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“Unfortunately, I can’t.” I knew exactly what Jessie would order, the same thing she ordered no matter what bar or time of year. Merlot poured to the rim. I grabbed a wineglass and the special bottle I’d purchased for Jessie’s infrequent but always interesting visits.
“Don’t you give me that shit. Hey, Pappy. How are things?” Jessie grinned.
“You just missed the ruckus. Our girl here is tough.” Pappy lifted his beer in a request for another.
Jessie lifted her eyebrow. “Should I ask?”
“No. Don’t.” I placed the wineglass on a cocktail napkin before yanking a bottle of Bud from the chiller, sliding the beer down the length of the bar.
“Why don’t you call the police on those guys?” Jessie demanded.
“And what good will that do? Nothing. I’m fine.” Jessie knew better than to second-guess me, especially when I was in one of these moods. I played it tough while working, but my bestie knew the other side, the scared little girl who had no idea what she was doing in her life. At least Jessie had never judged me, never made fun of my little house.
“Then at least tell me why you can’t go out with me tomorrow night.”
The tenacious wench wasn’t going to let this go. I glowered at her before leaning over the bar, whispering, “I have a date. Okay? Don’t make a big deal about it. I mean it.”
“You have a date?” Jessie’s booming voice carried across half the bar. She wanted everyone else to know I wasn’t the wallflower of the year.
“Shut your mouth or I swear to God.” Heat rose from the base of my neck, crowding across my jaw. No matter my rambunctious actions with nasty customers, I was very private, loathing anyone who tried to weasel their way into my mind.
Or my body.
Ormy heart.
Jessie snaked her hand over the bar, grabbing my wrist. “I’m just so happy for you. That gives me a huge smile.”
“This is one date, nothing more. I doubt I’ll have a second one.” Snatching my arm away, I absently dragged a strand of hair from my face, smoothing it behind my ear. I wasn’t the dating kind and had never been. I wasn’t the gorgeous blonde like Jessie, a Barbie doll with long legs and the perfect hourglass figure. I’d come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t stunning, just a plain Jane. Normally I was fine with that. For some reason, I was bothered more today. Maybe thinking about the reason I’d accepted the date in the first place was the culprit. The man had been rather insistent, trying his best for almost two weeks to get me to say yes.
“Would you stop doing that? I’m serious. You’re beautiful and sexy. Any man would want to have you. Obviously, the assholes who continue to frequent this sad little place do.” Jessie gave a wicked grin as she swirled the tip of her finger around the rim of her glass.
“You’re hilarious today. Did you get a promotion at work? Did you win the lottery?”
“Let’s just say that Randy and I are getting along very well.” She fanned her face.
I shook my head in response. Jessie was with a different man at least every six weeks. On my end, I hadn’t met that many handsome men in Charleston, at least up to this point. Not that I was looking. The guy who’d convinced me to say yes was sweet and kind of cute, but certainly no stud muffin. Still, Carter Garris seemed like a gentleman. “I’m glad. Just leave my date alone.”
“Only if you promise to allow me to bring you that red dress you like so much.”
The last thing I wanted to do was borrow a dress for my date; however, Jessie was well aware I was a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl. I owned three dresses and not a one of them were right for anything but church or a funeral. And I certainly hadn’t been to church in years. The hallowed building would burn down if I walked inside.
“I won’t stop bugging you until you agree,” Jessie said, humming as she looked from side to side.
“You’re a ball buster. Did you know that?” I asked between clenched teeth. Secretly, I was glad to have one friend with excellent tastes.
“That’s why you love your best friend to death. I’ll drop the dress by in the morning. Oh, and some gorgeous pumps I have. Deal?”
“Fine. As long as you shut up about this.” A dress and shoes. Wonderful. I hadn’t walked in heels in years. I had a terrible feeling the date was going to be a disaster.
Jessie held up her hand. “Honest Injun.”
“You’re such a bad liar.”
* * *
By the time I’d finished double-checking the receipts, the rest of the staff were already gone, and it was after two-thirty in the morning. All I wanted was a hot bath, a tall glass of vodka, and hours of peaceful sleep. Everything locked, I hit the alarm and closed the back door, refusing to breathe in the nasty stench as I walked to my truck, keys already in hand.
Plink!
