by Shelly Crane
“Ok. I place myself in your capable hands.”
Ooooh. She’s killing me.
I was pleasantly surprised to feel that inkling of ache I experience whenever I leave the bunker, leave Sherry, slowly drift to a dull pound.
Once we arrived, I parked and went to her side of the truck. I could hear the thump of the bass from the club but couldn’t make out the song. She was applying lip gloss in the mirror when I opened the door.
“Thanks,” she said and took the hand I offered her to help her out of the truck. “I haven’t had to get dressed up to go somewhere in a very long time. I feel kinda strange.”
“Well, you look awesome.” I winced at my words. “I mean, you look very pretty.”
“Thanks,” she said shyly and tucked hair behind her ear.
“So...rule number one of a night on the town. Smile. Don’t stop smiling.”
“Smile. Got it,” she said smiling and I was happy she was playing along.
“Rule number two. We listen to the Keepers advice. No dancing with anyone but me and you have to dance every time I ask you to. I hope you’re wearing good shoes.”
She chuckled and scoffed.
“I don’t remember them saying I had to dance every time you commanded it.”
“Oh. I guess you just weren’t paying attention,” I jested. “Rule number three. If you’re not having fun, tell me and I’ll fix it.”
“How?”
“I’ll think of something. I’m pretty crafty.”
She grinned and nodded her head.
“Ok. Those rules sound reasonable enough. Do I get any rules of my own?”
“Sure.”
“First. If you’re not having fun, tell me and I’ll...” She shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I’ll try my best.”
“Ok,” I said with a grin.
“Second, I don’t care if you drink but please don’t get drunk,” she said and looked like she thought I was gonna bite her head off.
“I never do. Not my style anymore. Anything else?”
“Third, don’t do anything crazy, like, dance on the bar and make me have to hurt you in front of everyone.”
I laughed out loud.
“I’d almost like to see you try.”
She laughed too and pushed my arm playfully.
“Oh! Don’t test me, Cain! I am vicious when it comes to public humiliation.”
“Ok! Ok. I promise no table dances. Is there more?”
“Last...” She took a deep breath. “Don’t think about Sherry,” she said softly.
I felt all my breath leave me.
“What?” I breathed.
“You don’t think about Sherry and I won’t think about Mitchell or Michael.”
I tried to gauge my tone and words carefully.
“Why do you think I’d think about Sherry?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at her and the way you try not to. If I’m wrong I’m sorry, but I don’t think I am.”
“You’re not,” I admitted quietly.
No point in lying when she flat called me out on it. She stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“I’m not judging you, Cain. I just want to have fun tonight, completely let go, with no obligations or guilt or awkwardness. Even though I don’t know you that well, I‘ve had a lot of fun with you this week. Let’s just pretend, that we’re really good friends who’ve done this tons of times together. I know I’m being extremely forward but... I need this night out so bad.” She sounded on the verge of tears. “I need to not have to think for just a little while. I can’t take living like we have been, so scared all the time and looking over my shoulder. Please, Cain. Let’s both just forget our problems and have fun, for the one night we have to just be normal again.” She paused and looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so-”
What could I say? I felt the same way.
“Yes,” I interrupted her. “You’re right, I need this too. I promised you a good time and I meant it. Ready to get to it, friend?” I offered her my hand.
She smiled gratefully and took it.
“Absolutely.”
We finished the distance through the parking lot, which was packed, and then we reached the doorman.
“Marks,” was all he said and I turned to show him behind my ears, which he smeared and rubbed with his thumb to make sure it wasn’t covered up. Then Lillian lifted her hair and he did the same to her. “Ok. Cover is $10.00 for both.”
I paid him then held the door open as Lillian entered the club.
A waft of smoke and the smell of beer and sweaty dance floor bombarded us as I took the lead and pulled her behind me with her soft warm long fingers in mine. I have a thing with hands. I’m a hand and hair man.
“Do you want a beer or something?” I asked when we stopped at the bar and I pulled her close to speak into her ear.
The music was so loud, I doubted she could hear me but she answered me.
“Um, whatever you’re having.”
I heard the tone. I’ve dated enough in my day to know it.
“You’ve never had a beer before have you?” I asked.
“No,” she admitted and started to look embarrassed. Then she perked up and smiled brightly at me. “I mean yes. Lots of times, Cain. You know this. You know everything about me! Now get me my usual and stop playing around. I’m ready to dance!” she yelled and at first I was baffled, then I remembered our agreement in the parking lot.
The agreement about pretending to be old, good friends who partied together often and were completely cool with each other and ready to have fun.
“I was just making sure you were paying attention,” I said winking at her and then tapped the bar to call the bartender. “Two lime and tonics, please.”
“Coming up.” He made them with astonishing quickness and pushed them forward on the bar for me to catch them. “That’ll be $6.00. No tab tonight.”
“That’s fine. Here you go.”
I handed him a ten.
“No beer?” Lillian asked when I turned back around.
“Not for me, not anymore,” I answered.
We grabbed out drinks, heading to a less crowded part in a corner. She followed me and I was surprised we made it without spilling drink all over us.
