by Brisa Starr
I swipe my finger through a few more screens and I come upon by best friend Billy’s latest updates, and I smile. He’s showing off his latest surfing pictures from Mexico, and the ocean looks beautiful. I wonder if Mexico has any good house-sits. I heart all of his pictures, wishing he were here with me. He’d make me laugh. He’d also help me figure out Adron.
I hear a car pull up outside, and I peek out the window. His date has arrived. He must’ve been waiting for her because, at that moment, the door to the casita opens, and he doesn’t invite her in. He steps out, wearing a shirt at least, with his same dark gray cargo shorts.
When I see her get out of the car, my guts twist and I sigh. She’s tall and blond, stunning, with great boobs and a great ass to match. Lucky dog. Ha, I don’t know if I mean him or her, both I guess. They’re probably perfect for each other. Though, I must admit, as beautiful as they each are, my intuition tells me that they seem worlds apart.
I watch him closely and look at his reaction as she approaches him. She’s clearly an eager beaver, but he has an air of distance. Or maybe it’s disappointment? I can’t really tell.
He also doesn’t look too keen on going out. Relief blooms in my chest, but I’m still burning with jealousy, and green is not my color.
Shit. I duck to the side when he looks in my direction. Did he see me?
I slowly peak outside again and spy on them some more. They get into his car, and he’s at least polite enough to get her door. They speed off, and all I can think about is how I wish I was in his car instead of her.
I sigh. Well, this sucks. I’m bored, obsessing about a guy I shouldn’t be, and I’m feeling a bit lonely for once.
But the last thing I want to do is lie here all night thinking about them, wondering what they’re doing. Well, screw this. I certainly don’t feel like sitting home alone all night.
I sit on the edge of the bed and reach for my phone to text Sammy and see what she’s up to tonight.
Me: Hey Sammy, it’s Alyson. What are ya doing?
Sammy: Hey girl! I’m getting ready to head out to the Buffalo Rodeo Bar. Wanna come?
Thank god!
Me: Absolutely! What time?
Sammy: I like to get there at nine for the line dancing.
Me: Line dancing? That sounds awesome! Count me in.
Sammy: Sweet! See ya soon.
My spirits lift to the sky, and if Sammy’s personality earlier this morning was any indication of her energy and fun when she goes out, then I’m in for a good night.
He’s going out?
I’m going out.
Heck, maybe I’ll meet some hot cowboy. Though, the moment the thought pops into my head, I know that even if I did, I’d still see Adron’s face in my mind, and that annoys me. What is it about Adron?
Time to get ready. I jump up and dig through my things. I throw on a pair of tight jeans and an equally tight, cherry-red T-shirt. It hugs my curves perfectly. I run my fingers through my hair and put on some makeup. I swipe chocolate brown eyeliner around my eyes to highlight them and add mascara to my lashes. Next is my favorite ruby lip gloss on my lips and a bit on my cheeks. Last, I add my favorite shimmer powder to sparkle my cheekbones. After all, I’m going out.
I’m almost ready to go, but I can’t decide on shoes. Strappy high-heel sandals! I love strappy heels with a pair of jeans, and they’re hot for dancing, too. Plus, they add a couple inches to my petite frame. I look at myself in the mirror and, pleased with the results, I blow myself a kiss. Time for a night out of fun!
I hop in my car and drive the scant distance to the Buffalo Rodeo Bar. I pull into the parking lot and see it’s already getting packed.
I walk in through the swinging saloon doors and it’s crowded inside, but not so much that you can’t move around. The smell of old beer hits my nose. I walk in further, and I hear a crunch under my feet. What the…? I look down and see the floor has crushed peanut shells all over it. Well, isn’t that cute?
Now, where’s Sammy? Eyeing the bar across the way, I see Sammy hopping up and down, waving her arm to get my attention. She’s wearing a leopard-print cowgirl hat with her long, blond hair cascading over her shoulders. Even from here, her sparkling blue eyes promise a night of fun.
“Hi! Love your hat,” I shout over the din as I saddle up next to her.
