And so she found herself nodding.
“Great.” Kiesha clapped her hands, smiling widely. “See you tonight. Got to go before Ed notices I’m missing and threatens to spank me or something.”
“Sp-spank you?”
“Yeah, he’s done it before. The ass.”
A loud horn beeped, frightening them both. Kiesha nearly fell on her ass. Georgina reached for her, but she managed to grab onto the open door to steady herself. She turned to scowl at the huge red truck that rolled past them. Then she lifted her finger. “You’re an asshole and a tattletale, Jonny Jacks!”
Then she pushed off, chasing after the truck. Was she really just going to roller skate down the middle of the road? Wasn’t that dangerous? Should Georgina stop her? Then she disappeared around a corner and it hit her.
She was going out with the woman she’d wronged. This was a nightmare.
3
Georgina couldn’t believe she was doing this. Why hadn’t she just checked out of the motel and headed home?
Because you have so much waiting for you there? A barren apartment. Not pets. No friends. Not even a potted plant.
Maybe she should get a potted plant.
Why? So you can talk to it like a crazy lady?
Besides, she couldn’t go home. Not until her conscience was clear. She needed to tell Kiesha what she’d done and take her punishment. She deserved it.
Then she could go home.
Perhaps she could take a trip out to New York and visit her oldest brother, Spencer.
Yep. And have him pry into your life, report back to Mother all the ways you are failing. Yeah. That’s not going to happen.
She sighed. So instead of going back to her lonely apartment, here she was. Going to Trivia Night at a bar. She’d never been to a Trivia Night in her life. She’d spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out what to wear. Which was just silly, since most of her clothes were the same.
Drab and dreary.
Plain and boring.
In the end, she’d decided on a white button-up shirt and black slacks. That was about as casual as she got. Maybe it was time for some color in her life. But she had no idea where to start. She stepped into the bar, then paused, trying to adjust to the dim lighting. It was surprisingly busy for a mid-week night. All the tables were full and waitresses rushed around, filling orders.
Was Kiesha even here? Had this been a trick? Had she asked her here in order to humiliate her? Was this her revenge on Georgina?
She took a step back, about to turn on her heels and leave when she heard a loud yell.
“Georgie!”
Glancing around, she spotted her. In hindsight, she didn’t know how she’d missed her. Kiesha wouldn’t know how to be drab and boring if she tried. She was wearing a bright yellow wrap top and tight black pants. A pair of dark-blue boots went up to her knees and her hair had a yellow scarf wrapped around it.
Lots of silver jewelry adorned her neck and wrists. She looked amazing. Georgina felt even more out of place than she had before. Especially now that everyone had turned to stare at them. What were they thinking? Saying? She hated being the center of attention.
It reminded her of her mother’s awful parties. But no one here knew anything about her. And that’s how she liked it. They were all looking at Kiesha. And who wouldn’t? She was gorgeous.
She hoped none of them were whispering about the other woman. With a frown, she glanced around. But everywhere she looked people were either smiling indulgently at the other woman or giving her admiring looks. Men and women.
That made Georgina feel better.
“What’s the matter? Something wrong? You’re not backing out, are you? We changed our team name for you and everything.”
“You did? What was your name?”
“Well, it was Victorious Secret.”
And it couldn’t be that anymore?
“Now it’s the Beersal Suspects. Get it? It’s a play on the word beer since we’re in a bar and some movie called Usual Suspects, which is apparently a murder thriller. We figured that was more fitting for an FBI agent.”
“You really didn’t have to do that.”
“Nonsense.” Kiesha took her hand and dragged her across the room. She’d expected to have to push through the crush, but people quickly got out of their way. A number of them called out greetings to Kiesha and she waved back at them, yelling out hellos, and even asking someone how their pet chicken was.
What had she gotten herself into?
“Lady Cluckers has been really sick,” Kiesha explained as she stopped at a small table. “Poor Rufus has been so worried about her. He thinks she’s got a cold or something.”
“Do chickens get colds?” Georgina asked.
