The Heart Will Lead You Home

by Kristin Leedy

  Lizzie’s heart pounded for a minute, but as she sat there face to face with Lou Ann all the fear she used to experience from Lou Ann’s taunts melted away. No longer was Lou Ann some larger than life untouchable siren that could cow her with the slightest little taunt. Instead she was a pathetic, pitiful, washed up, bitter woman who had nothing left but her mean words to keep her afloat. It was sad to see the truth standing in front of her, but at the same time it was freeing, and Lizzie experienced a moment of triumph and inexplicable joy. A smile broke out on her face, and then a rumble of laughter leaked out of her throat. She laughed so long and hard that finally she was laughing hysterically and both Grace and Lou Ann were looking at her like she might just need a trip to the funny farm after all.

  After a while she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, and patted the bar stool next to her. “Have a seat Lou Ann. You know, you’re not half as scary as you used to be, you know that?” Lou Ann looked totally taken aback, but she parked it on the seat next to Lizzie and ordered a beer from Moe.

  “So, sweat pea… isn’t that what Grace always calls you?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Whatever.” Lou Ann lit up a cigarette and puffed the smoke out in Lizzie’s general direction. Lizzie just shook her head. Obviously Lou Ann was still pouting. Some people never learn how to grow up. “What are you still doing here in Edenville? I thought you’d be off licking your wounds somewhere nice and tropical after, well, you know…”

  “Yeah, well, I thought I was getting married. Apparently I was wrong. Life sucks. I’m over it.” Lou Ann studied her skeptically.

  “Mmmm, yeah, you really look like you’re way over it.” She took another puff of her cigarette before snubbing it out on the bar and lighting another one.

  “You know, don’t you, that cigarettes kill?”

  Lou Ann glanced her way from the corner of her eye. “God, you don’t say. Jesus, thank the good Lord that a doctor was here tonight and could save my life.” She put her cigarette down and leaned into Lizzie for a massive hug.

  Lizzie batted her away. “Yeah, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She pushed away and headed to the jukebox to select a song.

  “You and Surgeon General… y’all are real class acts, I gotta hand it to you, Lizzie,” Lou Ann called after her as Lizzie moved away. Lizzie actually was starting to half way enjoy Lou Ann’s demented sense of humor in an oddly insane way, she thought as she pushed the button’s for a Carrie Underwood song.

  Lou Ann was chatting with Grace when she came back. “So, I thought you were off living in California or something crazy like that,” Grace was saying.

  “Was. I walked in on my bastard husband screwing another woman on our kitchen table. I divorced him and sold all our stuff. Didn’t much feel like eating off that table after that.”

  “Ouch. I guess not.”

  “Yeah, well, it happens.”

  Lizzie raised her glass in a toast, trying to find a way to make some peace between Lou Ann and her and get the topic on to better subjects than men. “Here’s to being single and not needing a man to add meaning to life.”

  “Here Here.” Lou Ann and Grace raised their drinks to the toast.

  “A toast, eh? What’s the cause?” Lizzie’s stomach flipped at the voice behind her, but she forced the liquid down her throat and turned to face him.

  Lou Ann chipped in, “Ah, we were just toasting to all the men we didn’t need in our lives. Fancy that, eh?” Was that a wink she just witnessed, or maybe that was a twitch Lou Ann had developed along with her bad burping habits.

  Payton’s eyes made a slow study of Lou Ann, one which, if Lizzie had cared about Payton at all- which of course, she didn’t- would have made her insanely jealous. Those beautifully sexy green eyes finished their slow assault of her then skipped over to meet Lizzie’s dead on. He smiled, a small smile from the edge of one lip, and then it was gone.

  “Hey, Moe. How about serving up the coach a cold one?” Lou Ann called out to Moe. Moe nodded and moved toward the tap.

  Payton wasted no time in turning back to Lou Ann. “Well, well. Did Lou Ann “the Banshee” Hendley finally find her way home? I thought I heard the fence-line gossip channel discussing you during PTA last week.” His smile was slow and smooth, and Lizzie could feel the pulse of all fifty female bodies inside Moe’s hammer into overdrive. He was baiting her, he had to be, because Lou Ann had to be just about the most worn out looking soul within a two hundred yard radius, and still he was looking at her like she was the finest piece of Grade A beef a food critic had ever seen.

  She cleared her throat to gently remind him she was sitting right next to him.

  Apparently he didn’t hear because Payton cocked his hip so he shifted closer to Lou Ann, leaned into the bar, and reached for his frosty mug of Guinness in a way that allowed him to skim his brawny muscles quite effectively over Lou Ann’s skin. Was it her or did she really just hear fifty silent female voices begging to be in Lou Ann’s shoes right then?

  Lou Ann smiled her dull brown eyes up at Payton. “I was just telling the girls here that my scumbag husband cheated on me. Hence the toast you walked up on.”

  “Well now, Lou Ann, that is truly a shame. I hate to see such a fine female form so ill used.”

  Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Excuse me. I think I hear the little ladies room calling. Grace, care to join me?”

