by L. T. Varner
“That would be great,” I said, a little too quickly. “—you know, something to help with the pain.”
I took the script he held out and hastily left. The look on his face was skepticism. I was sure they both knew I was an idiot who had a drug problem.
As I sat in the pharmacy parking lot waiting for the medicine, I downed a bottle of water, knowing I had probably just made it to the top of Mike’s hit list. I wondered how bad he was probably freaking out at that moment.
“Oh, crap,” I said, as I slid down in my seat seeing Mark pull into the parking lot. He parked a few cars down and then casually walked inside, still in his work clothes. I wondered how I was going to pull this off. I decided to go to the drive-thru and see if it was ready yet so I could escape.
Pulling up to the window, the clerk smiled and thankfully said it was ready. I slid my debit card in the drawer for her and hoped she would hurry. Oh, no, that would be too helpful. I was trying to lean back in my seat after I saw Mark standing at the counter paying for something.
“Thanks, Danni. Have a good day,” the flirty clerk said, sliding the drawer back to me.
Mark looked right at me with a glare. Then it turned into a game of, “how do I get out of here without him catching me?” I saw him grab his stuff and start running to the front of the store. I snatched up my crap and took off as fast as I could. I was out of the parking lot before Mark had even made it to his car.
A couple of blocks down the road, I turned into a parking garage. I found a spot and sat there for a good half an hour. I had time to kill, so I knew it was the right time to try out those painkillers.
Chapter 9
Your face
After a long nap and a hot shower, it was dark when I left the house. I was cutting it close as our band was playing in fifteen minutes. Since I was late, I hoped I could avoid talking to as many people as possible. I decided to park a couple of blocks away so it would be easier to leave later.
Having a couple of extra minutes, I turned my phone back on. It had been lying on the kitchen counter when I got home, so I knew Mike had found it hidden in my desk. I scrolled through my dozens of missed text messages: some from Mike stating he was worried about me, but he wasn’t mad. Some from my dad, someone had apparently asked if he knew where I was. A few from Collin asking if I was avoiding him. I nodded yes, as though he could see me. The last was from James, he was apologizing, and quite frankly, I didn’t care. The only real message I got was from my realtor. The offer I had made on the old school had been accepted. Finally, I can live alone.
I knew I should get inside and decided to go in through the back door. I saw Mike’s truck and, next to his, my dad’s. Great. What the hell was I thinking wanting him to move here anyway? I pulled my hat down and put my sunglasses on, walking straight to my office.
Kendrick noticed and came in. “Hurry up, Danni. People are waiting for us,” he stated, looking annoyed before he walked back out.
I trailed behind him, heading to the stage for a quick sound check. I wasn’t noticed as I put in my inner-ear monitors and hopped on stage just in time for Kendrick to announce us.
“The boss is finally here. Now we can start this party.”
Thanks, Kendrick, I thought to myself. I looked down at the playlist taped to the floor. The first song in, I sang backup vocals as I played my guitar. I looked out at the crowd and saw my dad, Collin, and the other band members sitting at the big booth in the corner. I could tell by the look on Dad’s face; I was in a little hot water with him. I noticed Mike behind the bar working diligently and hoped no one thought much about not seeing me yesterday. Could I be that lucky?
It was close to the end of the first set when the next song to come up was Collin’s. I felt big-time relief that I wasn’t doing vocals. Before we started the song, Kendrick went through the band introductions and held up shots to toast the audience. The crowd roared back before everyone downed them. The whiskey helped take the edge off for now.
At the end of the set, I needed a break. Handing my guitar to the latest sound crew newbie, I decided to walk out to my SUV so I could take a little something to help me get through the night. As soon as I hopped off stage, my dad was standing there waiting.
“Where were you yesterday, baby girl, and what happened to your face?”
“I am a big girl, Dad. You don’t need to worry about me,” I said, as he continued blocking my path.
He could always tell by my tone when I wasn’t messing around. He decided not to question me any further and then stepped forward and kissed me on the cheek.
“You can always talk to me, baby girl. No judgments.” He turned around and walked back to his table.
I tried to make my way to the front door, but people kept stopping me wanting to chat. I heard Mike call my name as he motioned for me to come to the bar. I was nervous about what he was going to say. I was a little more hesitant when I saw Collin standing up at the bar ordering drinks.
I walked behind the bar trying to put on a brave face. He was putting a couple of drinks in front of Collin as I approached him.
“What do you need?” I practically yelled so we could hear each other.
He must have noticed my face just as I saw the anger in his eyes.
“Where were you yesterday?” He gripped my upper arm and moved me under the lights before he yanked off my sunglasses and examined me.
I started pulling away from him when he yelled in front of everyone at the bar, “Just walk away, Danni, because that is the only thing you are good at these days.”
I yelled right back, “Perhaps you should mind your own fucking business.”
Tempers escalated quickly between us, and I shoved him as he tried to take my hat, too. Chuck was suddenly between us, telling us to relax and just get back to work.
“Go to hell,” we both yelled at each other in unison.
Someone was pulling me backward, and all I wanted to do was hit Mike for once. He was just as mad at me, giving me a nasty glare.
“Let go of me!” I yelled, not realizing that two people had a hold of me.
I turned and found Collin and Daniel pulling me back. I screamed a few choice words before I finally regained my composure and walked out the front door. The two of them followed me.
“What are you looking at?!” I yelled at Collin as he kept up with me.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before.”
I starting walking toward my car when Collin asked, “Where are you going?”
“You’re nosey as hell, aren’t you?” I snapped back at him.
Daniel chimed in with a smirk on his face asking, “Are you going to get anything special out of your car?”
I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at both of them.
“We already found what you’re looking for. It’s not there anymore,” Daniel said in a mocking voice.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, glaring at him.
Collin said, “We’ve already taken your stash. Perhaps you don’t need it as much as you think you do.”
“How dare you get into my fucking car?” I yelled.
Daniel stopped me and said, “Technically, we had a key, so we could, and we did.”
I instantly knew who gave them the key, Mike. At this point, there wasn’t a lot I could do, and I knew it. I played calm and took a deep breath, so I didn’t kill both of them.
“If you two idiots will excuse me, I’m going back inside to play the second set unless you have an objection to that.”
They both shook their heads. We walked back inside, and Collin moved his hand to the small of my back. I shrugged him off and walked back toward the stage, stopping a waitress on the way to ask for some whiskey.
We played out the last set of the night and everyone, including myself, calmed down. I think the whiskey had something to do with that.
I was putting my guitar away and remembered that I had put a painkiller in my pocket before I left the house. I needed it more than ev
er as I dug it out and took it with a shot of whiskey. The stage was dark, and I didn’t realize someone was behind me until after I swallowed it. Well, that can’t be good. I turned around, and it was Mike, not looking quite so mad. Mike put his hands up in a surrender position.
“I just want to apologize for earlier and make sure you’re okay.”
I still had on my sunglasses and said, “I’m sorry, too. Yesterday was just a bad day, and I wanted to be alone.”
“Danni, maybe if you would tell me that, I wouldn’t have been so worried about you.”
“Don’t worry about me, Mike. The damage is already done.”
“I do worry about you. I love you and couldn’t live without you,” he said as he put his hands on my shoulders, looking at me with pity on his face.
I knew he had good intentions and said, “right now I don’t want to talk about any of it.”
“Okay, I won’t push the issue,” he said as he pulled me into his arms for a hug. I couldn’t help but hug him back.
“Why did Collin and Daniel go through my car?” I asked with my face buried in his chest.
“Because we care about your well-being and I know you. I wasn’t surprised by what they found. I know you hurt, Danni, but it would hurt less if you just talked to me.”
I didn’t have a response for him and he seemed satisfied with the conversation before he motioned that he needed to get back to the bar.
Over his shoulder, he said, “You need to apologize to Mark.”
Ugh, he was the last of my worries. The waitress appeared one more time with some more whiskey. I quickly downed two of them before deciding it was time to get the hell out of there.
Walking toward my SUV, my heart started to hammer in my chest when I saw someone was leaning against it waiting for me. I took a deep breath and calmed down. I had a feeling I knew who it was as I approached. I looked across the street and saw James’ old truck.
“What do you want, James?” I asked, stopping in front of him.
“Look, I’m sorry for what happened last night. I didn’t think you cared if I was with Amber or not,” he said, folding his arms over his chest. “How is your eye?”
“I told you, I am not your business.”
“Ok, Danni, I deserve that, but you know I care about you more than just a friend.”
“Where is your girlfriend?” I asked sarcastically.
“I don’t have one,” he snapped back this time.
“Sure didn’t look that way last night!”
He calmly asked, “Danni are you okay? How is your eye?”
I took off my sunglasses, slowly showing him as he looked more upset. He put his hand on my cheek and stepped closer to me.
“I’m sorry, and I feel horrible about the way things turned out last night. I miss you. Can we start over please?”
I melted into him feeling his warmth and caring. He leaned close to my face as his arms went around my waist before he whispered in my ear, “You okay?”
“I am working on it,” I quietly replied as I put my arms around his neck.
“You want to go back to my place?” he asked as he placed soft kisses along my jaw.
I put my hand on his chest and explained that my babysitters are everywhere right now, and perhaps I should just lay low. He agreed with a sigh and a nod. He pulled me closer against him, and I didn’t object. I wasn’t sure if it was the warmth of him or the way he smelled—I couldn’t help myself. I kissed him, and he kissed me back, eagerly. After a minute or so he pulled away from me, giving me a couple of smaller kisses before he turned and walked toward his truck, smiling at me as he left. I found myself unsure what to do as I climbed into my SUV.
I sat there for a couple of minutes thinking about the kiss before coming back to reality. Did Collin and Daniel really take my stash? I unlocked the console and, sure enough, there was nothing there but a note from the two idiots.
It is bad for you.
I could hear Daniel’s sarcasm implied in the note. I just decided that I wasn’t going to fight anymore tonight and headed home.
Chapter 10
We all fall down
I spent the next two days on my couch sick as hell. At first, I thought it was the effects of my extracurricular activities, but it was now the second evening of feeling horrible, and I decided I probably had the flu. I was bored as I lay on the couch flipping through channel after channel for hours.
James had been true to his word and had called a couple of times wanting me to come over. Dad called every couple hours with a few other friends texting and calling in between, hoping I felt better soon. Before he left for work, Mike had set up a nice camp for me on the couch in the basement with everything I could need. He had been home a couple of times to check on me so far. I didn’t know if this was so he could see if I was still alive or to make sure I hadn’t taken off again, and I couldn’t blame him for that at all. I totally appreciated that, until he let my dad know what they found in my SUV, which was not at all appreciated.
I hadn’t taken any more painkillers either, considering I was throwing everything up at this point. I was completely aware of how horrible I felt inside and out. Was I being punished or something? I felt worse when I would move around, so I lay there feeling sorry for myself and hoping it would end soon.
My phone beeped, but I didn’t answer because it seemed like a lot of work at the time. A couple of minutes later I managed to look to see who it was: Collin again. After two days of me ignoring him, he still hadn’t given up. I knew if I didn’t answer soon he would show up and I didn’t want that right now, so I answered the latest call and gave up the fight.
“What do you want?” I moaned, trying to move as little as possible.
“I want you to open your door, for starters,” he said, sounding too cheerful.
“Collin, I feel awful, and the door is sooo far away!” I whined, closing my eyes, feeling lightheaded.
“I’m here to take care of you, so just tell me the code to the garage door then.”
“You should go away, so you don’t get sick.”
“That’s a chance I am willing to take. Now, what’s the code?”
I knew he wasn’t going away, so I told him the code. I didn’t even have the energy to think about how I looked when I heard him call my name from upstairs. Am I hearing things or did I just hear my microwave door close? Maybe I am sicker than I thought. I wondered what the hell he was doing after ten minutes. Finally, he came downstairs holding a tray of food and supplies. He set the tray in front of me, and the smell instantly made my stomach start turning, so I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath, not wanting to throw up in front of him. After I had settled back down, I opened my eyes to see him standing over me.
“You should try to eat something. You’ll feel better,” he said, smiling his sly smile at me.
Damn, even sick, I couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous he was in his tight blue jeans and blue shirt. Don’t even get me started on his eyes.
“Why are you here?” I groaned, pulling the blanket over my face.
“I want to make you feel better,” he said, sitting down by me.
“Can I help you sit up?” he asked, pulling my blanket away.
I explained how much worse I felt when I moved, and he laughed, pulling me up anyway. Giving up, I put my hands on his forearms as he gently put a pillow behind me and told me to just take a couple of deep breaths and relax. Okay, I thought, not so bad sitting up. The chicken soup made my mouth water every time I breathed in.
“Your eye still hurt?” he asked, as he set up the tray over my lap.
I shook my head slowly, giving him the “I don’t want to talk about it” look. He laughed and said “It looks likes it hurts. How did it happen?”
“Later,” I mumbled, picking up the soup spoon. He nodded.
I had to admit it was pretty nice of him to come over and help me out. I thanked him, and he smiled again as he picked up the remote and sat down.
&nbs
p; “What the hell are you watching?” he asked before he started channel surfing and landed on some music channel.
I ate the soup and was trying to put the bowl back on the tray when he stood up and took it from me. It was then that I noticed a card and a rose also lying on the tray. I read the goofy card and smelled the red rose.
“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who likes to talk about feelings and unicorns?” I asked, trying not to laugh.
Laughing, he replied, “Yes, some of us guys do like to talk about our feelings and unicorns.”
He reached over and put his hand on my forehead and indicated that I still had a fever. I didn’t know if it was a fever or my reaction to his touch.
We watched TV and made small talk about little things in our lives, and I started to fall asleep.
I woke up and glanced over at him, he had fallen asleep as well. I sat up and realized the room had stopped spinning, and my stomach had settled down. I had sweat running down me. My shirt was soaking wet, and my hair was matted down. Collin woke up and glanced over at me.
“I bet your fever broke. You want to go upstairs and take a shower or change clothes?” he asked, moving closer to me.
I nodded. That was exactly what I wanted to do. He put his arm around me for support as I slowly stood up and helped me up the stairs.
“I’ve never been in your room before,” he chuckled.
I told him it wouldn’t be my room much longer and explained about the old schoolhouse I had just bought. He congratulated me and said he couldn’t wait to see it.
I sat down on my bed to catch my breath after the two sets of stairs we had just climbed. I was tired and felt weak. He held up his finger indicating for me to stay put for a minute as he went into my bathroom. I heard the water running in the shower and wondered, is he really starting my shower for me? No guy had ever done something like that for me before, except Mike and he didn’t count. I wished it was under different circumstances.
“I could help you shower if you want,” he said, smirking at me as he dried off his hands.
I grinned and said, “I’m pretty sure I got it from here.”
