Whirlwind Love: Libby's Journey

by Hendley, DiDi

  Joe nodded, turning to Libby. She nodded as well. Sue turned to the kitchen, then. quickly returned with a carafe and poured coffee in two of the mugs, and leaving the carafe by the third mug. Turning to Libby, she added, “Hey, I’m Sue. What can I get’cha? She gave Libby the onceover as she put pen to paper.

  “Message received…loud and clear. Which one was yours?” Joe laughed as he motioned to Libby for her to order, but she smiled and held up her index finger as she studied the menu.

  “Big, goofy guy, but you probably wouldn’t know him. It’s all over but the paperwork; and man, I can’t wait! Had him served last week.”

  Joe piped in, “Soon enough, no doubt. Good luck on that! Hey, I’ll have two eggs, sunnyside with grits and bacon, some raisin toast and OJ. Sue, Darlin’, Chuck’s on his way, he wants the 2-A.M.”

  Sue nodded as she scribbled, then called back over her shoulder, “Chicks on the beach, freckled with sunshine...gimme a medley.”

  “I’ll have what he’s having, but scramble the eggs,” Libby said, pointing at Joe.

  “Fluffy chicks on the beach,” Sue called back to the kitchen.

  “Y’all let me know if you need something else,” she smiled at Joe.

  “Thanks, Darlin’!” Joe returned Sue’s smile before turning back to Libby. “So, tell me about yourself,” he was still smiling, and his body language showed his attention shifted to her completely. “Starting with what makes you smell so good.”

  Before she could answer, Chuck crawled into the booth, grinning. “Seen her?”

  “I have no idea, man,” Joe growled clearly agitated at the interruption.

  Chuck surveyed the room, oblivious to Joe’s anger. Disappointed, he settled into the booth. “Man what a crowd tonight! That place was on fire!”

  Joe nodded, less perturbed, and turned to Libby. Before he could speak, Chuck continued, “She said she was coming tonight...damn-it, it looks like she blew me off!”

  Wilting in his seat, Joe smiled apologetically at Libby, “Chuck met a girl last night at a gig...seems he’s got a…let’s call it a crush.” Joe snickered at the idea.

  “Nah, man...I blew off several babes tonight—I hate to think it was for nothin’,” Chuck replied.

  Joe gave Chuck a look that implied, shut up.

  Ignoring Joe, Chuck glanced at Libby and changed his topic. “So, how’d your pictures turn out, sweetheart? I couldn’t help but notice you got too many of my bad side. I thought we had an agreement.”

  Libby laughed and glanced at Joe. “I think they’re great! But, you’ll have to be the judge.”

  Sue appeared with plates stacked up her arm. After doling out the meal, she refilled the coffee and asked, “Anything else y’all need?”

  “We’re good, sweetheart, thanks,” Chuck responded. “Hey, darlin’ did you call in a yellow-gel-o shootout tonight?” he grinned.

  Sue winked at him and seemed to prance away from the table. “I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout what you’re talkin’ about,” she smirked.

  Smiling, Libby noticed how the weary waitress seemed to perk up from Chuck’s question.

  “So…you seem like a woman of few words,” Chuck chided Libby, “I like that.”

  Joe kicked him under the table. Chuck glared.

  “If your fork were hittin’ that mouth...my fist wouldn’t be,” Joe growled.

  Chuck offered a sneer as he shoved a fork full of food into his mouth defiantly. As everyone began to consume their meal, the table grew silent.

  To fill the awkwardness of the moment, Libby asked, “So, what’s it like, traveling from place to place, performing?”

  Joe glared at Chuck almost daring him to speak. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and then turned to Libby in response. Before he had the chance, however, Chuck piped in, “Ah...it’s great. Love the energy. Love the ladies,” he laughed, dragging out the last word for emphasis. “Now, really, what are we supposed to do? If a woman wants to throw her panties at me,” Chuck leered at Libby, his fork flying through the air as he spoke, tossing a little food onto the window beside Libby. “I mean, it would be RUDE to ignore them, right?” He laughed as he shoved another fork full of food into his mouth.

  Joe glared at his brother.

