulture looming in and gearing up to dive down.

  “Luke, what’s wrong?”

  Luke snapped out of his stare at the sound of Livy’s soft voice. He couldn’t believe what she had just spoken. No one, none of the women he knew had ever said that about music before. Most were into the idea of a singer, the fame and glory that followed, but they didn’t understand the concept or what occurred behind the strings. But Olivia did. She understood it and obviously still loved it. Always had, he’d just forgotten.

  “Nothing,” he lied. Luke needed to get out of there immediately. In the last couple of years with women coming in and out of his life, none had ever uttered words even closely resembling those Livy had just said. Truthfully, it moved him so deeply he wasn’t used to the feeling. It was an awakening that boiled down to one clear objective. It was the quintessence of music for Luke. And the one person who understood his world he had told to get the fuck out of his life.

  Luke adjusted himself in his chair, trying to get comfortable with the growing bulge in his pants. Nothing was hotter than a beautiful woman who loved music and understood it. And Liv did. She understood every aspect of it. Not only did she have beauty and brains, but the love of music as well. She was the perfect package and he had thrown it all away because of his stubbornness.

  Too bad they finished years ago. And didn’t that just put a damper on his mood.

  Clearing his throat, Luke said, “I’m going to head out. I want to see my brothers with the little time I have. It’s been awhile, being on tour and all.”

  “How are you brothers? I saw John the other day. He looks so much like you now. What a heartbreaker he must be.”

  Luke paused. “You saw John?

  Olivia chewed her fry slowly. “Yes… I was at your parents’ house. Didn’t you know?”

  “No. I had no idea.”

  “Oh… Then how did you find out about your parents?”

  “John told me, but I didn’t ask many questions. He was pretty vague about it all, just gave me your number and said I needed to call you. I assumed he overheard them talking. He didn’t tell me you came by, though.”

  “Well, I was in the area. I went home to see my parents. It was the first time I was able to since I moved back to Georgia. I figured s
ince I was close that I’d make it easy on them and stop by.”

  Luke contemplated what she said with a nod. He knew she’d gone home occasionally over the years, so no one would think anything with her stopping by. He was more in shock she’d been by his parents’ home and John not telling him.

  “Just out of curiosity, Luke, where do you live now? You said you came home for a few days, so do you live at home still?”

  He bellowed out a laugh. “No, I don’t live at home, Livy. I had a house built near them, though.”

  A lazy smile slid across Olivia’s face and her eyes softened. She remembered how much family meant to Luke.

  A snippet of a country song played loudly from her cell phone and Olivia glanced at it. Picking it up, she smiled as she read the name across the screen. Nate.

  Looking up she said, “It was good to see you Luke. I can’t say I’m happy due to the circumstances, but…I’m glad to see and hear you’re doing well. Your mom told me. She’s very proud of you.”

  A text message came through and Olivia looked down at it.

  “You asked about me?” For some reason that idea excited Luke.

  “Well, no. She voluntarily told me.”

  Luke’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Oh.”

  “Guess I’ll see you around.”

  “Yeah. Later, Care Bear.”

  It didn’t even register with Luke that he had used his nickname for her.

  And with that, he walked back to his truck.

  The whole drive home, lyrics and notes hit him hard to the point where he couldn’t wait to put them on paper the first chance he got. Maybe even cracking open some beers, too. The feeling pulsating through Luke was one he hadn’t felt in ages, and he welcomed it with open arms. Back in college, Luke never had a problem writing melodies or songs for fun. They always came to him easily with Livy nearby. The words would fly faster than he could write, page after page. But somewhere along the way, the ease of song writing drifted and he found his words watered down and more difficult to pen.

  Had Livy become his muse long ago but never realized it until now? If she was just a stone's throw away, Luke’s world would tilt off its axis. Nothing else mattered for him. Everything had always been about Olivia and what he wanted with her, for them.

  Music and Livy were a powerful concoction. Always had been in memory, but in the flesh it was exceedingly stimulating. It was a high he craved often, and coincidentally he’d just had his first dose. Luke was only getting started as it slowly crept its way through, invigorating the blood in his veins and transforming his deep thoughts into music once again.

  Nate kept his word and took Olivia out the following weekend.

  Pulling up to a bar north of Savannah that was surrounded by palm trees, Olivia was still cautious about being seen with a patient. She didn’t want to admit it, but Olivia felt like the forbidden aspect added excitement and fuel…and she liked it. But did that take away from her actual feelings for Nate?

  Nate held Olivia’s hand as he led her through the crowd and out to empty colorful Adirondack chairs that were scattered around the sandy deck that overlooked the Savannah River. Deck lights were attached all around the wooden railing and reflected onto the tall trees that glowed over the black lake, giving it the image of smooth satin.

  As a waitress moved through the crowd towards them, Olivia was getting ready to order her usual whiskey when Nate stopped her.

  “You ask to come to Rum Bar and you’re ordering a whiskey? Nope. Not happenin’, darlin’. You’re getting a rum bucket. Here, look at all the different ones they make,” he said handing her a menu.

  Olivia glanced over the menu with Nate. Holy rum her eyes nearly popped out of her head!

  “Wow. All that rum. Six different flavors seem like a lot, but sound good.” Nate’s incredibly sexy grin met his eyes as his dark hair glistened in the moonlight. Olivia’s heart fluttered at the sinful gleam in his eyes. He reached for her hand and laced his rough fingers through hers. Nate’s personality might be a little stronger than what she’d been accustomed to, but deep down he was a true southern gentleman.

