by Zara Teleg
Rage
The gravel crunched under my tires as I cruised through the large lot looking for a spot that would not leave my bike dusty. What the hell am I doing here? After I closed The Pit, I talked myself into stopping by The Ridge to say hi to some old friends. That was the big fat lie I kept telling myself as I drove my bike five miles into the darkness. Another lie was that I was looking for a spot in the lot, but what I was really looking for was a pink and black Jeep. When I didn’t find it anywhere in the lot, I felt a pang of disappointment.
Going in for a beer seemed like a good idea considering I was supposed to be here to catch up with old friends. I couldn’t just pull through the lot and leave now.
Thank fuck, The Ridge was the one place that had not changed at all since I left. Almost strictly a locals-only bar, it sat nestled on the outskirt of town. It had tons of parking in its stone lot and a particular area designated for bikes. I saw a few that I recognized as I climbed the steps onto the massive wraparound porch where a few people smoked.
This place had always reminded me of an old western saloon. Everything from the floors, bars, tables, doors, and ceilings was all made of local maple. Everything was stained in various colors and polished to a shiny finish. There were warm lights that made it easy to look around but not too bright. It had a down-home, welcoming feel. Even better than the ambiance was the food—the smell of it brought back memories.
My mouth watered at the thought of crawfish piled on top of fresh cut fries. They served all the basics, but when the owner’s son, Johnny, had come home from New Orleans where he’d spent time as a chef, they added a Creole menu, too.
I searched out a familiar face and immediately noticed Tracy working the bar. We went to school together; she dated Hawk for most of high school. She still had that big blond hair and wore dark lipstick. I went straight to her station.
“Excuse me, miss, can I have a pink squirrel with extra cherries?”
Tracy lifted her head up from the beer she was pouring. Her eyes widened, and her mouth let out a loud screech, “Rage!”
She jumped the counter, her boobs practically bouncing out of her low-cut shirt before her arms wrapped around my body.
“Oh, my God!” Her laughter was uncontrollable as she squeezed me hard. “I was telling someone that story the other day, wow, and now you’re here!” She put a hand on each side of my face.
“God, I still feel bad about puking pink all over your shirt.” She wiped the laugh tears from the corners of her eyes, smudging the dark makeup at the edges. “My grandma always made those pink drinks sound so good, it made me curious to have one.” She laughed, slapping at my chest.
“What can I get you, sexy? It’s on the house.” She winked as she wiped the counter down and set an empty pint glass in front of me, waiting for my selection.
She slid the cold Witcher’s Way I ordered across the counter. I let the sweet and bitter taste dance on my tongue. Damn, I missed this. Black Rock and Sugar Maple were the only places I could get it. Stained Souls owned the microbrewery in Black Rock that produced it.
I leaned against the bar and let Tracy talk my ear off for the next ten minutes. She filled me up a second before I found a quiet table in the back. Tracy’s fast-paced chatter drained the social out of me. I chose a dark table where I could get a good look around.
Scanning the room, I came across a group of women who looked like they were having a good time. I noticed a few of the guys from the gym among them. The icy cold beer met my lips as Ivy moved into view. But I couldn’t see Juliet. Either she changed her mind or I missed her. Beautiful women were everywhere, but I only came for one. I looked over a few times, hoping Juliet would appear in the crowd. Ivy caught me, and I tipped my bottle in her direction. I had one beer more before heading back to the club.
Juliet
An hour spent at The Ridge was quite enough for me. The mountain lodge–type bar was busy for a Wednesday night. I loved that it was almost locals only. Most people who took the train into town stuck to the various bars on Main Street, not coming to the outskirts very often.
The guys from The Pit were fun, but bars usually were not my scene, unless a favorite band of mine was playing.
My body might have been here, but my mind was not. It kept thinking about a certain…werewolf. Every time the door swung open, my eyes darted there, just in case Rage took us up on our invite.
I had only one very pink girly drink because I had to drive home and wasn’t staying long. Ivy was fine—she ran into some of the girls who take yoga at Fluid. After a few laughs with them, it was my perfect time to exit. Ivy was just happy I came at all. How we were best friends and so different was beyond me.
I beeped in the driveway—my weird habit to let my puppy, Lord, know it was me. When I opened the door, Lord flew off the couch to greet me. He stayed glued to my side from the moment I entered. I let him out before taking the long, hot shower I so desperately needed.
The hot spray pounded at my back, relieving all the built-up tension. When Rage’s face appeared in my mind while I was in the shower, I knew it was time to get out. Attractive as he was, dating him was out of the question. I didn’t want to drag anybody else into my mess of a life. But I did feel kind of disappointed at the idea of someone else dating Rage. What was I thinking? He probably already had someone.
I had been on a handful of dates with Sugar Maple’s most eligible bachelor, Richard Ramsey, mostly to get Ivy off my back. I felt nothing. His too-perfect vibe didn’t feel right to me. Ivy kept telling me that I just needed to give him a chance. Well, tonight just confirmed that I felt nothing for the guy. As for Rage, definitely not nothing. I’d probably go to bed tonight thinking of the sound of his voice.
The sheets felt cool against my bare legs. I snuggled in with my phone and Kindle. I had a few chapters of a sexy vampire romance novel I couldn’t wait to finish.
Halfway through the chapter, I remembered to text Ivy to let her know I was home safe. We looked out for each other like that and always checked in. I picked up my phone and opened the message screen.
Me: Home in bed, sorry forgot to text
Ivy: You shouldn’t have left so early
Me: Why?
Ivy: