by Hamel, B. B.
“I guess it’s pretty cool.”
“We should celebrate.” I sat up, suddenly excited.
“I know how we can do that.” Colin gave me a look.
I shook my head. “No, let’s go somewhere. I haven’t been out in ages.”
“You just got here, and now you want to leave?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Take me dancing somewhere.”
He laughed. “I’m not sure there are any decent clubs around here.”
“I don’t care. Find a bar.”
“I’m not exactly the dancing type, Bren.”
“I’ll dance without you, then. You can just sit at a table and look all moody.”
“I can probably handle that, yeah.”
I laughed. “Come on, please? I have all this pent-up energy.”
He sighed. “Fine. I’ll find a place.” He rolled off the bed and got up. “But you’re going to owe me.”
I smiled. “Owe you what?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll know when I come to collect.”
––––––––
Colin’s car pulled off of the old pothole-filled road and stopped in front of a dilapidated building. I stared at its old wood façade and the sign that read “Reddy’s Roadside Bar” and sighed. I was wearing the sexiest dress I had brought with me, a skin-tight thing that showed off my curves, and he had brought me to some crappy redneck bar in the middle of nowhere. Then again, I wasn’t sure what I had expected, since we really were in the middle of Amish country. My dad’s house was probably the nicest building for miles in every direction.
And yet I couldn’t imagine sitting at home another night. I had done plenty of that already. Even if my prison was expensive and comfortable, it was still just another prison.
“What’s this?” I asked him.
“Reddy’s Roadside Bar.”
I looked at him. “I can read, thanks. I thought you were bringing me somewhere fun?”
He grinned at me. “Give it a chance.”
“If it’s awful in there, we’re leaving immediately.”
“Fine with me. I’d love to tear that dress off of you back home.”
“Might not happen. I might be too annoyed.”
“I doubt it.”
He killed the engine and stepped out of the car. I followed, frowning at the building in front of me. At least there were a lot of cars in the parking lot, although most of them were pickup trucks.
I had no clue what to expect as I followed him up the steps and in through the front door. Part of me was just happy to get out somewhere, and part of me was terrified that we were about to get attacked by a bunch of crazy hick farmers.
And boy, was I wrong. Inside, a live country band played loudly, and the dance floor was packed with people in cowboy hats and boots. The decorations were rustic but modern and clean, and the wait staff were friendly and professional-looking. Basically, it was the complete opposite of the outside, and I was willing to bet that was on purpose. I had really expected pool tables and toothless men with mullets, but got a pretty nice and fun-looking bar instead.
Colin grinned at me. “Told you.”
I shrugged. “Okay, you were right. For once.”
He laughed then approached the hostess. We were seated right away at a small table toward the back. I could have sworn that the place was packed, but Colin must have said something to her to convince her to give up the last table. I wasn’t sure if I was jealous that other women found him attractive, or if I was proud to be the girl he brought around. Even if I had forced him to.
We sat down and I looked around the place as Colin ordered drinks from the waitress. The crowd was a pretty good mix between young and old, though there were probably more young guys than anyone else. The band was decent, which surprised me, and the dance floor was packed. I looked over at Colin.
“How’d you find this place?”
“The Internet.”
I laughed. “There’s a Yelp page for places in the middle of nowhere?”
“There’s a page for everything if you look hard enough.”
I laughed again as the waitress returned with our drinks. She placed a cranberry-vodka in front of me and a whiskey on the rocks in front of him. I didn’t remember telling Colin my favorite drink. He held up his glass.
“To being free from that piece of shit,” he said.
We tapped glasses and drank.
“Are you hungry?” he asked me, setting down his glass.
I shrugged. “Yeah, I could eat.”
“Okay. We’re having barbecue.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
“You don’t come to a place like this and not try their barbecue.”
“I thought you’d never been to a place like this before?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t, but even I know that much.”
“Okay then. I leave myself in your masterful hands.”
He gave me a wicked grin. “I know you do.”
“Not what I meant.”
“You don’t have to say it. I know what you’re thinking.”
“What makes you say that?”
He nodded at me. “That dress screams ‘sex.’ It’s a dress made to be taken off.”
“How do you know I wore it for you?”
He shrugged. “Maybe you think you didn’t. But you did.”
I blushed a little bit. What an arrogant asshole. I had no clue what we were doing, what was going on between us, and his constant flirting and dominant personality weren’t making things easy on me.
“You shouldn’t assume. There are a lot of hot cowboys in here.”
“They can’t give you what I can give you.”
“What’s that?”
He leaned forward. “The best fucking orgasms of your life.”
I blushed and looked away. “Maybe I need more than just orgasms.”
He reached out and took my hand, running his fingers over my skin.
“Excitement. Money. Power. I have those things, but I don’t think any of that matters to you. What you want can’t be defined. You’re a caged animal right now, but when I’m fucking you, I can see what’s underneath your Princess exterior.”
I looked back at him, arching an eyebrow. I felt my heart starting to hammer in my chest. Jesus, this guy.... He was just too much, like he could read me without trying.