“Hey to you,” she says and grabs me into a hug. I knew I liked her.
She continues, “This place gets even more crowded in the next couple of hours. Line dancing starts in a few minutes.”
I look around the bar, and it has old wagon wheels decorating all the walls, along with ropes and lassos. The authentic place for cowboys, so far as I can tell. They’re playing loud country music, and, although it’s not my kind of tune, I tap my toes. I’m sure Adron would never step foot in a joint like this.
“Have you eaten? Because I plan on drinking a lot, and I’m getting some hot wings so soak it all up,” she says.
“Perfect! Extra hot sauce on mine, please!” I say and give her a high-five.
“You got it.” She winks at me and whistles to the bartender to order. “What do you want to drink?” she asks as the bartender makes his way to us.
“Have they got any dark beer?” I ask Sammy.
“They’ve got a draft Russian River porter, but it’s too bitter for my taste,” she says.
“Sounds perfect.”
As Sammy orders, I take in more of the place with my eyes. The long, wood bar is beautiful, and the rich barstools are padded thickly with leather and studded with metal tacks. There’s wrought iron all over the windows and huge flat screen TVs on the walls. A couple of pool tables, a jukebox, and a good-sized dance floor in the middle of it all. I can see why people come here. It’s not only a place to party, but it also has some style and class to it. Off to the side and around the back, I see dark and fancy booths, a little hidden, making a romantic spot amid the loud noise, or to people watch.
Our food and drinks arrive, and I discover that Sammy has also ordered us shots of tequila. Yes, I definitely like her. She looks at me, mischief sparkling around her eyes, and says, “I hope you’re ready for a night of fun, girl!”
“You better believe it!” We clink our shots of tequila and throw our heads back, slamming the liquid, neat, and it burns straight down my throat.
“Yeehaw!” she hollers and twirls around, swinging her hips from side to side, stomping the peanut shells with her cowgirl boots. “I’m ready to dance!” she yells over the music.
I need a pair of cowgirl boots.
I laugh and yell back, “I’m getting there myself.”
By the time we finish the wings and our first beer, we’re warmed up and ready for the dance floor. True to her word, the place gets more crowded. We head to the middle of it, with a bunch of other people, and start line dancing. It’s easy to catch on, and I’m having fun. Hell, I’m feeling good. Real good.
The alcohol relaxes me, and the only thing I’m thinking about is keeping up with the beat and the steps. I glance over and see Sammy flirting with damn near every man in the place. I’ll bet she’s the life of the party wherever she goes. The men are lining up for their chance to dance with her.
I keep dancing, stepping down the center of the dance floor, turning around, shaking my hips and shoulders, making like I know what the hell I’m doing, not caring that I don’t. And that’s when I look up and see him across the bar. I stop and my abrupt halt causes the person next to me to slam into me, and the one after that. I trip over my foot, catching myself, and straighten back up. I look back at him.
He’s here.
Alone.
Watching me.
What the hell is he doing here? He’s amused at my stumble. Did he know I was coming here? Or perhaps he’s here with his date. Where is she? In the bathroom? Or maybe his date didn’t go well. A girl can hope. Or maybe it went very well for him, and he’s done with her for the night.
Doesn’t matter. He’s here now, and I�
��m suddenly feeling too warm. Not sure if it’s from the dancing, or the crowded bar, or the alcohol, but I’m guessing it’s because of him, and I wish it wasn’t.
He leans back in his booth and puts one of his arms on the back of it, never taking his eyes off me. Just then, a tall, sexy cowboy with dirty blond hair comes up to me.
“Wanna dance, little lady?” he asks and bows, pulling his cowboy hat off and holding it to his chest. Well, isn’t that charming as all get out?
I sneak a peek at Adron and see his eyes blaze brighter from across the bar. Do I detect a hint of jealousy? Hmmm… I’ll have fun with this. I will dance with this hot cowboy. After all, it’s what I came here to do.
