Seven

by Susan Renee

  Like a moth to a flame my eyes immediately find Bryant. He’s standing at the bar pouring a beer for a few customers. When he looks up, he sees me walk in with the girls. At first I’m not sure he notices that it’s me and not just some other girl, except he’s staring.

  He notices.

  “Dude what are you doin’?” I hear the guy at the bar say. Bryant blinks and looks back to the guy talking to him and immediately I see what happened. Bryant jumps back and laughs, shaking his head, before looking up at me and winking. Beer from the tap is overflowing the glass Bryant is filling.

  “Sorry about that, man.” I hear Bryant say to his customer. He chuckles to himself, grabbing a towel to clean up the spilled mess. “I guess I was just distracted for a minute there. Here ya go.” After wiping down the glass quickly, he hands the customer his beer. Once the customer rejoins his party, Bryant looks over to me. I step over a little closer to the bar so I can say hello to him.

  “Hey!”

  Bryant lifts the countertop door and walks out from behind the bar, his towel draped over his shoulder. My breath hitches at the sight of all of him. His light denim jeans distressed in all the right places, paired with a form fitting black t-shirt. Damn the man can dress himself, that’s for sure. As he walks slowly over to me and the girls, I see his lips twitch. I can’t tell what he’s thinking but he’s not smiling like I expected him to be.

  “I thought you said you were going to be one of the hot ladies tonight?”

  What?

  I’m completely taken aback.

  “Come again?” is all I can think to say, although I certainly don’t want him to say it again. I heard him loud and clear the first time.

  Bryant shakes his head eyeing my legs, my chest, my neck, and finally meets my questioning eyes. “On a scale of one to four, I would say you’re drop dead sexy.”

  Oh, thank God.

  Bryant leans over, holding my head with his left hand so he can whisper in my ear. “I’ve got to make you come a first time before I can make you come again, Seven, but that is definitely something we can talk about. You look fantastic tonight.” He kisses me lightly on my neck right below my ear and I nearly go weak in the knees. The girls giggle behind me and for the first time in a long time, I feel shy.

  “Thank you Bryant,” I say quietly. Clearing my throat, I look behind me and proclaim to the group, “Let’s drink ladies!”

  “Are we going to see you in action tonight, Bryant?” I ask, raising my eyebrows in a challenge.

  I hope so.

  He’s got the sexiest voice.

  “We’ll see.” He grins. “We’ll see how the night goes. What’ll it be ladies? Your drinks tonight are on the house.”

  We all place our orders and find a good sized table near the front so we can watch the band. Both Bryant and Rachel have said that Bourbon Creek is a fantastic band with a lot of talent. There’s definitely a level of excitement in here that I’ve never experienced. I’m looking forward to watching the action.

  Two cranberry Old Fashions later and I can officially change my name to Tipsy. The music is great, the laughter with the girls feels fantastic and the constant flirting with Bryant throughout the night is ramping up my hormones. The alcohol I’ve consumed is definitely making me brave.

  “He really likes you, I can tell,” Audrey says across the table.

  “Oh, I completely agree.” Rachel raises her hand like we’re in a damn classroom. She’s obviously feeling the buzz as well. “He’s smitten. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night.”

  “You mean tits and ass!” Heather shouts. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off her tits and ass.” My eyes nearly bulge right out of my head but I giggle nonetheless.

  “Not true!” I try to defend him but who I am kidding? I’ve noticed him cast looks my direction several times throughout the night. Tonight I feel sexy and important, like I matter to someone. It wasn’t too long ago that I stood at that bar and watched Bryant flirt with other women. Women who were clearly prettier than me. Women who were obviously looking for a free drink in exchange for a booty call, but that’s not the Bryant I see tonight. Tonight I see him not pay a second’s notice to any of the women who try to throw themselves at him. He only has eyes for me. It’s endearing.