“So, how you do like this place? Not as hopping as our usual spot is it?” I ask, playing along with the game.
“No, but it’ll do. This is non-alcoholic?” I nodded and she took a small sip of her drink, letting the rim barely touch her lips. “Ugh! I mean, mmmm.”
I had to laugh at her. She was pretty cute. And we practically had out heads together to be able to hear over the noise.
“You can’t sip it daintily my adorable Lillian. Tonic has to be swigged.”
“Oh?” She swigged. I mean swigged big time. “Oh! It does make it better! You were right!” She took another gulp and then set it down on the railing over looking the crowd in the pit, licking her lips. “So what else is on the agenda for tonight, handsome?”
“For the agenda, there isn’t one, gorgeous. We’ll wing it, like we always do.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said smiling and looked up at me for a moment too long to be considered casual. “Thanks, Cain.”
“Your welcome. Now, finish your drink while we look around a little, and then you are mine...on the dance floor.”
“Yay!” She clapped rapidly and excitedly. “I can’t wait. But sugar lips, no Macarena this time.” She lifted her hands as if to halt my protest. “I know you love it but I just can’t stomach it another night.”
“Dang, baby! Come on! The Macarena is my thing!”
“I know! I know! I’m sorry. Next time, I promise.” She laughed and patted my arm.
“Oh, alright. No Macarena. But I get to choose the last dance, so you better be nice to me.”
She smiled and lifted her drink to her lips to sip but then remembered my advice and took another big swig. I loved watching her. She was bright and happy looking
and really looked like she could be happy just about anywhere. Easy going and easy to please. The fact that she was devastatingly gorgeous and didn’t know it, helped some too.
But I peeled my eyes from her and looked around like I was supposed to. There were posters and t-shirts and propaganda vendors lining the walls with the new Taker’s face on them. Along with some Anti-Keeper stuff as well. I didn’t dwell on that because it wasn’t important.
I looked towards the stage and saw what I could only assume was the instigators of this shindig. A huddled group of enforcers and city folks massed together and looked to be getting ready for the speech.
There was a huge banner above the stage, in big bold back letters, that said “What would this world be without it’s leadership? Welcome our new savior, Malachi!” and cheesy balloons everywhere.
I could think of quite a few things the world would be without their leadership but kept them to myself. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. No Lighters present yet that I saw except two, guarding the back stage door. No enforcers except those by the stage unless they were out of uniform.
I turned back to Lillian to find her looking around as well. Her glass empty.
Then one of the many promoters stopped in front of us.
“Having a good time?” he asked.
“We are, thank you,” I said politely.
“You know who to thank for all this. Our savior Malachi, unfortunately won’t be here tonight but please stay for the rally and speech, and then make sure to take some promotional items on your way out. We have t-shirt, cups, posters. Even baby bibs.”
“Wow. A plethora of goodies. Thank you, we’ll be sure to do that.”
He nodded to me, then gave Lillian the once over and smiled a little too long before he moved on to the next suckers down the line from us. I turned to her, feeling the need to stake a claim to her or something, though I knew that was ludicrous.
“Whatya say, hotness? Ready to boogie?”
“Yep.” She hiccupped and covered her mouth giggling. “Oh! Sorry.” She smiled bashfully. “Yes. I’m ready. Let’s boogie, as you say.”
To my astonishment, she actually towed me out to the dance floor with our interlaced hands over her head. Once we hit a clear spot she turned around and stopped dead in front of me. She looked unsure. She leaned forward and whispered as loud as she could in my ear.
“I’ve never really danced before, except playing around. I want to but, could you show me?”
I answered by taking her arms and putting them around my neck. My hands on her hips, I started swaying us swiftly with the upbeat music.
The song was ‘Kids’ by MGMT.
She seemed to like it and was receptive to me leading her. One of her hands even went up into my barely there hair once when we were jostled by another dancer and she turned to apologize to them. I could have died right then and been a happy man. I love it when girls rub my head.
I followed her, as I had been instructed to do though I would have anyway, to the bathroom and stood outside the door. A couple other completely wasted girls came out before Lillian. One of them pulled her friend to a stop in front of me by her arm. She was typical hot girl type. Long jet black hair, tight red v-neck tank with a generous show of cleavage, no doubt paid for by daddy’s money, and a short skirt leaving nothing to the imagination.
“Hey there,” she said.
“Hello, ladies.”
“Waiting for someone?”
“‘Fraid so.”
“Awww. It’s just not fair.” She made huge pout lips. “I’m looking for someone to play with.”
Back in the day, I would have jumped on that faster than you could say ‘go’. Not that this girl was anything spectacular, but I had low standards. Pretty much any invitation was honored as acceptable. But now, I’m ashamed of the way I used to behave. When on leave from the Marines, and sometimes during my deployment, I was a bit of a skeez when it came to woman. I was a partier, a clubber, an anything where there was girls and beer kinda guy. Drowning my sorrows from the loss of my mom, early in the year I signed up, and the subsequent mental descent of my dad.
