A movie finally flickered onto the screen. They settled in quietly, the soft glow reflecting off their faces. Seth crossed his arms, determined to push thoughts of Ryan Carroll to the back of his mind and lose himself in the flickering images instead.
****
Ryan perched on a high-backed bar stool, the wood creaking beneath her as she shook her head at the gawky kid in a dust-faded hat sliding onto the next stool. Alyssa, seated beside her, mirrored the gesture, arms folded. Neon beer signs cast a brassy glow over the rough-hewn wooden bar.
“Look, I already said no. Are you even old enough to drink? You don’t look like you even shave yet,” Alyssa said, her voice amused but firm. Ryan burst into laughter.
The cowboy’s grin slipped. “You don’t need to worry about whether I shave or not, sugar. I’m man enough for you.” His voice cracked on the last word.
Alyssa glanced at Ryan; they exchanged a look and choked back giggles.
Before the kid could muster a comeback, another lanky youth sidled up. He had a too-big belt buckle and jeans that drooped at the hips. “How about you, babe?” he drawled at Ryan.
Ryan leaned back, propping her elbow on the bar. “First off, don’t call me babe. Second, what she said.”
His shoulders slumped. “Fine. We’ll just move along then. Your loss.” He pushed off, jingling a handful of change, and drifted away.
“They’re way too young for me,” Ryan said, flicking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Alyssa nodded. “Oh, for sure. They have to be at least twenty-one though to be in here, but that is way too young for me. I’m not here to hook up. I just wanted to dance.”
“Same,” Ryan agreed. She glanced at the polished dance floor seeing it packed with people dancing. “I wish we had somewhere safe to stash our purses.”
Siobhan, a server with red hair and green eyes, and a friendly curve to her lips. set down a deep amber cocktail that gleamed with ice crystals. She offered them a warm smile. “If you want, leave your purses with me. I’ll lock them in the safe so you can get out there and kick up your heels.”
“That would be wonderful.” Ryan scooped Alyssa’s purse from the back of her stool, then handed both to the bartender. “Thank you, Siobhan.”
“You’re welcome. Just let me or any bartender know when you want them back. Have fun.” She moved out from behind the bar and vanished down a narrow hallway lit with old sepia photos of rodeos and line dances.
Alyssa inhaled. “She’s gorgeous. And so nice.”
Ryan tipped her chin toward the far end of the bar. “Did you see the man she was laughing with earlier?”
“No, where?”
“Over there, by the neon beer tap. Black cowboy hat, red T-shirt, broad shoulders.” Ryan’s eyes gleamed. “If you Googled ‘tall, dark, and handsome,’ his picture would pop up.” She leaned back, sipping the last of her whiskey sour. “Here she comes. Let’s see if she talks to him again.”
They watched as Siobhan reemerged, glided across the polished floor, and pressed a quick kiss to the man’s lips. He grinned as he cupped her cheek in his hand, then Siobhan slipped behind the bar again, tossing back a curtain of hair.
“Good heavens,” Alyssa breathed. “I just might have to move here.”
Ryan’s grin was conspiratorial. “I know, right? Just like Seth.” She paused, then added softly, “Damn, that man can kiss.”
Alyssa frowned. “What? How do you know that?”
Ryan’s cheeks flushed. “I didn’t tell you?”
“You know damn well you didn’t.”
Laughter spilled between them. Ryan leaned forward and recounted the memory of that hot, sudden kiss from Seth, the way his fingers moved into her hair, the tug of his breath against her mouth. “It was perfect. Though afterward he got… pissed.”
“Because he doesn’t want to get involved,” Alyssa said gently. “He knows you’re leaving.”
Ryan sighed, eyes distant. “I know. But it wasn’t just a kiss. We ended up in bed together and it was fantastic.” She swirled her drink, the ice ticking against glass, and let the lively bar music wash over her. She set her drink down. “Let’s get in this line dance.”
She stopped when Alyssa grabbed her arm, making her face her.
“You can’t say something like you ended up in bed together, then let’s get in this line dance.”
