by A. K. Evans
And finally, Nikki. The girl screamed exotic beauty. She had mounds of jet black hair that was super thick and had tons of volume. She put some waves in her hair and kept it big. Her piercing blue eyes against her porcelain skin was striking. She wore a multicolor blue floral and black and white patterned mini dress with a v-neckline and long sleeves. She put a pair of knee high black stiletto boots with it and looked absolutely stunning.
“Alright, ladies, group picture,” Emme announced once we had all finished getting ready.
She got her tripod out and we all huddled together. Emme set the timer on the camera and we posed for a group shot. At that, we put on jackets and headed to the Jeep.
Chapter 11
Charley
We arrived at Big Lou’s and instantly realized Hannah wasn’t kidding when she said that there’d be a crowd. It was a large two story building that housed Big Lou’s, but the outside had that old western feel to it. There were wooden steps that led up to the covered porch that wrapped around three sides of the main level of the building. There was another set of stairs that led up to the second-floor outdoor balcony. The restaurant was on the main level and we were fortunate enough to not have to wait too long for a table.
As we walked in I took in the beauty of the place. Natural wood barn floors with booths lining the outer walls with two rows of booths on each side of the restaurant. The booths had tables made of wood, with high back wooden seats covered with black leather cushions. In between each of the rows of booths were free standing wooden tables with wooden chairs. All along the entire back wall was a massive bar that had to have at least 50 stools lined up around it. Despite all of the dark wood, most of the restaurant was well lit with modern lighting fixtures.
We followed the hostess to our booth and were seated. Our waitress came over and took our drink orders. Monroe, who may have an occasional glass of wine, but mostly preferred not to drink was our designated driver. By the time our waitress returned with our drink order the four of us had only gotten about halfway through the menu. It would seem that Lou’s didn’t do anything small. We asked for a few minutes to make our dinner selections and then continued to peruse the massive menu. We finally all made decisions on dinner and gave our order to the waitress. Our conversation was light and fun with us reminiscing of past birthday celebrations until Emme changed the topic.
“So, Charley met a guy,” she announced.
“And why are we just now hearing about this?” Monroe asked.
“Details, now,” said Nikki. Nikki was a no-nonsense girl and got straight to the point.
I glared at Emme.
“I was working at the coffee shop last Thursday and he approached me. He ordered some espresso and introduced himself. His name is Wes.”
“And she got tongue-tied around him, he called her gorgeous, waited for her to finish her shift and walked her to her car,” Emme elaborated.
“Is he hot?”
I sighed. “He’s the most beautiful fucking man I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” I paused and took in all their smiles. “He has these amazing green eyes, dark hair, a wicked grin, and muscles. Lot of muscles.”
“See? Now this is the stuff that a girl can leave warm, sandy beaches for,” Nikki said.
We all laughed and at that moment our waitress returned with our dinners. As she was putting our food down on the table she spoke.
“Did I hear ya’ll say something about the beach?”
“Yes. We just moved here from Southern California a few months ago,” I said while gesturing my hand between Emme and myself. “We’re trying to convince our best friends here to leave the beach weather behind and come hang with us in the mountains.”
“I’m originally from Texas,” she said. “Moved here five years ago and have not regretted it once. I think it’s the cold weather and having a hot guy to cuddle up with that helps.”
Monroe spoke up. “It’s our friend’s birthday today, so we’re here celebrating with her tonight. Nikki and I are leaving to go back to California tomorrow afternoon, but I wouldn’t mind having a dance or two with a hot guy. Any idea where we can make that happen?”
Our waitress smiled. “Upstairs, darlin’, she said and then winked. “Enjoy your meals, ladies.” With that, she was off.
“And that, my friends, is southern hospitality at its finest,” Nikki said.
We all laughed again and got to eating. The food was incredible, but food was no longer the priority. Nikki and Monroe were determined to have some fun.
Shortly after we were all thoroughly stuffed a man approached our table. He was the epitome of cowboy. He was tall and wore jeans, a flannel shirt that covered his larger belly, cowboy boots, and a Stetson. He was older, had a round face, and a white mustache.
“Hey girls. Brookie tells me there’s a birthday celebration here.”
We stared at him, puzzled.
He continued, “I’m Lou. Brooke’s one of my waitresses.”
“Lou? As in Big Lou’s Restaurant and Saloon?” I asked.
“And here I thought my belly gave me away,” he murmured. “You’ve got that right, darling. So, who’s the birthday girl?”
Emme, Nikki, and Monroe pointed at me and said, “Charley.”
“Guilty,” I said.
“Well here at Big Lou’s we always make sure a pretty girl has a great birthday. After you finish your dinner I’m sendin’ ya upstairs. We’ve got Elle performing tonight. She’s a local, but she’s the best. No cover charge for you and your girls tonight and the meals and all your drinks are on the house.”
I sat there dumbfounded.
Nikki spoke up. “And Big Lou would be reason number two I can leave sandy beaches behind!”
“That’s very kind of you, but I can’t let you do that,” I said.