I hate that about myself. I hate that that’s who I used to be. Who I became to escape my problems. And if the Lighters hadn’t come and shaken everything up, I have no doubt, I’d still be that person.
“Sorry, girls. I’m all taken,” I answered her back and saw the familiar challenge in her glassy gaze.
“Are you sure?” she said and let her finger drift down my chest. “Because I can be really persuasive,” she said and tried for seductive but she wobbled on her heels.
“Sorry. Not gonna happen,” I said as I removed her finger.
She hmmphed and was promptly carted away by her friend before she could embarrass herself even more, to which I was grateful. Lillian came out mere seconds after the girls left.
“I heard that, ya know,” she said, smirking.
“Did you?”
“Yep. I’m sorry if I’m ruining your game,” she said and looked like she was trying not to laugh.
“No way. Not possible. I’m always on my game. Besides, I don’t go for girls like that anymore.”
“What? Pretty girls?”
“She was not pretty. She was...fake. She could be pretty, but you shouldn’t have to work so hard at it, I think.”
“Aww. That poor girl. She probably spent hours putting on that garb just to have you turn her down.”
“She’s not my type. Just so you know, I’m one of those cliché guys that prefers blondes,” I said leaning in to whisper.
She smiled up at me, rolled her eyes playfully at my obvious line and tucked her hair behind her ear. I took her hand and eagerly towed her back to the dance floor.
“So, how do you like this thing called dancing?” I ask after a couple songs.
To my dismay, they were now playing Katy Perry’s ‘California Girls’.
“I love it! It’s fun. Even if I hate this song, it’s still fun.”
Ah. My dream girl.
“Yep. Told ya you’d have fun. No intervention needed.”
“You were right. Why I ever doubted you, sugar puss, I’ll never know!” she said and laughed as I swung her around in a tight circle once, pulling her tighter to me.
“Sugar puss?” I quirked a brow at her.
“Yes. Sugar puss. You don’t like it? How about sugar daddy? No, that one’s no good. That will ruin you’re reputation and mine.” I laughed but she kept going. “Hmm. How about sweetie pie? Is that good enough for your manliness to handle?”
“Yes. I like sweetie pie just fine. And you. You will be my lovely.”
“Hmmm. I like it. It’s sweet and true all at the same time,” she joked.
I laughed and laughed at that woman. She had definitely come out of her shell and the tonic and smoke filled air weren’t to blame. She was just happy to feel human again. As, I realized, was I.
One Fine Day
Chapter 13 - Sherry
“Rice and beans,” I said to answer the question for the fifth time today about what we were having for dinner. Again.
People were getting anxious about meals, since they knew things were about to get scarce. Our garden was coming along but, still, it was worthy of some worry I guess. It could definitely be a problem if the garden took a turn for the bad. I hated to think about it actually.
We finished with making supper and most everyone was done with their lessons so I started to hand out bowls. Bowls of rice and beans which people were not enthused about. What else was I supposed to do? We can’t eat like kings every night. We have to start eating more basic protein and filler meals. Even Merrick agreed with me that I was doing the right thing, and of course Cain. It was his and mine idea in the first place.
Everyone had pretty much seated somewhere and was chewing down. Merrick had Lily at the table with Calvin and Franklin. I took Maggie and Pap a bowl each since they were not getting around so good these days.
“
Thank ya, Sherry, honey. You sure are a sweet girl to an old lady,” Maggie said.
“Oh come on now. I don’t see any old ladies here,” I said and she smiled at me warmly.
“Well, well. Rice and beans. Hot dog!” Pap shouted and took the bowl from me eagerly.
At least someone around her was excited about supper.
I turned to return to the kitchen but before I made it, a piercing noise cut through the bunker making everyone jump and be still, stunned.
A doorbell.
I ran to the stairs out of instinct but Jeff already blurred there and beat me to it.
“No, Sherry. Stay here. We’ll go check it out.”
Merrick, Simon, Max and Mitchell were there too in a flash.
“Us five will go,” then he shouted louder. “Everyone else stay put, we’ll be right back.”
They picked up their pointy weapon of choice from the bin on their way out. Merrick passed me on his way up the stairs and touched my cheek.
Stay here, Sherry. I mean it.
“Of course. Since when do I disobey orders.”
He cocked a brow at me and smiled.
Love ya, honey.
“Love you. Be careful. Promise?”
Always.
Then he was gone with the rest of them. Hmmm. Who was working the store tonight? It wasn’t Margo, it wasn’t her turn. It was...Susan’s. She had asked to alternate that job since she didn’t like being in the bunker with Polly nor Piper.
Hmmm. How did she know about the doorbell? I guess they taught her about that when they showed her how to run the store.
When I look around though I see her. Sitting with Frank by the record player. So, who is up there? I keep looking around. No Margo in sight. Huh. I guess she was in the store after all, though she wasn’t supposed to be tonight.
I begin my worrisome pace.
I hate it. I hate it when they go out, especially for something like this. I decide my pace could be used to pick up dishes instead of doing nothing so I do that instead.