Kiesha looked thoughtful. “You know, I have no idea. Here we are. Take a seat. I’ll introduce you to the girls. We’re just waiting on Juliet.”
“Okay.” She sat, feeling like she’d landed on some alien planet. Two women were standing by the table, chatting. Shoot. Why hadn’t she thought about this? Not only did she have to talk with Kiesha, which wasn’t too hard since she did the majority of the talking, but she was going to have to socialize with other people?
Nightmare.
Why was it she could handle other people in a professional capacity, but as soon as she entered a social setting she froze up and became quiet?
Perhaps it’s all the times that Mother told you to keep quiet during her dinner parties.
Yep, that could likely be it.
“Girls, meet Georgie. Georgie, this is Cleo.” A tall, beautiful, dark-skinned woman with the most amazing curly black hair nodded at her.
“Hello, Georgie.” Cleo wore a plain white t-shirt and skintight jeans. She looked effortlessly sexy. But there was a small frown on her face as she stared at Georgina.
Shoot. Was she angry because she was here? Georgina straightened up, trying to hide her nerves. Why did this feel like she was starting middle school all over again? All the bullies circling around her because she was smaller than everyone else.
“Hi. Sorry to crash your team.”
Cleo waved her hand elegantly. “Kiesha is always bringing strays.”
“Cleo. Jesus. Think before you speak. Just because you’re a negative nelly doesn’t mean you have the right to be rude,” the other woman told her.
“What did I say that was so rude?” Cleo asked, appearing confused.
“You just called her a stray.”
“Oh.” Cleo stared at her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Georgina didn’t know quite how to take her, but she nodded anyway. “I’m fine.”
“Hi,” the other woman said brightly. “I’m Isabelle but everyone just calls me Isa.” She reached over to shake her hand. Isa had dark-blonde curly hair that was pulled back in a high ponytail. She wore a sparkly silver dress and cowboy boots. “Don’t worry about Cleo, she’s been in a bad mood for about, umm . . . “
“A century,” Kiesha replied.
“I haven’t been alive for a century,” Cleo said dryly.
“Feels like it,” Isa replied, sitting down.
“You’ve all known each other for long?” she asked.
“Since kindergarten,” Isa said cheerfully. “Cleo stole my lunch and Kiesha beat her up.”
“That is not what happened,” Cleo protested as she took a seat and glared at Isa.
“I’m going to order drinks, usual for everyone?” Kiesha asked.
“Yep,” Isa replied.
Cleo nodded.
“Georgie?”
She thought about telling her that her name was Georgina, but she kind of liked the nickname. It would horrify her mother. Which made her like it that much more.
“Just water, please.”
“Okay, I’ll surprise you then.”
“No, wait . . . . shoot,” she said as Kiesha took off in the direction of the bar.
“Don’t worry, if you don’t like it then you don
’t have to drink it.”
Surprisingly, it was Cleo who spoke.
“I’m not really much of a drinker.”
Suddenly, Isa stood. Then she went up onto tiptoes. She was tiny, maybe even shorter than Georgina and she was only five foot two. Isa climbed up onto her chair. Georgina watched her with worry.
“Isa, get down before you fall,” Cleo bossed.
“I thought I saw Juliet.”
“Shoot, it’s my turn to get her tonight.” Cleo stood and looked around worriedly.
Get her? What did that mean?
“Are you sure that you saw her?” Cleo asked. “Maybe it was just someone that looked like her.”
“Nobody else looks like Juliet,” Isa argued back. “I’m sure it was her. You’ll have to run after her, she could be headed back home by now.”
Okay, Georgina couldn’t resist standing up to see who they were talking about. But like Isa, there was no way that she could see above the crowds of people.
“There she is! In the doorway.” Isa pointed.
“I see her.” Cleo took off.
“Here, come up with me,” Isa said, gesturing at Georgina to get up on the chair with her. “We have to keep an eye on her in case she tries to leave again.”
There wasn’t any way she was getting up on that chair. It was unsafe with just one person on it.