“Darlin’, it’s not up for debate. I own the place and you don’t want to upset Big Lou. I’ll make sure the guys upstairs know the deal. Stay as long as you like and enjoy yourselves. Happy Birthday, Charley.”
I was blown away by this man’s kindness, “Thanks, Lou.”
I looked back to the girls and saw the excitement rolling off them in waves.
We left a huge tip for Brooke, and made our way out of the restaurant and up the wooden steps to the outdoor balcony that would lead into the saloon.
We walked up to the entrance and met who I could only assume was one of the bouncers. He said, “You must be Charley.” I’m not sure how he knew, but I wasn’t going to question it. I simply nodded. He moved out of the doorway and waved his hand out for us to pass through. “Name’s Cliff. You need anything you ask any one of the bartenders or bouncers. Happy Birthday, girl.”
“Thank you for the hospitality, Cliff,” I smiled and then pointed to each of my girls, “These are my friends, Monroe, Emme, and Nikki.”
“Hey Cliff,” they all said in unison.
“Ladies,” he replied as they followed behind me.
As we entered I was blown away by the size of the place. The upstairs housed several bars along the walls, a dance floor, tons of seating that included free standing tables throughout as well as booths that lined the walls, and stages for what I assumed was either the live music performances or the occasional karaoke that Hannah had mentioned. It was much darker than the restaurant below, but still lit well enough that you could see across the room.
Monroe and I made our way to the bar to get drinks while Emme and Nikki went to find a table.
“You must be Charley,” the bartender said as we walked up.
What. The. Hell? How do these people all just know that’s my name? “Yes, that’s me. And this is my friend, Monroe.”
“Nice to meet you. What’ll it be tonight, ladies?”
“Three vodka cranberries and a bottled water,” Monroe stated.
“You’ve got it.”
As we waited for our drinks, we checked out the scene. Monroe was looking for a dance partner and I was scanning the room looking to see where Nikki and Emme
ended up. As I turned my head toward the direction of the stage I sucked in my breath and felt my body tense.
Monroe felt it. “What’s happening, Charley?”
“That’s him.” I pointed towards the area by the stage where I saw Wes standing. Sadly, he was not alone. There was a woman with him. She looked about my age with long, curly blonde hair that sat at her waist. From the distance I couldn’t make out her eye color, but she had stunning cheekbones and a beautiful smile. She had her hand resting on his arm and she was looking at him listening intently while he spoke to her. Then she laughed; and somehow, she looked even more beautiful than she did before. When I looked back to him he was looking down at her and it was clear he had very strong feelings for this girl. My belly twisted.
“Who?” Monroe asked, concerned.
“Wes. The guy I was telling you about at dinner. Monroe, I didn’t just see him last Thursday. He came to the lodge again Friday. He sat with me in my car before I started my shift and then walked me to my car afterwards. Before I left, he kissed me. Three times. And he’s a really great fucking kisser, Monroe. Then, all this week he met me at the lodge immediately following my shift at First Tracks and started teaching me how to snowboard. There was also a lot more kissing. I had off this past Thursday and he took me to his place and made me dinner. Afterward, he gave me three orgasms.” I paused a moment trying to swallow the tears that were threatening to fall. “How could I have been so fucking stupid? I knew better than to pursue anything.”
I looked back to him and he was now hugging the girl. I sat and stared knowing what it felt like to have his arms wrapped around me.
“Oh, Charley. I’m sorry, honey. Do you want to get out of here?”
I stayed silent a beat thinking, then took a deep breath and answered, “No. It’s fine. I am not going to let it ruin my chance to convince my best girls to move here,” I said, forcing a smile.
I looked away and saw that our drinks were ready so we each grabbed two, dropped a tip on the bar, and headed towards the table that Nikki and Emme were seated at. We sat and immediately they knew something was up.
“Talk,” Nikki demanded looking at me.
“It’s nothing,” I said.
“It’s not nothing. I can tell something happened.”
“Wes is here. With someone. With a beautiful someone,” I said, discreetly pointing over to where he was standing still with the pretty blonde holding his arm.
Nikki and Emme looked to where I had pointed and Nikki, as her eyes completely bugged out, said, “That’s Mr. Muscles?
I nodded. I then proceeded to fill Nikki in on last Friday’s make out session, the snowboarding lessons for the past week, and Thursday night’s sex-filled escapades.
Thankfully, at that moment Big Lou had just stepped up to the microphone on stage. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about Nikki causing a scene and coming to my rescue by saying something to Wes. That’s just who she was. Fiercely loyal, without shame.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure tonight to present to you our very own hometown sensation and one of my favorite pretty girls, Elle!!”
The crowd cheered and that’s when I noticed the beautiful blonde that was with Wes was making her way to the stage. Fucking wonderful. Not only was she gorgeous and there with him, but she could sing. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to stay here the rest of the night. I turned back towards my friends who were all staring at me with worried looks, except Nikki — she looked like she wanted to rip someone’s head off.
“We sit through as many songs as are needed so I can finish this drink and have two more. Then, we are outta here,” I told them. Then I continued, murmuring, “I must be a fucking masochist.”
They nodded their heads and didn’t question me.