  Rachel gives me her best smug smile, like she knows me better than I know myself. “Whatever you say Savannah, but there’s no denying there’s something there between you two. I mean, if you don’t see it…”

  “I see it,” I assure her. “I don’t know. Right now, we’re two adults, who have been through hell, and just want to have some fun together. He’s not the guy I remember him being back in high school. He’s…sweet…and protective…compassionate.” I shrug. “I don’t know, I like him.”

  I look around the table and the girls are all smiling at me in that “aww she’s falling in love and it’s cute” kind of way. Rolling my eyes at all of them I motion for our waitress so I can order another drink. It’s then that I hear a familiar strum of a guitar playing what sounds like the intro to a song everybody knows since it’s played on the radios around here many times a day. I turn to watch the band once again, thinking to myself that the voice of Bourbon Creek’s lead singer wouldn’t be able to sound as much like Sam Hunt as others might want him to. The introductory chords are played over and over again to the point that I’m assuming I’m wrong about the song selection until I spot him in the corner of the room. Bryant Wood with a microphone in his hand.

  Oh God he’s not…

  He walks up to the small stage where the band is playing softly and says “So I spent some time with a girl today…” The entire bar hoots and hollars, shouting cat calls and “Get ‘er done’s”. Obviously it’s no secret that Bryant knows his way around the ladies.

  “No, no, no…it’s not like that,” he says with a wave of his hand. “This girl is a special girl and spending the day with her was the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I’ve had this damn smile on my face all day.” He shakes his head, chuckling partly to himself before looking up to find my gaze. “Anyway, she told me she likes rap music and I called bullshit. I don’t believe her…but just in case, this is the best I can do, so here goes.”

  Bryant starts into the beginning of Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time”. The song is about not wanting to steal my freedom, not wanting to come on too strong, but just wanting to take some of my time. If I wasn’t drunk I might actually tear up a little bit because Bryant makes no hesitation of singling me out in the crowd. If this town didn’t know that Bryant and I spent the day together, they do now.

  He finishes his song, thanks the band and turns to the crowd. “Who’s next ya’ll? It’s Karaoke Night LIVE with Bourbon Creek!” The crowd in the bar cheers as several people raise their hands and make their way to one of the band members to check out their repertoire list. A quick wink and nod to Rachel and she knows just what to do. I watch as she hops up from her chair, swallowing down the rest of her drink, and makes her way up front.

  “Well, what did you think, Seven? Was that rap enough for you?” Bryant appears at my table and wraps an arm around my shoulder.

  “Well I don’t know if I would constitute talking in the middle of a song as rap, but not bad. I can give you props for that performance.”

  “Ah well thanks. That was all for you. I promise the next one won’t be so mushy.” I feel his lips on my head as he stands above me.

  “You don’t do mushy? Cause I would beg to differ if you said no.”

  “Oh Seven, I can do mushy with the best of them but this crowd doesn’t need to see that. That can just be privately for you,” he whispers in my ear so the girls don’t hear him either. The closeness of his breath on my ear makes me close my eyes and inhale to try and take control over my body. Maybe it’s just the alcohol, but having Bryant around me, watching him tonight as he watches me, knowing what we both probably want but are too shy to take, I’m aching. It’s been a long time but I’m going to need s
ome relief, sooner rather than later. This man makes me want to step out of my comfort zone but I’m not sure how comfortable I am going there with him just yet. He makes me want to forget my past though. Maybe not forget it, but live past it.

  “Uh huh…just for me you say? Is that how you earned the nickname Bryant…the Giant Wood? You know, privately with the ladies?” I whisper back to him using his nickname so he knows I’m purposely flirting. I flip my loose ponytail over my shoulder and take another sip of my drink, making sure to keep eye contact with him the entire time. Lowering my glass, I lick my lips before biting my lower lip in a smile.

  I think I’m turning myself on.

  You’re being a tease, Savannah.

  Meh. You only live once…or in my case…sort of twice.

  I watch as Bryant swallows and tries not to react to the obvious signs of attraction I’ve just displayed. It’s fun to watch the player become flustered. “Nah, that’s just the nickname the guys on the football team gave me. You know how it is. Guys being guys…but I’m sure you could wrestle the giant anytime you wanted, Seven. You just say the word.”