I turn back to blonde Tex, “Sure, I’d love to dance.” He puts his hands on my waist just as the music turns to a slower beat. Crap, I didn’t expect to be slow-stepping it, but there’s no turning back now. We dance to the rhythm and, though my partner is a hottie, every time I turn to face Adron, I steal a glance at him, and he doesn’t look happy. Though the few times I’ve been around him since we met, he’s never looked happy. He sits there, watching me intently, sipping his drink. Still alone.
I guess his date isn’t here. I’m relieved.
I wish Adron’s muscular arms were around me, and that he was the one dancing with me. I notice his face getting darker, angrier. Maybe I took the jealousy thing too far, and I feel a twinge of guilt. I was only playing though, sort of.
He finishes his drink, and on the next chance I get turned around to see his booth, he’s gone. My heart drops, and I look over my dancing date’s shoulders to see if I can spot him, but I can’t. He must have left. I glimpse Sammy at the bar, and I excuse myself from the cowboy to meet her and order another beer.
“I saw Adron,” she says, her eyebrows arching. “Let me rephrase that…” she says. “I saw Adron here, sitting in that booth, staring holes through you, from across the bar.”
“Oh, really?” I act innocent and laugh. “I didn’t notice.” I look away, trying to see if he did, in fact, leave, and I still can’t find him. Damn.
“Oh, horseshit, girl. He was looking at you hard. So hard, I thought he would blow up and take all of us with him. He’s a moody fucker, but I ain’t ever seen him look at a woman the way he was obsessin’ on you.” She bores her eyes into me, demanding answers. “What’s going on between you and him?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I answer. “He’s an enigma. A very dark one, too.”
“Ha! That’s one way to describe him,” she says, tapping her boot to the music, itching to dance again.
“I don’t get him. Sometimes, it seems like he hates me, and other times, it’s like he’s amused. It doesn’t really matter though,” I say, flippantly, and flick my hand. “I’m only here until August, and then it’s time to leave. I’m not looking for a relationship.”
Sammy just laughs. “Well, I can see you’re turnin’ red just talking about him. Maybe you should do something about that. Make a move and get him out of your system.”
My blush deepens.
“Well, let me see what else I can tell you about him,” Sammy says. “Maybe it’ll help. He comes from money. A lot of money. He comes out here every summer and holes up in his Auntie’s casita making music. He’s good at it, too. He’s had some songs sell. Some famous names hire him for mixing their stuff, too. But he’s quiet. And private. You know what they say… still waters run deep.”
She hears a song over the speakers. “Ooh, I love this song!” She starts swinging her hips, but she keeps talking. “He comes out to the bars now and then, but even though he spends every summer out here, and knows everybody in town, which isn’t hard to do, I can’t say that I know much more about him than that. Like I said, he’s very private. Well, and also that he loves steak.” She laughs. “A lot of women here would like to land him, and some of them have made it to his bed, but it never goes beyond that. Rumor has it he’s extremely talented in that department, too.” She winks and finishes, “Guess you’ll have to let me know!”
“Haha, not likely,” I muse, but inwardly, I hope a little too hard.
“Hmmm,” she says. “We’ll see, won’t we?”
This information confirms what I thought about him. He’s private. He’s dark. He’s intriguing. And? I want to have him in my bed.
“Well, Sammy, it’s been fun, but I think I’m gonna head out.”
She squints her eyes at me, “I’ll bet you are.” She laughs and says, “Good luck. Talk to you later.”
Good luck?
With what? Him?
Still not knowing what I’ll do about Adron, if anything, I head out to the parking lot. By now, the whole place is packed with cars. I don’t even know where mine is.
My cowboy dancing partner is out here, too, and he struts over to me. “Hey. I didn’t get your name, or number,” he says, standing a little too close for my comfort.
I take a step back and, avoiding his question, I say, “I was looking for my car.” I look left and right, and left again, when I finally see it all the way toward the back of the parking lot. Shit. I start walking in that direction, hoping I’ll be alone, but the cowboy follows me. Maybe he’s just being chivalrous.
“So, can I get a number?” he slurs as we walk toward my car.
“Well, I don’t live here in Arizona, and I’m out of here in a couple months, so it probably doesn’t make much sense,” I say as we approach my car. I dig around my purse for my keys, wishing I’d had them ready to go and in my hand.
