by Unknown
Tonight, Tucker, Holt, and I have managed to grab a table upstairs, where we settle in with our drinks and check out the girls on the dance floor. Once we get the lay of the land, we’ll probably go shoot a few rounds of pool, and maybe take a turn or two on the dance floor with some local girls.
I sit back and relax while taking in the crowd, seeing what the night has in store for us. I spot a few regulars hanging around on the first level, and some on the dance floor. I like that about this place—you can come in here and see a lot of the same faces, in a sea of nameless others. The out-of-towners seem to flock here to tie one on or for a hook-up, while the locals come to play pool, unwind on the dance floor, and meet up with old friends. As I look out over the second level railing, I see a few girls I’ve known since high school out on the dance floor, kicking it up and having a good time.
Even though I like to come here to have fun, I never troll the bar for women just for a ‘good time.’ That’s not my style. I’ve dated a few women in my life, but I’m not a serial dater. I like to think that I’m a bit picky in this department, so while I may be known to dance with the girls who are brave enough to ask, I don’t give out my number, or ask for theirs in return. If I see the same girl again on another night, I won’t hesitate to dance with her or strike up a conversation. But that’s all it will be, because I leave it all here at Texas Jacks when I go home at the end of the night. Maybe one day, if the right woman came along to ruffle my feathers, I wouldn’t hesitate to stake my claim. But I haven’t met her yet.
I kick Tucker in the foot. “Hey Tuck, you up to hitting the track tomorrow for a race?”
We may like doing a lot of other things, but dirt bike racing is the singular thing that I love. I almost feel like a junkie at times, as I can’t get enough of the high I feel from it. It’s a blast, and it helps to clear my mind, taking away whatever is bothering me. When I’m out on the track, I don’t have to think of the sorrows or problems that bounce around in my head at any given time. I can go out there and be free to soar, to let go to my heart’s content. I only have to worry about the next sharp turn, the speed of my bike making my body hum, or the next jump that sends butterflies crashing around in my stomach. Just thinking about it makes me want to go out there now. Too bad it’s so late in the evening — otherwise, I would ditch this place and head out there right now.
I already know that Tucker is going to take me up on going to the track tomorrow. After catching sight of Lisa the last time we were there, he bailed on me. I don’t blame him, but he still owes me a race, and I’m not likely soon to forget it. I live for these races, so any time I can get out there, I’m all over it.
Tucker looks at me with a smirk on his face. “Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m no pansy. Of course I’ll be at the track tomorrow. I’ll be out there at the finish line, waiting for the twenty bucks you’ll owe me when I leave your sorry butt behind, choking on the dust I kick up.”
Holt laughs at him, and then gives him a high-five for his predictably cocky comment.
“Fine, we’ll see who’s eating dirt and coughing up money when it’s all said and done. Just make sure you stick around this time and leave your, ‘I have to mow my mom’s yard’ excuse at the starting line.” I say, laughing at him. He’s a good guy, and will do anything to help out his single mom. He knows I’m just joking. Still, it’s fun and just too easy to mess with Tucker.
Holt looks up when Sarah, a redheaded beauty, saunters up to our table. “Hey boys,” she says, giving Holt a sly smile. She’s a local we see from time to time out here, and she loves two-stepping with him. I’m pretty sure she would probably like to do more than just dance. However, Holt’s not interested in her in that way. She’s a great person; he’s just not looking at the moment.
“Holt, you ready to hit the dance floor yet? I asked DJ Jeff to put on a two-step number next, if you’re up for it,” she murmurs as she slips one of her arms around his shoulders.
Holt slips his arm around her waist, “Sure thing, honey. Let’s show these amateurs how it’s really done. Lead the way.”
And off they go, leaving Tucker and I to talk about the track and when to meet up tomorrow.
We arrive at Texas Jacks around 8:20, and judging by the full parking lot, the place is busy tonight. We end up parking further away than we had hoped, so it looks like the front door bouncer, Dave, will be walking us out tonight. We make our way past the long line towards the front. We don’t have to stand in line with the rest of the crowd, since Naomi is good friends with Dave. After we hand over our money, he stamps our hands and in we go.
