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“Last song of the night folks. Going to slow it right down, mellow you all out just a bit. This one’s for Willa.”
The soft strains of his lone acoustic guitar played unaccompanied for several seconds at the opening of the song, then it was just his deep voice and his guitar for several more seconds before Lucky joined in with his acoustic, and finally Sarah and Lenny joined in as they played ‘Overjoyed’ by Matchbox Twenty. Barrett did little more than glance at me a few times, but each of those glances contained a promise I was not sure I was ready to claim.
At the end of the song the entire bar erupted.
Junie leaned towards me, her face serious. “Be brave my friend.”
I looked into her eyes, her steadfastness lending me support. “Okay.”
Her smile lit up the whole bar.
Half of the patrons shuffled out, and the remainder pulled tables and chairs into groupings to suit them as they settled in for drinks and bar food. Junie waited with me for Barrett, and moments later I watched as he made his way through a group of women who were waiting for them to come offstage. He shook his head a few times, nodded thanks, and then I watched as Lenny went through the same routine as he also headed to our table.
“Ladies,” Lenny greeted. “Should we sit awhile?”
“I’m game,” Junie agreed.
Barrett studied my face. “You want to eat something, curly?”
“I could eat,” I said nervously. I mentally shook myself, reminded myself. This was Barrett. My friend. We ate lunch together all the time. He was studying me closely. I pushed my shoulders down. I smiled at him and relaxed against the back of my chair.
His face softened marginally. “That’s better,” he rumbled, “let’s get you fed.”
It ended up just being the four of us, laughing and talking, eating too many chicken wings, and drinking far more than usual.
I hadn’t heard Barrett laugh too often before that night, but he and Lenny had been friends since their college days, and they were easy with each other. Every time he chuckled, I felt it in my stomach, in a good way. Lenny laughed and talked easily.
Junie and I were incoherent we were laughing so hard at Lenny’s stories and Barrett’s comments.
Near one o’clock I started to nod off in my seat.
“How’d you get here?” Barrett inquired.
“Junie drove.”
“Neither of you are in any condition to drive,” he muttered.
“This is true,” I happily agreed.
Barrett offered to drive us home. Lenny, who had driven in with Barrett, broke in and offered to drive Junie home in her car and then take a cab home.
I was more than a little tipsy, but not so much that I was completely onboard with this plan.
I leaned toward Junie and whispered to her, “Do you feel safe having him drive you home?”
Junie nodded seriously, her eyes big. “He’s an actuary for an insurance company. That’s almost as steady as an accountant. He does risk assessments. I’m going to have him do a risk assessment on us,” she snickered, “and then I’m going to kiss him and let him play with my boobies before he goes home.”
“Junie, you can’t go around offering to let people play with your boobies,” I scolded, still whispering.
“I’m not! Just Lenny. No one has played with these boobies for over a year. He’s the first guy in. Over. A. Year. Willa!”
“Okay. Just be careful. He’s a drummer. I’ve heard they’re crazy. A bit.”
I looked to the side to study Lenny who was now standing beside Barrett, both grinning widely. Junie turned to study him as well.
“He does look a tiny bit crazy,” she admitted.
At this Lenny laughed out loud and I faced him dead on, ready to fight.