  Yes, please.

  “Hmmm I don’t know…would I have to wear one of those WWE costumes?” I ask teasingly.

  Bryant closes his eyes and bows his head. I can tell he’s smirking but I’m not quite sure what he’s thinking.

  “Damnit woman you know how to make a guy question his control. To answer your question, no. You don’t have to wear a costume, but fuck if you wouldn’t look fantastic in one of those tight little numbers.”

  I hear the keyboard start to play and look up to see Rachel standing on the stage waiting for me. This is my cue. It’s time to play. Bryant watches as I boldly shoot the rest of my drink down my throat and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “I’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Wood. In the meantime, I have somewhere to be.” I hop up a bit unsteadily from my chair.

  “Savannah where are…”

  There’s not time to answer him. I wink at him before making my way to the stage. Rachel hands me the microphone just in time for me to turn around and look at a very shocked Bryant watching us. I try to hold in my laughter so that I can keep in character. He thinks I can’t rap or that I don’t like it, but shit, I’ll show him. Alcohol is freely flowing through my veins and encouraging me to let go of my inhibitions as I point to Bryant, channel my inner Iggy Azalea and begin to rap.

  “I should’a known that you were bad news,

  from the bad boy demeanor and the tattoos…

  …and a little trouble only makes for a good time,

  so all the normal red flags be a good sign…”

  Rachel is the Jennifer Hudson to my Iggy. Raising her arms as she belts out the chorus, I stand back and dance behind her, allowing all the troubles of my world to melt into oblivion around me. This song has meaning to Rachel and I. We both see it as one of those situations when you realize you’re meant to be friends because of a moment you both shared.

  Working in the salon one day, I was trimming up one of the local high school cheerleaders who seemed a way more down in the dumps than she ever had been. I don’t remember if she ever told us what the problem was but when “Trouble” came on the radio, my motherly/BFF instinct kicked in and I immediately knew how to make her smile. I started rapping and to everyone’s surprise, I knew every word Iggy said. All Rachel could do was laugh, grab a round hair brush to use as her microphone and sing along to Jennifer’s part. We’ve been good friends ever since.

  Our song finishes and the roar of the crowd in the bar is even louder than it was for Bryant. Rachel and I give each other a high five and a big hug before handing the microphone to the next performer. As we proudly walk back to our table, Bryant is standing next to my chair with a shit eating grin on his face, shaking his head back and forth. “How was that Mr. Wood? Did that pass your ‘Savannah can’t possibly rap’ test?” I raise my hands back to fix my hair that had started to fall out of my ponytail and the moment I bow my head slightly to reach back he grabs me.

  Pressing his body against mine with one hand on my back and one holding my hands on the back of my head, Bryant kisses me hard. Electricity shoots through me all the way to my core. I feel the pulse of my heartbeat in places I didn’t know a pulse could be felt. Bryant’s warmth, his fiery passion, and his apt for surprise make me hunger for more of him. I match his kiss with the same intensity wishing to God we were anywhere but standing in a public bar being whistled at by more people than I probably care to notice.

  Sober me would care.

  But I’m not sober.

  So I don’t care.

  When Bryant pulls back, softly kissing my nose, I peer up at him with a desire to tug his hand and take him in a back room somewhere.

  There’s always a back room somewhere, right?

  “I think that performance was…the hottest, sexiest, most arousing thing I’ve ever seen a girl do in this bar and I’ve seen some pretty…rare things.”

  “Hmm…well I thought about doing ‘Like a Virgin’, but I’m glad you approve.”

  “Yeah well I almost sang about checking you for ticks so we’re even, and I’ll always approve of you dancing, Seven. You can move your body around this bar any fucking time you want on one condition.”

  I raise my eyebrows at his proposal. “Oh? And what condition is that?”

  “I have to be here to watch. Every time. I don’t know if I could stand it knowing that you were here without me dancing while other guys were here watching you so please, just make sure I’m here so I can watch, and then protect you from the fuckin’ sharks.”