The music pumping out of the speakers is pretty loud, which makes it hard to talk. I spot an empty table on the lower level by the dance floor. I tug on Halley’s shirt and point to the spot, and then head that way.
Halley and Naomi make a beeline to the bar, while I go to the table and get situated. I take in my surroundings after settling into my seat, getting a feel for what’s going on and checking out the crowd. I recognize a few of the regulars as they wave to me, and I smile back politely.
The bar is busy, too, as I see Naomi give up and head out to the dance floor. Looking over my shoulder, I catch Halley still waiting to be served. I don’t think she minds, though; she’s already found a hot-looking guy to chat with. I turn my head back in time to see a couple of other girls we know come over and sit down. We make polite small talk, and they start talking about some cowboys they’ve been eyeing for about a half hour now.
Eventually, Halley makes it back to us, sans hot guy, and puts our drinks on the table. Just as she goes to sit down, her favorite song comes on, and she jumps to her feet, ready to hit the dance floor. Unfortunately for me, she starts pulling me with her. I don’t want to dance with her for two reasons: one, I’m not that great of a dancer, and two, she may embarrass me on this one. The embarrassment would only be due to my shy nature.
I note an older song by Tracy Byrd come on as I also hear the DJ spit out, “Come on, ladies! Time to shake what your mamas gave you.” It’s a fun, get up and start moving kind of song.
So here’s my dilemma: when the chorus to Watermelon Crawl comes on, Halley may or may not grab her own ‘watermelons’ to emphasize their greatness. The last thing I need is unwanted attention from some of the men out here on the dance floor. But, I see that I have no choice as she has a good grip on me, leaving a couple of our other friends, who stopped by for a chat, to watch our table. With a roll of my eyes, off we go to do the Watermelon Crawl.
Tucker, Holt, and I are still upstairs at our table, watching everyone on the dance floor as the song, Watermelon Crawl, starts to play. As I scan the dance floor, I notice a really good looking woman, with blonde hair, making her way up the stairs, dragging her friend with her. I watch them make their way to the front of the railing and start to dance. Although, good looking girl’s friend isn’t really doing much but swaying a bit to the music.
When the chorus comes on, I about choke on my drink when the hot girl grabs her ‘watermelons,’ giving them a bit of a squeeze when she hears, “watermelons on the vine,” and says something at the same time. I think she’s singing the words to the chorus, but I can’t be sure.
I look over to Holt and Tucker, wondering if I was the only one to see what just happened. Though— it would seem they hadn’t as both are giving me funny looks.
“Hey, man, you good? Or do I need to bust out my mouth-to-mouth skills?” Tucker eye’s me with a mix of amusement and concern.
I point to the ladies and say, “If that hot girl stops grabbing her ‘watermelons,’ I won’t need your mad skills. Check out the blonde with the long ponytail over her shoulder, and the brunette next to her.”
They both turn their heads to the side so they can look out at the dance floor over the railing. I catch their eyes widening a bit as they see the same ‘dance move’ I just witnessed. Tucker chuckles, while Holt sports a big grin on his face. The other woman seems a bit embarrassed, maybe, but
it’s hard to tell up here. By the way she darts her eyes around the dance floor, then looks up to where we’re sitting, I’m thinking that’s an affirmative.
But it’s in that moment, when she looks up at our table, that I notice just how beautiful she is. I decide to sit here for a bit and watch her, just to make sure she doesn’t have a boyfriend with her. I would love to meet her, but I don’t want to ambush the poor girl, so sitting up here safely hidden in the shadows is what I plan to do.
The guys and I watch for a little longer before she finally makes her way off the dance floor. I watch her the whole way back to her seat, as much as I can. She seems to be sitting with a few other girls, and now it looks like the bouncer, Dave, has made his way over to her chair. He wraps an arm around her, and I wonder if there’s something going on between them, or if they’re just friends.