Suddenly, Isa grabbed her arm and practically hauled her up onto the chair. Shoot, she was strong for someone so small. Georgina wobbled and Isa wrapped an arm around her.
“There she is. That’s Juliet. Shit, she can’t see Cleo.”
Georgina squinted, trying to figure out who Juliet was. There were a few women standing close to the door. And then she spotted where Isa was pointing.
There was a very slight woman standing nervously in the doorway. She was dressed all in black and her brown hair was pulled back in a braid that hung over her shoulder. The poor thing looked so nervous that Georgina felt bad for her.
Juliet stepped back, nearly walking right out the door. “Oh shitballs, grab her, Cleo,” Isa muttered, bouncing up and down slightly. The chair under them wobbled and Georgina gasped.
They were going to fall.
But Isa settled down with a sigh of relief. “Cleo has her.”
Georgina looked over to see that Cleo had wrapped her arm around the nervous girl and was leading her back towards them. Juliet had her hand twisted in Cleo’s top.
Isa jumped down and Georgina wobbled at the sudden loss. “Oh.”
Shit! She was going down! How the heck was she going to explain to her mother that she’d injured herself while standing on a chair in a bar?
“Whoa there, sweetheart. Watch out.” A large arm wrapped around her middle and lifted her down off the stool, setting her on the floor.
She stiffened, waiting for him to press close to her, to try and make some move or grope her. But the owner of the arm respectfully stepped away.
“There you go.”
She turned to look at her rescuer and stared up into a pair of twinkling, hazel-colored eyes. The owner of those eyes was lean and tall with a weathered face and a short, well-kept beard. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Although I would like to point out that I bought those chairs with the idea that people would sit in them not stand on them.”
She blushed at the gentle scolding. How mortifying to be told off like that? At thirty-four! What he must think of her.
Wait.
“Your chairs?”
“Yep. Noah O’Ryan.” He held out his hand and she shook it. He had a good grip, not too firm, not too limp. His hands were lightly calloused. “I own the Wishing Well.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, uhh, if I did anything . . .” Shoot. Why couldn’t she get her words out? Why did she have to be so socially awkward?
“No harm, no foul. Just no more standing on chairs, okay? I don’t need anyone hurting themselves on my watch. That understood, Isa?” His face grew sterner as he looked over at the blonde woman, who stood behind Georgina.
“Hey, what makes you think I had anything to do with this?” Isa protested.
Noah just raised an eyebrow. She’d always been envious of people who could do that. Her brother, Gareth, could. He thought it made him sexier. He was her brother, so, you know, gross. But she couldn’t deny that Noah looked sexy.
“O’Ryan what are you doing here?”
She turned in surprise at Cleo’s caustic tone. Did she not like Noah?
Noah raised his second eyebrow. “This is my bar. I go where I like.”
Cleo snorted. Juliet half-hid behind her, peeking out at Noah nervously. “Maybe you could go somewhere else?” Cleo snapped.
Georgina gasped at her rudeness. But Noah simply moved closer to Cleo. Then he peered down at Juliet and his gaze softened. “Juliet, sweetie, why don’t you sit down and I’ll send Amy over with a drink for you.”
Juliet nodded and slid into a seat.
“As for you, missy,” he said to Cleo sternly. “We’ll talk later.”
Then he whacked her on the butt and left. Georgina’s mouth opened in shock.
“Don’t worry,” Isa told her, leaning in closer. “They’re always like that. Cleo gets extra mouthy when she wants a spanking, she says something rude to Noah and then he’ll put her over his knee and redden her butt and she’ll be sweet as pie after.”
“That is not what happens,” Cleo protested. “We do not do that.”
“Sure you do,” Kiesha replied. “But I don’t know why you just don’t ask him to spank you.”
“It’s complicated,” Cleo replied as Kiesha set down the drinks she’d been carrying on a serving tray.
Georgina sat back down and looked over at Juliet with a smile. “Hi, I’m Georgina.”
All of them froze. Now what?