“You think you have that thing?”
“I know that I do. The cowboys in here, maybe they’re fun. But you’d get bored of them in a second.”
He leaned back and sipped his drink. I blinked.
And I knew he was right. I knew it deep down inside of me. Regular men were never enough for me, and never had been. That was why I married Vince, why I got involved with him to begin with. For as much as I hated what my dad did, I couldn’t get enough of it. There was something inside of me that lived for the thrill.
Colin could give that to me, and much more. But he was going to be my stepbrother.
“I’ll say one thing for the cowboys,” I said. “They aren’t going to be related to me.”
He nodded and crossed his arms, looking completely at ease. “That’s true.”
“So maybe I really should go out and find me a cowboy tonight.”
He shrugged. “If that’s what you really want. But we both know it isn’t.”
I clenched my jaw. “What makes you so full of yourself?”
“The way you look at me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That first time I saw you, when I walked out of the shower. It was all over your eyes. You wanted what you saw, and you haven’t looked at me any other way since.”
Before I could reply, the waitress appeared. She was busty and young and blonde, and was clearly trying to flirt with Colin. He kept his arms crossed and ordered our food in brusque, clipped tones, basically ignoring everything else. I loved how it deflated her, but I wasn’t about to let my guard down just because he wasn’t flirting with the bar wench
.
“I’ve been away for a long time,” I said softly.
He nodded. “That’s true. It’s been awhile.”
“What makes you so sure about all this?”
“I just know, Bren. I just know you.”
I sighed, sipping my drink and letting the warm vodka enter my stomach. The band changed to a faster song, and even more people crammed out onto the dance floor. Colin stayed silent, finishing off his whiskey, and motioning at the waitress for another. I had to admit, for as annoying and frustrating as he was being, he was completely right. There were plenty of cute cowboys in the building, but none of them had that same aura Colin had. He was confident and controlling and seemed to dominate the place with a smile. It wasn’t out of the ordinary that he got the last table, despite other people waiting, and that he could easily catch the waitress’s attention, because people were constantly staring at him.
I didn’t blame them.
“Let’s dance,” I said suddenly.
He laughed. “I don’t think so.”
I frowned. “Come on. You brought me here and you’re not going to dance with me?”
“Food’s coming and I’m starved. Dance without me. There are plenty of cowboys out there that will be willing.”
I sighed. I didn’t want to dance with a cowboy. But maybe he’d drop the arrogant asshole act and come dance if he saw me getting close to a hunk in a ten-gallon hat.
“Fine, I will.”
He nodded. “Have fun. I’ll be here.”
I got up, finished my drink in two big gulps, and slammed the glass down. I could hear him laugh as I made my way over to the dance floor, butterflies in my stomach.
I hadn’t been dancing in a long while. Vince had stopped taking me out as soon as we got married. Actually, as soon as we got married, he had more or less started to ignore me, except for when he wanted to fuck or when he wanted me to cook him some dinner. He was a piece of shit.
The bodies were pressed close as I waded into the crowd and began to dance. I wasn’t used to country music, but the steps were pretty simple, and the alcohol buzzing through my chest made it easy to lose myself. Soon, I was having a great time, moving in time and in step with everyone else around me.
It didn’t take long for a guy to spot me. He was tall and chiseled, though not as handsome as Colin. Still, he was boyish, and wore a cowboy hat, light blue button down denim shirt tucked into denim jeans, and cowboy boots. He was exactly the kind of guy that could make Colin jealous.
“Hey there, you need a partner, girl?” he said over the music.
I shrugged. “I might.”
“How’s about you dance with me, little lady? I’ll take care of you.”
I laughed. Was this guy for real? Then again, he was cute enough,
“Okay, then, big boy. Show me the steps.”
He moved close and picked up my hands and we began to dance. He was light on his feet and had a way about him. He was clearly at ease with a woman in his arms, even a complete stranger. I didn’t know the songs or the style, but he made it easy for me to follow his lead, and he even spun me once or twice. I had to admit, despite the guy being a weak version of Colin, I was having a pretty good time.
“What’s your name?” he called over the music.
“Brenna. What’s yours?”
“Gareth. Pleasure, Brenna.”
The song changed to something slower, but he didn’t step away. Instead, he adjusted our position, and we danced along with the other couples on the floor. It wasn’t exactly like a prom slow dance, but it was something close and intimate, and I had to admit that I was having a lot of fun. Gareth was tall and strong and knew how to treat a lady to a dance.
“Where are you from?” he asked me, his breath warm in my ear.
“Philly. You?”
“Around here. I figured you weren’t local.”
“What gave it away?”
He grinned. “Just about everything about you.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not at all. We don’t have very many girls as pretty as you.”
I smiled, enjoying the compliment. I liked that Gareth was being a gentleman, the exact opposite of Colin. I glanced over at the table and saw him tucking into a plate of meat, drinking another whiskey, completely oblivious to Gareth and me. That stung a little bit, but I looked back at my smiling hunky cowboy and willed myself to forget about Colin for a few minutes. I wasn’t going to go home with the guy or anything, but I might as well try to enjoy myself.
Soon, the song changed back to something faster, and Gareth took me back into his arms and led me around the floor. He was smooth and confident, and obviously knew a lot of people there based on the amount of nods he was getting. I was drenched in sweat and out of breath from the way he was working me around the floor. As the third fast song ended, I took a deep breath.
“How about we take a break?” I said.
“Sure, we can. Want a drink?”
“That would be perfect.”
He led the way over to the bar and found two empty stools. We sat down and he got the bartender’s attention, ordering a beer for himself and a gin and tonic for me. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was good enough. As soon as our drinks arrived, I sipped it gratefully.
“So, Brenna, what brings you to our small town?”
I shrugged. “Business, mostly.”
“Business, huh? Not much business out here but farms and such.”
I nodded. “Yep, that’s my business. Farms.”
He laughed. “Well, okay, then. Brenna the farmer.”
“And what do you do, Gareth?”
“My daddy’s a farmer and I fix trucks. Opened my own garage two years ago.”
“How’s that going?”
“Pretty damn well.”
I laughed and he finished off his beer.
“That’s good to hear. “
He motioned at the bartender and she returned with another beer. He polished off half of that before leaning in toward me.
“Forgive me if I’m being rude, Brenna, but you’re absolutely sexy. You know that, right?”
I blushed. “Thanks.”
“You’re the prettiest girl in this bar. You know that?”
“Now you’re just lying.”
He put his hand on his heart. “I’d never lie to a beautiful woman.”
“You’re sweet.”
“So does that mean you want to come back with me? Skip all this small talk and get down to it.”
I was taken aback at how forward he suddenly was. I was having a really good time, but I couldn’t go home with him. I glanced at Colin but he was still busy eating.
“Uh, that’s not really what I meant.”
“But that ain’t a no, is it?”
“Excuse me, I think I need to use the bathroom.”
He nodded. “Go right ahead. It’s over there.” He pointed.
“Thanks.” I got up quickly and walked fast in the direction he had indicated.
I pushed open the women’s room door and found it empty. I stood in front of the mirror, heart hammering in my chest. What are you doing? I thought at myself, looking in the mirror. Gareth was sexy and fun and charming, but he wasn’t Colin. He wasn’t even close. I took a deep breath and decided that I’d go back to the table and force Colin to dance with me, and forget all about Gareth.
As I turned to go, the door pushed open. I gasped.
Gareth walked in, smiling.
“Hey there, sexy.”
“What are you doing in here?”
He came right up to me, grabbed my hips, and pulled me against him.
“Just doing what you wanted me to do.”
I struggled, but he wouldn’t let go. “Please stop. I’m not interested.”
“That’s not what your hips said out on the dance floor.” He was clearly drunk, and I wondered how I hadn’t noticed it before.
He tried to kiss me and I pulled back, repulsed. “Get the fuck
off me, creep.”
“Come on, girl. Look at that dress. You think you’re not here to get fucked?”
“Not by you, asshole.”
Something changed in him suddenly, and he pushed me up against the wall. I gasped as pain lanced through my head where it knocked against the brick.
“What did you just say to me?”
“You’re a pathetic piece of shit,” I said, struggling.
“You’re going to regret that,” he said and leaned in toward my face.
And then he was ripped away from me. I stumbled forward and watched as Colin threw the guy against the sink and smashed his face against the mirror. The whole thing splintered. It was like watching it in slow-motion.
“You motherfucker,” Colin yelled, and threw him into a stall.
The guy grunted. “Who the fuck—“ he said, but Colin silenced him with his fist.
“Colin!” I yelled out.
I watched as Colin hit Gareth again. “Don’t you ever touch a woman like that, you piece of shit,” he said.
He hit him again. “Did you fucking hear me?”
“Yes,” Gareth gasped.
Colin hit him again. “Don’t you ever look at her. Don’t you ever think about her.” He hit him again and again.
“Colin, stop!” I screamed louder.
He looked up at me. His face was twisted into a mask of rage, his fist was cocked back and ready, and his knuckles were covered in Gareth’s blood.
“Stop! Come on, we have to leave.”
He paused then looked back at Gareth. He stood up and looked down at Gareth’s body sunk half way into the toilet, his head lolling back. He was still conscious and breathing, thankfully. Colin spit on him.
“You’re lucky she’s here. I’d kill you if she wasn’t.”
Gareth groaned as Colin turned toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. How did you know?”
“I watched him follow you. Saw the look on his face. I decided to make sure you were okay.”
“He was going to—“
“No, not with me around, he wasn’t.”
I realized I was barely keeping the tears away, but I felt safe. Even with the scumbag still feet away, Colin made me feel safe.
I must have been the unluckiest fucking girl in the entire world. On top of everything going on, I just had to attract the biggest piece of shit in the bar. Everything seemed to happen to me, and I had no clue why.