She couldn’t fault them. The man was gorgeous after all.
“Well, unless there’s another busty, blind blonde coming in carrying a white cane, it’s me.” Tori gave him a throaty chuckle.
“Well, all right then. Now you have me intrigued.” He laughed.
“Another drink?” The bartender asked as he leaned his elbow on the wooden counter. “This one is paid for.”
Scott raised his brow curiously and held up his hands. “Dude, thanks, but listen, I’m not into…”
“Don’t flatter yourself man. I’m not hitting on you.” The bartender cleared the spot next to Scott from the third girl that had hit on him that night and struck out. “You seem to have had a day.” The bartender shrugged. “One more. Come on, and you can tell me all about the girl that has you sitting here, waiving off all the other women in this bar.”
Scott smirked. “Ok.”
“Another whiskey, coming up.” He slung the bar towel over his shoulder and turned to get the drink.
Scott looked around the dingy dive bar, wondering how it had stayed open so long, especially since the owner was so flippant in handing out free drinks. Only a few lonely patrons remained in the bar this close to closing time. The place really was a shit hole with the old wooden booths, sticky floors, and yellow, flickering lighting. In the past ten years, they hadn’t made one attempt to renovate the place. He’d used cleaner restrooms in India.
Scott glanced at the pool table in the corner with the fading green felt, where he first laid eyes on Tori. The moment she locked eyes with him, he was smitten. Ten years. A lot had happened in those ten years. A lot Tori didn’t know about. Someday, he’d tell her the whole story. He’d tell Tori how much he’d always loved her and how he nearly told her a hundred times how he felt, but every time, something always stopped him, mainly his own ego. He’d tell her he regretted not saying those words sooner. He’d tell her he was sorry it took almost losing her in a car accident and her losing her vision for him to realize that he couldn’t live without her any longer. He’d spend the rest of his life making up for all those missed moments in time.
“Here you go.” The bartender placed the drink down in front of him.
Scott lifted his lips and took a sip. Damn, it was good whiskey. Too good. It was the expensive stuff. Scott twirled the ice in the glass and took another swig, then set it down. He wasn’t one for pouring his heart out to strangers, but for some reason, his lips kept moving.
“I met her here,” Scott began. “Right over there.” He squinted and pointed to the pool table in the corner. “She kicked my ass in a game of pool. First and last person ever to beat me.” Scott chuckled.
A curious look passed over the bartender’s face. He seemed legitimately surprised at that. “Did she now?”
“She was good, damn good,” Scott bragged on his girl. Scott’s eyes flicked down, staring into the glass as he shook his head. “She doesn’t play anymore.” Scott lifted the drink to his lips and took a gulp. The bartender raised his brow curiously. Scott chuckled and said the first crass thing that popped in his drunken head. “She traded in her pool stick for a different one.”
The bartender lowered his head and scratched his nose, hiding a smirk, almost like he understood Scott’s off-color joke.
“She’s blind,” Scott explained, taking another sip.
The bartender gave a slight smile and looked over Scott’s shoulder. “Yeah, I kinda picked up on that.” The bartender pointed behind him.
Scott snapped his head around and looked. His breath caught in his throat. There stood Tori in the doorway, her cane gripped close to her chest.
She found me. Atta girl.
She’d ditched the sweatpants that she’d worn out of the house earlier that evening, and my God, if it didn’t look like almost the exact same outfit she wore the first time they met. Faded, ripped jeans and a tank top with her tits spilling out the top. With all the life they’d lived and the challenges they’d faced, one thing remained constant—she was the most stunning creature he’d ever laid eyes on. He sat there, unable to move, frozen in time, staring into his past and his future.
Tori cleared her throat loudly. “What does a blind girl have to do to get a little service here?”
The few remaining patrons that were in the bar snapped their heads her direction, and curious mumbles escaped their lips. The bartender just laughed and nudged Scott. “Well, go get your girl, man.”