“Juliet, this is my new bestie, Georgie,” Kiesha quickly said. “This is Juliet. She doesn’t talk.”
“Oh.” Then realizing she was being rude by acting so shocked, she smiled. “Do you use sign language?”
Juliet’s eyes widened.
“Okay, so she does talk,” Kiesha said. “She just doesn’t talk to strangers. She won’t be able to talk directly to you until she’s known you for, umm . . . about five years.”
Georgina blinked. All right.
“So, who’s ready for a drink? Georgina, I got you the special.” Kiesha plonked a huge glass in front of Georgina. It was pink. And on the top swam a paper flamingo. Okay, it was seriously cute.
Georgina loved it. “What is it?”
“It’s a pink flamingo. Try it, you’ll love it.”
She gave Kiesha a skeptical look. “I don’t ever drink.”
Kiesha waved a hand at her. “It’s got hardly any alcohol in it, you’ll be fine. Just one.”
“Just one.”
Famous last words.
4
“You guys are ah-ah-amazing. Wow, that was hard to get out.” Georgina looked at her drink suspiciously. “Are you sure there’s no alcohol in this?”
“Of course there’s alcohol in it, silly,” Kiesha cried, throwing her arms back in a cry. “It’s a pink flamingo.”
“Oh no! Juliet, is she telling the truth?” Georgina leaned over to the quiet woman who was busy filling out the current trivia question.
Juliet leaned over and whispered something to Cleo.
“Juliet says that it contains rum, lime juice, strawberries, and soda water,” Cleo repeated for her.
“Ooh, that sounds delicious. It is delicious.” She blinked to try and bring everything into focus. “I wish Noah would stop the bar from moving. It’s making me feel ill.”
Juliet leaned into Cleo again.
“Juliet says the bar isn’t moving. It’s you.”
“Juliet is a genius.” She stared at the pale, thin woman who just nodded.
“Yep, she sure is,” Isa said with a grin, downing another dr
ink. “That’s why we always win the bar trivia each week.”
“But wait, why am I swaying?” she cried.
“Because you’re drunk. Like the rest of us,” Kiesha told her. “Isn’t it fun?”
“Speak for yourself,” Cleo gripped. “Juliet and I are sober.”
“You’re the sober driver,” Isa pointed out. “It’s your turn.”
“Yes, but it means I can’t have drunk sex. Drunk sex is the best. So is angry sex.”
“Ooh, drunk, angry sex,” Kiesha said. “I once had drunk, angry sex with the lead singer of the Volatiles.”
Georgina stared at her in amazement. “You did?”
She noticed Cleo shaking her head behind Kiesha’s back, but she was too drunk to work out what was going on.
“I sure did,” Kiesha replied. “Don’t you believe me?”
“Believe you about what? Hey, I can’t be drunk. A James doesn’t get drunk. I’m not allowed to get drunk.”
She was aware of everyone staring at her. Uh oh, had she said something totally inappropriate? Were they going to realize she was a complete imposter? She wasn’t this cool, interesting person they thought she was. She was boring and predictable.
“I’ve never had drunk, angry sex. Heck, I’d settle for good sex.”
Okay, she really didn’t mean to say that. Thankfully, the man running the bar trivia started speaking. “The results are in.” He read out third place. Then second.
Excitement filled her. Would they really be first?
“And first prize goes to Beersal Suspects!”
“Woo-hoo!” Kiesha jumped to her feet and raced up to the front. She grabbed the man by the shoulders and smacked a kiss on his lips before picking an envelope up and racing back to the table.
“What did we win?” Georgina asked. Not that she’d helped much. None of them had. Juliet had done all the hard work.
“Bar tab!” All of the women, except Juliet, sung.
Oh. Awesome. More pink flamingos.
Noah chose that moment to walk up with a pitcher of water and glasses. “Right, ladies, I want everyone who is drinking alcohol to rehydrate. I’m going to be back in thirty minutes and this pitcher of water better be gone.”
Sheriff Daddy (Montana Daddies Book 10) Page 3