Two songs and three drinks later I painstakingly had to admit (only to myself) that Elle was good. As she belted out two originals I realized she had a beautiful voice and under any other circumstance I might have become a fan. I glanced once or twice (ok, maybe more like ten times) over to where Wes was now sitting throughout this and the smile coupled with a look of pure pride never left his face as he watched her sing.
Shit. Why did the first guy I felt any sort of connection to have to be a jerk? A hot jerk, but a jerk nonetheless. I could feel my eyes begin to sting and knew I had to leave. Shit. Fuck. Fuck.
“Ladies, it’s time to go,” I said as I looked to my friends.
They weren’t paying attention to me and that’s when I saw Emme’s eyes get big, Monroe licked her lips, and Nikki said with a massive smile on her face, “I think reasons three, four, and five for moving to the mountains just walked in.”
I looked behind me to see what had them so distracted and realized that Wes may have been the most beautiful man I had ever seen, but these three guys were all easily tied for second place. They were making their way toward the front of the room and stopped at Wes’ table and sat with him.
“Damn,” Nikki said. “Why’d they have to go to his table?”
“You ready, honey?” Monroe asked looking to me.
I nodded, willing the tears not to fall. How could I have been so stupid to think something good was happening in my life? I should have known better.
The girls and I all got up, but since Elle was in the middle of a song and she was a favorite in town nobody else was standing to leave. I glanced one last time over where Wes and his buddies were sitting and saw that he had turned to see the commotion. Despite our best efforts to sneak out of there without him seeing, that clearly wasn’t going to happen. He saw me and at first he looked surprised, but then he looked worried. I bet you’re worried, buddy.
My friends and I started walking away and Wes realized I was not coming over to him. He shot up out of his seat and started striding towards me.
“Charley. I didn’t think I’d see you until tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll bet you didn’t,” Nikki said.
He looked at her and then back to me and his face was puzzled.
“Are you a fan of Elle’s? I wish I had known you were coming here.”
I stared at him, completely dumbfounded by his ignorance. My liquid courage had kicked in. “As you already know I’ve only lived here for about six months, so this is the first I’ve ever heard her sing. She’s good. And she’s beautiful.” Just like you. I paused, to swallow the lump forming in my throat. “I didn’t know I was coming here. I woke up this morning to find that my other two best friends had come all the way out here from my hometown in California to surprise me and celebrate my birthday with me today.”
“Today’s your birthday?”
I couldn’t help it. My eyes welled up with tears. Thankfully, Emme saw this, stepped forward and grabbed my hand. I tore my eyes away from Wes and looked to her. “Charley, sweets, let’s go.”
I nodded to her and turned to walk away.
“Wait, Charley. Stay. I’d love to introduce you to my friends and Elle.”
I turned back to face him. “Sorry, Wes. I have no interest in playing this game and meeting your very talented girlfriend. Quite honestly, I don’t understand why you would even waste your time on someone like me when you have someone like her already.”
Wes stepped back, looked confused, and then started laughing. What the hell was his deal? What did he think was so funny?
Nikki stepped forward at this moment, pointed her finger at him, and spoke, “You, my friend, are grade A asshole. How dare you? My Charley girl here is gold. Fucking. Gold. And she deserves the fucking world, especially after everything she’s been through. I don’t care how big your muscles are or how hot your friends are, I could totally kick your ass right now.”
Yep, that’s Nikki. What did I say? Fiercely loyal, no shame. God, I loved her. Right now, I also hated her. She said all that and now coupled with how I was already feeling I knew there was no controlling the tears that were about to spill over my cheeks.
“Charley, look at me,” Wes said, his
tone lethal and no longer a trace of humor anywhere in his voice.
I looked to him and a single tear fell from my eye.
“Gorgeous,” he paused, “Elle is my baby sister.”
“What?” I whispered, another tear falling. Then I realized he told me about his sister Elizabeth. Elle must have been her nickname.
“Christ, Charley. You’re killing me here. Baby, don’t leave.” His voice was strained on those last words. He held his hand out to me and I had no control over myself. My body propelled forward and I slammed into his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and I just stood there for a moment, feeling.
He bent down and got close to my ear and said, “I want nothing more than to take you out of here right now, but I can’t leave in the middle of Elle’s set. Come watch with me?”
I took a moment to get it together and then pulled my head back from his chest, looked towards my girls noting their worried looks, then back to Wes, and nodded. I looked back to my friends and I assured them with a small smile and nod of my head that I was ok.
“Wes, these are my friends — Emme, Monroe, and Nikki.”
He nodded to them.
Nikki stepped in front of Wes, “I’m sorry for jumping the gun there. That said, I’ll still totally kick your ass if you hurt her.”
“Don’t sweat it. It’s good to know Charley’s got good people looking out for her.”
That put a smile on Nikki’s face. I looked to Monroe and Emme and could see they both shared the same sentiment.
“You coming?” he asked.
“I’m not leaving my friends,” I answered.
He smiled. “I didn’t expect you to. I’ve got my three best friends at the table with me and I’m pretty certain that with friends that look like yours they’ll be more than fine with your girls joining us.”