  “If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you, Chuck?” Libby inquired.

  “Thirty-one,” he responded absently, clearly not interested in the conversation any longer. He leaned out the booth and watched two women walk to the last booth at the opposite end of the diner.

  Libby glanced hard at Chuck upon hearing his age. Noting his attentive stare, she turned to see what had transfixed him so.

  “She’s a teenager! Tell me you don’t date...well, I guess date isn’t exactly the right word, is it?”

  Chuck grinned as he glanced at Libby and raised an eyebrow. Joe shook his head, clearly wanting no part of this conversation; he clenched his jaw and tried to focus on his food, occasionally shooting glances at Chuck across the table.

  “So, how long have you guys been singing?” Libby asked, desperately wanting to change the topic of conversation.

  Relieved, Joe jumped in to explain before Chuck could speak, “I was in a garage band in high school. I played with a few bands, actually, got screwed by ‘em mostly. Like claiming copyrights to my songs and signing contracts behind my back. Chuck and I started playing together seriously when I was 20…21. He was around 16. We’ve been together ever since.”

  “That’s a long time. No wonder you’re so in sync. You’re an amazing guitarist, Chuck. I’m jealous.” She directed her conversation to Joe. “My Mom played and sang. She taught music and voice lessons for a long time. Our concerts were on our front porch in the summer evenings.”

  Libby smiled as she moved the food on her plate around with her fork. “No standing ovations,” she smiled. “Course, we didn’t have shootouts either.”

  Joe smiled as he watched her awkward attempt at conversation. Realizing his amusement, she lay down her fork and contemplated how to get out of her uncomfortable situation.

  Libby then noticed Chuck’s attention never left the other end of the diner. She turned to follow his stare, and Joe soon followed. “Sometimes I think his hormones’ll be the death of him,” he muttered. “Chuck, man, ya got no morals...none!” Joe took another bite of his food.

  Chuck had apparently caught the attention of one of the ladies. She was smiling at him. Within a few minutes she approached their table.

  “Hi, aren’t you Chuck King? I’m a huge fan! So’s my daughter, but she’s kinda shy. Would you mind giving us your autograph? You too, Joe,” she giggled.

  “Sure thing, Mama,” Chuck took her pen and paper and signed it.

  Looking around as if to share a secret, the woman whispered, “Well, now, in these parts I might go to jail for being called mama by the poster boy for so many of my impure thoughts!” she giggled again, with a voice that clearly didn’t match her age.

  “Mama!” the teenager exclaimed with embarrassment.

  Chuck smiled at the woman, then drew a heart on the paper and kissed it. His eyes drifted to the daughter, who shyly approached. Chuck zeroed in on her and smiled his most charming smile.

  “Hey there sweetheart, what can I do for you?”

  The girl smiled, and her mother gushed, “Well, we don’t wanna interrupt your breakfast. Joe, will you?” she stepped behind her daughter to hand the paper to Joe. Joe took the paper and signed it, handing it back to the mother with a smile and a nod.

  “C’mon Christine, let’s leave ‘em be,” the mother ushered the daughter back to their booth, both giggling over their treasure.

  Chuck propped his head on his hand as his thumb stroked his chin, then leaned out of the booth to watch them walk away. “Man, I’d do the mom just to have the girl!”

  “Chuck!” Joe whispered.
>
  “What? Her skirt kinda looks like a little flower,” Chuck grinned, then began making a buzzing sound as he squirmed upright again.

  “I never did a mother-daughter before,” Chuck laughed, then looked directly at Libby to gauge her reaction, raising his eyebrow in challenge. “Maybe I should add that to my to-do list,” an evil laugh completed his thought.

  “Tell me, you’re not like that?” Libby asked Joe directly, wincing.

  Joe shot a startled glance sideways at her, then at Chuck. “No chance!” he replied, rolling food around in his mouth to keep from choking, He swallowed hard, all the while shaking his head slowly. He returned his attention to his plate in hopes that the conversation ended there.

  “It’s easy to think we’re all just out for ass, but don’t let Chuck’s example stand for all of us.” Joe punctuated the sentence with a direct look into Libby’s eyes. “Some of us can even be nice guys,” he smirked, a challenge in his eyes.