I turn to my right, where Holt is sitting, and he seems to be staring at the blonde. “Hey Holt, have you ever seen those ladies in here before?” If he has, how is it that I’ve missed them? Was I that blind?
Maybe our paths just haven’t aligned until tonight.
“The blonde one and her dark-haired friend to the left are in here all the time. I’ve only seen the brunette a few random times,” he tells me.
I look at both Holt and Tucker and ask, “What do you either of you know about her and Dave? Is there something going on there?”
They both just look at me and shake their heads. Well, it looks like it may just be time to head downstairs for another drink and a round of pool. As luck would have it, their table is pretty close to the pool area. This will allow me to get a better look at her, and to scope out any other guys checking her out.
It’s time to check out the competition, and find out who this little lady is.
HALLEY, NAOMI, AND I ARE sitting at the table when a slow song comes on, and they are approached by two guys to dance. They readily accept, leaving me to watch over the table. I’m relieved when I don’t get asked to dance. I prefer to sit here and people watch, checking out which couples have hooked up, and seeing others have a good time. While watching a couple flirt off to the right side of the dance floor, I notice movement from the corner of my eye. I look over my shoulder, where the most handsome man I’ve ever seen appears in my line of sight.
I barely register his two friends following behind him down the stairs as I blatantly stare at him. Quickly, before he notices, I turn my head back towards the dance floor. However, I can still see him out of the corner of my eye. My eyes trail behind him as he slowly makes a path to the bar, noting how tall he is as I carefully scan his body, from his boots to the top of his dark head. He makes it over to the bar with his laidback, easy paced walk, and leans against the bar top. He looks over the side of his shoulder, and pasted on his tan, rugged face is a killer smile aimed right at me, as if he knows I’ve been watching him all along. I quickly duck my chin down and hide a small smile as my cheeks tint with red. I’m sure it’s from being caught in the act of gawking.
I look up again after a few short minutes, but his back is now facing me as he’s ordering a drink. While I have the chance, I check out his appearance a little more. He’s wearing dark jeans, black boots, and a blue and green plaid, long sleeved button up shirt. I’m pretty sure that through my dazed stare earlier I noticed that he had on a big, silver belt buckle, as well.
I slowly avert my eyes to scan the pool tables for his friends. They couldn’t have gone too far. Sure enough, I find them fairly close to our table. The dirty blond one is looking my way with a knowing smirk on his face, basically telling me that he busted me checking out Mr. Tall and Handsome at the bar. I give him a small smile and look back to the dance floor to see where my friends have gone off to. That’s when I feel someone’s eyes on me. I slowly turn around, and guess what? I was right—only, he’s not where I thought he was. Now he’s standing just a few inches behind me, with a grin on his face. I gulp, then meet his eyes and give him a timid smile back when he asks, “Mind if I sit here for a moment?”
Well, if I’ve learned one thing—besides the fact that this woman is beautiful—it would seem that she’s shy, as well. That’s refreshing, for a change. I don’t mind putting in the legwork to get to know her better.
Setting my drink on the table, I pull a chair out and plant myself in it, sitting across from her so I don’t come off too strongly at first. I reach across the table and offer her my hand. “This is the part where I introduce myself and you smile, and then you agree to take a spin on the dance floor with me. I’m Nathan, by the way. So, darlin’, may I ask what your name is?”
Okay, I might have laid that one on a little too thick. What can I say? I think I’ll be pulling out all the stops with this one, if she lets me. She reaches across the table and takes my larger hand in her small, daintier one, giving it a firm shake before pulling it back and tucking it neatly in her lap.
“My name’s Charlotte,” she replies shyly, “and I would love to dance with you, but I’m saving this table while my friends are out dancing.”
Well, will just have to see about that.
I look over my left shoulder at my friends, who are now looking our way, and smile, nodding my head slightly to Charlotte. With the single gesture, I’m basically letting them know I will be foregoing our game to talk to Charlotte until one of her friends gets back. Then I plan to whisk her out onto the floor, preferably with some helpful prodding from the other girls.
Oh my gosh. Now what? Why did my friends have to ditch me? I need back up. I wish I could send out a signal to them saying: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! Sinking ship! S-O-S. But no such luck, as they don’t have ESP. It’s not like I don’t want Nathan sitting with me, or his hand touching mine, making my body flush with excitement. But I’m nervous as a newborn colt, and I don’t know what to do. I’m in panic-mode here.
Okay, it’s not like I don’t totally know what to do; I just don’t know how to properly go about doing it without looking like a big dork. I decide, on a deep breath, that I’d better say something, so I don’t come across as rude by not speaking to this good-looking man. But before I can, he continues to break the ice for me.
“So, tell me, Charlotte, what’s a pretty girl like you doing all alone tonight?”
Oh, smooth one, Nathan, trying to see if I’m single.
“Unless there is someone coming later to take over this chair? I don’t want to overstep my bounds and presume anything.”
“Oh. No, you’re fine. I don’t plan on meeting up with anyone, and I don’t have a boyfriend, if that’s what you’re asking.” Why am I rambling? Pull it together, woman. You’re a 21-year old woman, not a freshman in high school. Surely, this shouldn’t be so hard. “Is that what you wanted to know?”
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I just said that out loud. But then again, it did make Nathan’s lips quirk up in a small smile, so what the heck. I decide to throw caution to the wind and shyly smile back at him.
“Well now, you’ve caught me,” he laughs. “You can’t blame a guy for trying. And yes, little one, that’s exactly what I wanted to know. Care to tell me why the spot hasn’t been filled yet?”
Oh, come on! I’m no good at this. Avoiding eye contact with Nathan is the best way to go here, so I take a slow perusal of the dance floor, desperately trying to find my friends. Someone has to come back to the table sometime soon, right? They wouldn’t dare leave their wingman behind, would they?
Oh, who am I kidding, they probably saw Nathan sitting here and left me to fend for myself. Problem is, I think I might crash and burn this plane before it even taxis out for takeoff. I silently groan. Here goes nothing.
Or maybe, for once, it could be something.
I know I made a resolution about coming out tonight, and that was to finally put myself out there and take a chance. Nathan just landed himself at the end of that rope, and I’m going to grab on and pull myself up, praying for strength along the way. After all, he wouldn’t be sitting here, talking to me
if he didn’t want to pursue something, right? Most guys would have walked away by now. I should know—it’s happened plenty of times before when I’ve clammed up.
“Well, um—I’m not really sure why it hasn’t been filled. I mean, umm—it’s not like I wouldn’t want it to be.” The statement comes falling out of my mouth nervously. “I guess I just haven’t found the right man yet?” I finish lamely, while tucking a good amount of hair behind my ear and ducking my head down. I can’t look at his face. I’m totally crashing and burning—there are one too many umm’s in that first sentence. I’m just not a smooth talker. Maybe I never will be.
When he doesn’t respond, I wonder if I’ve just scared him off. Glancing back up, I look right into his eyes and realize that they are almost the color of coal, they’re so dark. Then I look down to his lips, and he’s smiling at me so sweetly, I want to melt in my chair.
“Charlotte, there’s no need to be nervous or shy around me. I’m sorry if I’m making you feel uncomfortable. Do you want me to leave you alone?”
“No!” I all but yell, causing my face to flame up with heat. “I mean, it’s fine. You don’t have to go. I’m just no good at this, and I’m not used to guys sticking around this long to talk to me, if we’re being honest here.”
Reaching across the table, he lightly takes my hand in his again, sending a tingling sensation up my arm. “Relax and take a breath. I don’t bite. I just want to get to know you. And you still owe me a dance, by the way.” He gives my hand a little squeeze before pulling it away.
“Oh? And when did we make that date?” I tease back. Phew, some of the spunk I use at home has decided to make its way to the forefront tonight. Thank heavens for the taunting of siblings.