  The waitress returned with their drinks and Olivia looked down into the bucket that was filled to the brim with ice and her peachy pink drink. It was the size of a small sand bucket kids build sand castles with. She took a small sip from her straw as Nate watched. The humidity was thick, but the air coming off the river cooled over her body as Nate leaned in and dropped a kiss to her cheek.

  “This stuff is dangerous. It tastes like fruit juice, but it’s actually pretty good.”

  “Better than whiskey?”

  Olivia giggled. “Well, I don’t know about that, but it comes close.” Olivia angled the straw toward Nate, offering him a sip of her drink. He paused to look at her before he covered the straw with his lips and tasted the frothy concoction. It was oddly intimate watching Nate drink from the same place her lips had just been.

  She settled into Nate’s side and listened to the live band. He stroked her arm softly and kissed the top of her head. Somehow they’d fallen effortlessly into a really good relationship that she had no complaints about. It was almost too good to be true.

  “How was visiting your parents?”

  Olivia swallowed and answered. “It was better than expected, actually. My mom appears to be happy, so that’s a plus. I know she’d like for me to move back to South Fork, but I can’t see myself living there again. I love my life in Savannah now.”

  Nate’s arm tightened around Olivia’s shoulder after hearing how happy she was in Savannah.

  “I love it here, too. I don’t know if I’d like it down there, but if you decided to go back, I guess I’d have to follow you.”

  Hearing Nate would follow her should have brought happiness to Olivia, but it did the opposite.

  Pulling Olivia from her train of sad thoughts was a loud voice booming over the music playing. She couldn’t see where the voice was coming from, but noticed a crowd forming around a few guys. Just when Olivia was about to take another sip, she thought she saw a glimpse of a face she recognized, but then it was gone just as fast. She was trying to get a better view as Nate spoke to her but, didn’t want to make it obvious.

  “Liv?” Nate shook her arm. “Olivia?” This time it came out louder and deeper, grabbing her attention. She looked up at him with questioning eyes.

  “Yeah?”

  “Did you hear anything I was saying?”

  Shrinking back apologetically, she answered honestly. “No…I’m sorry. It’s just that I could swear I know that guy over there…” Her eyes glanced to where the scuffle was.

  Nate’s eyes followed. “You know them? I thought you didn’t know anyone here?”

  She swallowed a sip of her peach drink. “Well, I don’t know anyone here. It’s just that one guy looked familiar to me.” Just then the crowd broke apart and she caught sight of the face again, and it hit her.

  John! Luke’s brother! Her eyes popped and Nate noticed.

  “I knew it! I haven’t seen him in… Well, he’s not even old enough to be here.”

  “Who?” Nate asked confused, but Olivia didn’t listen to his question as she stood. If Diane and Clark knew he was here… Olivia shook her head. She knew John was trouble the moment she saw him at Luke’s parents’ house.

  Nate reached out and gripped her arm firmly, pulling her to a stop. Olivia stumbled and Nate caught her side and brought her to him.

  “Where are you going, Olivia?”

  “That’s John, Luke’s brother! I want to stop whatever is going on before it gets worse,” she stated it as if he knew what she was talking about.

  “Luke? As in ex-Luke from your past? Luke, the one who wouldn’t go to New York with you? He has a brother? But why would you care what his brother is doing? And how do you know if that’s him if you haven’t seen him since you left?”

  Olivia flinched on the inside. She wasn’t sure how to answer his last question. Hopefully she could dod
ge it.

  “Yes. He has a few brothers, actually. I know his parents wouldn’t want to come all the way up here. Come with me and let’s see what’s going on.” She pulled on his hand to follow, but he didn’t budge.

  Olivia waited for Nate’s response. He scrubbed a hand over his face, contemplating what to do. She could tell he was deciding if he wanted to be bothered by what was going on.

  Nate sighed deeply and said, “Alright. Let’s go. But stay close to me.”

  Olivia stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips quickly and turned to go. He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her tight to his side in a guarded, possessive manner. She grinned down at the sandy beach deck floor, finding it somewhat comforting. Typical Nate.

  Nate’s grip tightened on her hip as they made their way through the growing crowd. The shouting became increasingly louder as a myriad of colorful curse words were being thrown around.

  John forcefully shoved another guy across the floor. The other guy was provoking John, saying something about a girl. She looked over at John’s eyes and saw fury in them. The cocky guy across from John placed his arm around some bleached blonde’s shoulders with a smug look. The blonde didn’t seem thrilled, but went along with it by wrapping her arm around his waist and placing her fingers into his pocket.

  Olivia watched the scene play out.

  “What the fuck, Alyssa! What the hell are you doin’?” she heard John yell, his eyes filled with rage. Alyssa, the bleached blonde, just shrugged her shoulders again. Clearly she couldn’t care less because she didn’t answer. She just laid her head on the other guy’s chest while smirking, which fueled John’s temper even more.

  “Man, you’re just like all them other hos, ain’t you? Go ahead and fuck around with him. He ain’t nothin’ but a piece of shit white trash anyway. Just like you,” John slurred.

  Olivia’s mouth dropped in shock over John’s language. She saw the hurt in Alyssa’s eyes for a split second before it disappeared. Alyssa raised her head up and brought her lips to the guy’s cheek for a kiss. But just before she could, he turned his head, grabbed Alyssa by the jaw and kissed her hard. John’s breathing got faster as he watched the two lock lips in front of everyone. Olivia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The sweet and innocent John she remembered as a child playing in the lake was now reaching out and grabbing a beer from his friend’s hand and slamming it back. He threw the bottle to the floor and began stalking toward the two who had finally come up for air.