  As Libby turned her focus again to her food, Chuck’s attention shifted quickly to Joe, and he laughed a hearty, although somewhat delayed, “HA!” A few more moments of awkward silence followed.

  Joe gave Chuck a hard look. “Really, man? Why don’t you hurry up and eat, so maybe you can go somewhere…soon.”

  Chuck shot a glance at Joe, “Uh, you fine folk’s hav’ta ‘scuse me...I think I see, uh, some body I know.” He slipped out of the booth, and strutted to the end of the diner where two new girls had taken a booth.

  Joe turned to see Chuck’s path. Turning back, he shook his head, “Sometimes I just don’t know ‘bout that boy. He’ll spend every dime he makes in a night if I don’t watch out for him. You’d think he’d figure it out sooner or later, but no...and I foolishly keep bailin’ him out of his messes!” Joe pushed his empty plate to the end of the table and threw back the last of his coffee. “So, who’s the one who doesn’t figure it out?”

  Libby noticed the clock on the wall and was shocked to see it was after three o’clock. She promised Laura she’d be in her driveway in Las Cruces in a few hours. There’s no way she could live up to that promise now, but the urge to get on the road was strong. Libby shifted uneasily in her seat.

  Joe mistook her movement as a need to visit the ladies room and politely stood. When Libby didn’t slide out, Joe excused himself and walked awkwardly toward the restroom. She slid to the edge of the booth and pulled twenty dollars from her pocket, dropping it beside her plate.

  As Joe returned to the booth, Libby stood in the doorway and said, “I had no idea it was so late, I really need to be hittin’ the road.”

  Joe looked shocked, “Why the rush? Isn’t it kinda late to be driving? I thought you were gonna show me my pictures.”

  She made her way out the door. “I promised a friend I’d have morning coffee with her in Las Cruces. I don’t want her to worry.”

  Joe pulled cash from his pocket and dropped it on the table, seeing Libby’s money, he gave her a hard look. By this time, the door was closing behind her. With four long, strides, he was catching the door before it closed.

  He followed her in silence until they were near the door of the RV. “Hey! What about my pictures? Do you really have to leave in such a hurry?”

  She smiled; her reserve could easily fail her looking into such a handsome face. Something about his voice...she thought. Most women wouldn’t stand a chance. She unlocked the RV door, leaned inside to a small shelf just inside the door and pulled out a business card. She took a deep breath, looked squarely at him and smiled. “Thanks for a very entertaining evening. Why don’t you just get hold of me, somehow, email, phone, whatever works. Just let me know where to send your pictures, and I’ll be happy to share them.” When he didn’t accept the card, she slipped it into his shirt pocket.

  He looked surprised. “Something I said? Hey, don’t let Chuck get to you…I know he can be an ass.”

  “Nothing like that,” she replied. “We’re just...different. No doubt you know how to show a girl a great time; but I’ve got someplace to be, and maybe it’s just best if I go on my way.”

  “Best?” he mocked, stepping close.

  She knew he was well-aware of his charms. She imagined he’d won his way countless times. “Joe, don’t make me do this.” She stepped sideways for the RV steps, but miscalculated and caught her ankle, knocking herself off her balance.

  His ready arm grabbed her. As she over-corrected, she fell against his chest. His free hand reached for her face and turned it toward his. Before she could react, he kissed her...hard. Libby caught her breath as she tasted the memory of his whiskey: the emotion of the moment sent her scrambling. She pushed against him and fell back onto the RV step.

  “Look,” she said angrily as she jumped to her feet, “You’re…I’m just not…I’m not one of your groupies! You can’t just do that--when you feel like it—not with me!” She grew angrier, both at herself and at him. The taste of his whiskey seemed to fuel her fire.

  “You’re allowed to have fun, though, right?” his narrowed eyes twinkled in mockery.

  “Fun? Ha! This…this’ll end badly…how could it not? And who’s to say I call this fun? For your information, I don’t get involved with random men…especially those who’re just passing through.”