Scott snapped out of his trance. He stood quickly, his wooden stool scraping across the floor as he made a B line to her. He threw his arms around her, lifting her off the ground and spinning her slightly. He placed her back down, grabbed her face, and touched her sweet lips to his, kissing her with all the fire that he had in him.
The bartender let out a whistle and started a slow clap, which caused the others remaining in the bar to applaud and holler.
Tori grinned widely. “Now that’s what I call service.” She ran her fingers tenderly over the stubble of his cheek. She pulled back, let out a breath, and tapped him on the shoulder. “Tag. You’re it. Now let me buy you another drink.”
“Another?” Scott looped his arm with hers and took her over to the bar. “That last whiskey was from you?” He grinned as he grabbed her a stool and placed her hand on it.
“You didn’t think they’d really be handing out the best stuff they had in this shit hole for free, do you?” She collapsed her cane and sat. “Did it always smell like piss in here?” She plugged her nose and gagged. “How did we ever enjoy this place?”
Scott laughed. Yeah, the bar smelled dank and stale, and there was a definite undertone of piss lingering. “Because we were young and could get fucked up cheap.”
The bartender took their order. Tori dug into her pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, and slapped it on the counter. “Your tip, as promised.”
“Thank you.” The bartender pocketed the bills and went to fetch their drinks, but not before giving Scott a thumbs up and wiggling his fingers as if to sign fire. Scott gave him an impish grin. Yeah, she’s hot. I know.
She leaned into Scott. “I have something of yours.” Her throaty purr tickled his ear.
“Do you now?” A slow, sly smile passed across his face as she reached into her purse. His cheeks grew warm, thinking she was going to pull out his underwear in the middle of the bar. Instead, she handed him his cell phone. His laugh bellowed across the bar as he stuffed the it into his pocket. “Here I thought you were giving me my underwear.”
She laughed. “Those I left at home. I’ll offer them for my reward when we get there.”
Scott put his arm around her, pulled her in close, and whispered in her ear. “Thank God. My underwear are nowhere near sexy as yours.”
“So now what?” She tilted her head toward him.
“We live happily ever after.”
“Ooh, so cliché.” Her brow knitted. “I think we can do better than that.”
“How about a game of pool?”
“What are the stakes? Because my odds of winning are very poor.” Her mouth quirked up in the corner.
“Winner gets the girl.” He cupped her cheek. “Forever.”
Her grin grew even wider. “I like those odds.”
He pressed his lips to hers.
She pulled back and slapped him playfully on the thigh. “Rack ‘em up, babe.”
THE END
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading my words, for helping my dream become a reality, and for giving me a chance to entertain you. I hope that you loved Scott and Tori as much as I did. I hope their story sticks with you. Stay tuned to my updates, there’s still more to their saga.
Please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads and to tell others what you thought about the book. Reviews are the number one thing that readers can do to help out an indie author. I want to hear what you thought!
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XOXOXOXO,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First of all, (even though I dedicated this book to him), I want to thank my husband. Without him, Scott and Tori would have never come to life. In an effort to remain connected during his military leave, he sent me a story about a military amputee meeting a blind woman in a bar. Little did he know that this would ignite an entire series of books. (A decision I’m certain he regrets to this day).
Thank you baby, for being my biggest fan (and harshest critic). I love you with every fiber of my being. Thank you for helping me breathe life into these amazing characters. Thank you most of all for believing in me, encouraging me and drying my tears through this process.
Next, I want to thank Annabelle Costa. I can’t even begin to express the depths that she has helped me along this journey to self-publication. Annabelle, thank you for your sound advice and friendship. Writing is sometimes a lonely journey, and it’s been refreshing to have someone that’s been there and understands.
To my rock star editor, Theresa Cole, thank you for painstakingly assisting with my comma abuse.
To my betas: Vicky, Tracy, DG, Claire, Barbara, Tamara, Karole and Sarah, thanks for taking the time to read Scott and Tori’s story.
Chasing Fire: (Fire and Fury Book One) Page 31