“Well it didn’t seem that way when you were grinding up on me on the dance floor,” he says, lewdly rocking his crotch at me.
I look up at him, a flash of anger in my eyes. “I didn’t grind up on you,” I hiss. He puts his face closer to mine and stinks of beer, and that’s when I notice him swaying a bit.
Oh great. A drunk cowboy.
“Well, um, I gotta go,” I say, finally finding my keys. I turn to reach for the handle of my car, and he grabs me roughly and tries to kiss me. I turn my head to the side and try to push away from him, but he’s too strong. I struggle and finally get a chance to put more weight into my push against him.
“How dare you! Don’t touch me!” I spit and he stumbles back for a moment, and then fury surges into his eyes. “You little cock tease!” He moves for me again, leaning over me, and I’m backed against the car.
“Get away from me!” I yell and try to squirm away from him, but he traps me, making a cage with his hands on either side of me on the car.
He grabs my face in his hand and says, “Shut up, you little bitch.”
Fear grips my spine and I realize yelling won’t help me. We’re in a spot far from where anybody can hear us, and it’s so loud in the bar, nobody would know if I screamed. I knew I should’ve taken that self-defense class. Fuck.
My body freezes, and terror grips me like a noose. He grinds on my stiff body and says, “You know you want it.” He tries to kiss me again, just as a hand grabs his shoulder from behind, and yanks the bastard off me.
Adron stands there, and his eyes are dark with rage. “She said to get off her.”
The cowboy stumbles and belligerently says, “Wha- what are you gonna do about it? Leave us alo-”
The cowboy didn’t get to finish his statement before Adron crunched his fist into the guy’s face, knocking him straight to the ground in one go. The cowboy scrambles backwards like a crab and sees Adron’s deadly eyes. The cowboy knows he’s no match. He flips over and scrambles on all fours until he manages to blunder himself upright and takes off running.
I’m shaking at what just happened, when Adron turns around and shoots his ice-cold eyes at me. What the hell is he mad at me for?
“What the fuck are you doing out here, parking this far out, walking alone?” he yells, his nostrils flaring.
“What the fuck do you care? I could’ve handled that myself,” I say, matching his angry tone.
“It didn’t look that way to me.”
“Fuck you. I don’t need saving. Not from you or from any man,” I snap, squinting my eyes, my own anger shooting back at him.
“I’ll remember that the next time a man twice your size pushes himself on you,” he says, the ice thawing in his eyes now.
“What is your problem?” I yell, squaring my body to him, hands on my hips.
His lips curl up into a small, tight smile. He turns and walks off, and I’m left looking at his sexy backside. My dark knight.
I exhale a lengthy breath. I’m alone, and safe for the moment, so relief floods through me and my shoulders sag. I lean back against my car and look up at the stars. Well, that’s enough excitement for one night.
I get into my car, slam the door, and lock it. I blast the air-conditioning and welcome it as it cools my burning blood. Once I calm my nerves, I take stock of the situation. What the hell was all that about? I thought Adron had left the bar. What was he doing out here? Waiting for me? A shiver of a thrill tingles my fingers and toes. Watching for me? Why? And, if so, thank god.
I put on some music and recline my seat to think about Adron, not wanting to drive just yet. Do I want to get more involved with him? Yes. I do. How involved? Only enough to have a good time, nothing more. I’m too mesmerized by him to turn back now.
A half hour passes before I finally head back to the house. I pull into the driveway, and I notice the light on in his casita. I walk into the main house, where I get a drink of water and take an aspirin. I slowly make my way to my bedroom and look out the window. His light is turned off now.
I scrub the makeup off my face and brush my teeth. I change into my pajamas — boxer shorts and a loose cotton tank top. I crawl under the sheets and turn on the ceiling fan with the remote.
I reflect on the night, and I feel bad. It honestly scared me — that cowboy — and I acted like an ungrateful brat after Adron helped me. I grab my phone, and I find his number that his Auntie gave me. I send him a text.