  “I’ve known cactus that wasn’t as thorny as you. Sounds like you could use a long night with a good man to get the prickly outta you,” Joe smirked. “And besides, who’s just passing through?”

  “Look, I’m not a ‘one-night stand’ kinda woman—especially with reckless men who have different women in every town—and I know you’ve got a LOT of towns on your agenda. I bet you can’t even remember the name of last night’s bed warmer, can you? You probably kicked her out so you could get your rest…who needs complications in the light of day.

  “Hey, I saw how you talked with that person on the phone in the parking lot...all the cursing...the anger! Was that your last night’s conquest? How do I know that wouldn’t be me tomorrow? There’s a reason they call it cursing, you know? I mean, who do you respect? Anybody? Maybe you just fake it ‘til the mornin’ light! I’m just not that kinda girl, Mr. King!” Her voice grew louder with each question.

  “If somebody tells you they love...uh, like you, it’s like an open door. Telling people to ‘f’-off and go to hell...those words are like bricks. They’re meant for pain. You toss ‘em at people to make a wall. You...you can’t go around speaking to people that way!”

  Clearly shocked by her barrage of outbursts, Joe stepped back. Confusion, shock, then anger quickly flashed across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but her words cut him off.

  “And how can you drink like you do...don’t you know you’ll ruin that beautiful voice God gave you? Don’t you have any appreciation for your talent? And what if you wrecked, Joe? Don’t you even care that you could take out total strangers? Ruin innocent lives? Those shootouts are just fuel for a fire that you don’t stick around to put out, now do you? You’re not responsible for the wake, are you?”

  Libby’s tirade surprised her as much as it did him, and she suddenly felt embarrassed. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away as she turned to the RV door.

  Joe stared at her in disbelief. He seemed at a loss for words, her words seemed to cut him deeply.

  Seconds later, her voice softened slightly, “And besides, I’m not somebody’s one-night-stand. I got involved with a guy…once. Caught him kissing another girl…can’t seem to find any need to…whatever.” Tears filled her eyes as the overwhelming emotions gripped her heart. Her nerves felt completely jangled—the memory of her body next to his, his strong arms around her, his lips on hers. Libby’s eyes lingered on the curve of his lip. She forced herself onto the step, stumbling.

  “Wait a minute...wait,” Joe stepped forward.

  A car barreled into the parking lot, throwing headlights acros
s Joe’s eyes. A cloud of dust swelled, rocks flew in all directions, and the tension that had erupted just moments prior seemed to break. Libby took the opportunity to step quickly inside the door. She turned briefly, looking down, “Goodnight, Joe, take care of yourself,” she quickly called down to him. He took a step forward as she closed the door.

  “Hey, c’mon, Lily. Wait...”

  * * *

  Libby’s mind spiraled as tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t start the RV fast enough. She refused to look out the window as she left the parking lot. She drove a mile down the highway and pulled off at a dark gas station. As she put the RV in park, the anguish surged within her soul, and the grief Libby held inside for so many years exploded into tears she could no longer deny. There was no longer a reason to be brave. Libby witnessed first-hand a scenario that didn’t go wrong, but had so much potential to—suddenly her worst nightmare had a face. Maybe it wasn’t the face that created her torture nine years earlier, but it could be a nightmare for someone...someday.

  * * *

  Joe watched the RV leave the parking lot, his face glowing red as his temper flared, but still he had a small hope she might turn around. Something about her left him yearning. When she didn’t come back, he turned toward the diner, confusion etched on his face. Forcing his hands into his pockets, Joe stopped after a few steps. There wasn’t any point to go back to the diner. He noticed Chuck working two girls and shook his head. Joe’s shoulders dropped as he turned toward the motel and began walking.

  Running the conversation through his mind, he was trying to figure out what went wrong. On the highway, a vehicle approached the diner from the direction she just left. Joe looked back again, wondering if maybe she’d turned back.

  In the darkness a car door slammed. A shadow of a man appeared in front of Joe, heading straight toward him. “You!” The drunk from the altercation outside the bar earlier suddenly charged Joe. More inebriated than before, the drunk’s hand recoiled aiming at Joe’s face. Before Joe knew it, the hard fist landed against his right jaw.