  Why does that make me blush? Damn, this guy knows how to say all the right things. Not that I feel the need to be protected. God knows I can obviously handle myself just fine, but it’s nice to know there’s a man looking out for me again. Females can be strong, independent bitches, but in the end, none of us mind knowing that someone is there for us, looking out for our safety. It’s what I find attractive in Bryant. Well, that and his strong arms, and nice ass.

  “Deal.” I wrap my arms around him and kiss him sweetly one more time. Kissing Bryant could be my new hobby.

  I turn my head to look at the girls who are all now seated at the table around me. Audrey and Heather both try to nonchalantly pick their jaws up off the table while Rachel squeals loudly, clapping her hands in approval. Audrey pours us all a glass of water from the pitcher sitting on the table. Scooting a glass in my direction she says, “Soooo I guess your date went pretty well today then, huh?”

  That earns Audrey a round of laughter from the rest of us.

  “I should go check on the bar. I’ll check in on ya’ll in a bit. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll send over another pitcher of water.” The girls all smile at Bryant, thanking him for his hospitality. He looks to me before walking away. “Did you drive here tonight?”

  “Nope.” I shake my head. The room spins around me a little bit but nothing I can’t handle with a few more glasses of water. “We came in Rachel’s car.”

  Rachel chimes in, “And since I’m the DD for the night, I only had one beer and that was when we got here. I’m good.”

  Bryant nods but looks seriously between the two of us. “All the same I would like to make sure you get home safely. That okay with you Sev?”

  Alone time with Bryant? Uh… yeah.

  “Yeah. That would be great. Thanks Bryant.”

  “Don’t mention it. I’ll check on ya in a bit.” He kisses my head lightly and walks back to the bar.

  “Phew girl, he’s got it bad,” Rachel teases.

  “Nah, he’s just being a nice guy. I guess I’m new to the nice-guy treatment these days so I’ll take it while I can even if it means I’ll get hurt in the long run.”

  Rachel tilts her head in my direction, confused. “Why would you get hurt? Bryant is a great guy. You don’t know him like I do. I think his feelings are legit. I’ve never seen him like this around a girl before…like, ever
.” Rachel raises her eyebrows before winking at me. “Face it, Savannah. You have yourself an admirer.”

  I gulp down my water, hoping to God that I really can handle this.

  What if Bryant’s the one who ends up getting hurt because of me?

  Chapter 20

  Bryant

  I didn’t think I believed in second chances at life until I met Savannah Turner. I resigned myself to thinking that I would forever be a single daddy to the world’s cutest little girl, feeling grateful for the gift of her life and living with the guilt of knowing where her new liver came from and never telling a damn soul. But then fate had a way of answering my long-awaited unanswered prayers when Savannah moved back into town. I knew then that no matter what happened, I owed this woman my life and would do whatever I could to make sure she was cared for. I can’t explain what’s happening now between Savannah and me, but whatever it is I’ll take it. I’ll take all of it and I’ll hold onto it for the rest of my life if she’ll let me.

  This might be one of the best days and nights I’ve had in my adult life. Sun up to sun down I’ll remember this day for as long as I live. It’s the day I started falling hard for a girl I don’t deserve. I don’t even know how it happened but watching her tonight, seeing her smile, her eyes as they lit up when she performed with Rachel, feeling the desire in her kiss, the warmth of her hand in mine…she’s the one. She has to be, but something about that possibility feels so damn impossible to me. I’m lying to her by omission…because I have to…but at some point in our future, maybe next week, next month, next year, or ten years from now, the truth is going to make its way out and when it does…

  I have to tell her before it does.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight is not that time.

  She probably wouldn’t remember anyway.

  “Hey? You okay? You’re quiet.” Savannah bumps my shoulder gently as we walk the steps to her apartment. She stumbles a little bit so I wrap my arm around her waist to steady her. I’m not judging this girl at all for her intoxicated state. She needed a night like this to let go of her demons, and what better place than amongst friends and in my bar where I could watch her, take care of her.