  Grace was too busy flirting with some drunk skunk sitting next to her, so Lizzie headed off by herself. From her peripheral vision she watched Payton slide smoothly into her vacant bar stool, never skipping a beat in the conversation. She gave a snort of disgust before she slammed her way through the bathroom door.

  She gave herself ten minutes to cool down in the restroom before she washed her hands in the sink and headed back to the bar. Obviously that hadn’t been long enough – or maybe it had been a little too long- because when she pushed open the door she found Payton and Lou Ann locking lips like they were the French inventing that kiss.

  Payton waited until he saw the door to the bathroom shut completely before he let the smile that was killing his cheek muscles fall. “Oh, man,” he said with a groan, “do you think this is really going to work?”

  Lou Ann took a sip of her beer and regarded him with something close to pity. “You’re asking me? I got an F- on relationship kinetics the day I signed those divorce papers, and you’re asking me if I think things are going to work?”

  “Well, you agreed to be my partner in crime didn’t you?”

  One dreadfully misshapen eyebrow rose. “Correction, I was badgered into this ridiculous game by that mop of red hair sitting over there. Something about paying penance for all those cruel pranks I used to pull. Whatever.”

  “What? Did I hear someone talking about me over here?” Grace extracted herself as calmly as possible from the drunk skunk sitting next to her. “Nice work, by the way. I almost believed that bit about the kitchen table.”

  “Yeah?” Lou Ann’s lips rose into a half smile. “I thought it was pretty good myself. Besides, my ex deserves to have a few nasty rumors spread about him. I almost went to acting school, you know. Still might someday.”

  “That might be a good thing for you. I could see you acting in one of those-“

  “Girls. Girls!” Payton looked at the two with his best coach’s half time lecture game face. “Seriously. We don’t have much time here and I need to know what to do next.”

  “Well, first things first… do you really want to get the girl?”

  “Yes, but are you sure this plan is going to work?”

  “Please.” Grace looked at him like he had stupid tattooed to his forehead. “What’s the matter, coach? Have you turned into a softie and forgotten how to play a little hardball?” She patted him gently on the shoulder, as if that would ease the blow she’d just landed. “If I know my girl, and I think I do, this will catch her attention a heck of a lot faster than those tulips on her doorstep will.”

&nb
sp; Payton scowled. “Not funny.”

  “Seriously, though,” Lou Ann interjected, “if you want this to work then you’re just going to have to trust us.”

  Payton wasn’t sure that he really wanted to trust either one of them, but he had run out of patience. He couldn’t wait any longer to finally have Lizzie again. “All right, the door’s opening. It’s go time.”

  He had no more than finished the sentence when Lou Ann’s lips settled over his and held. His muscles bunched and he readied himself to push away and give her a piece of his mind when he heard her hiss through clenched teeth, “Keep kissing me dammit, and don’t screw this up.”

  The claws she dug into his upper arm shocked him enough that he opened his mouth only to have it invaded by her tongue. He forced himself to think about all the ways he would punish Lou Ann for this later, and brought his hand up to slide it through her hair. He really, really hoped this worked.

  Lizzie managed to only trip twice on her twenty foot trip back from the bathroom. The first time was because she was trying to figure out exactly how far down Payton’s throat Lou Ann had her tongue, and the second was entirely on purpose- just to see if

  Mr. Luv-you-‘till-I-die still even knew she existed.

  Obviously not, she thought with disgust, when he leaned in a little closer to Lou Ann and whispered something into her ear that had her grinning a mile wide. However, one of the pool players had witnessed her trip and he reached out a hand to catch her.

  “Easy there, little lady.” He smiled at her from beneath an overly large white felt cowboy hat and devoured her whole with eyes that were greedy thanks to too much booze.

  She giggled nervously and started to push away until she looked over towards the bar and found Payton watching the guy like he would walk over any second and punch a hole through his no good head. That look was a whole heck of a lot better, in Lizzie’s opinion, than the one he’d been giving Lou Ann earlier, so she decided to stick around and see where the pool man got her.

  * * * *

  “What is she doing?” Payton whispered feverishly into Grace’s ear. “She’s supposed to be going crazy that I’m kissing Lou Ann, not scoping out the freshest piece of jail bait to see who’ll give her the better time!”

  Grace sipped her margarita before spinning on her bar stool and clapping Payton on the shoulder. “Relax, big guy. She hasn’t been interested in men in months. Do you really think she’d be hitting on him if she weren’t going crazy about you and Lou Ann? Now, don’t look now, but I think someone’s checking out the scene over here, so get back in there, QB.”

  Payton let out a long-suffering sigh and spun back to Lou Ann. He loved challenges like this normally, so he couldn’t figure out why this one was making him act so crazy. He did get some satisfaction, though, when he watched Lizzie’s jaw drop at least two inches as he slowly slid his well tanned hand up the inner edge of Lou Ann’s thigh.

  Lizzie was turning flame red, she just knew it, and it wasn’t anything close to embarrassment she was feeling. She watched with utter disgust as Payton slid his hand up Lou Ann’s thigh then winked at her. She tried her hardest, really she did, to keep from gasping in shock. Nevertheless, she heard it escape from her lips along with a shrill little growl that came from somewhere deep inside her.

  Pool man stared at her like she was demon possessed before turning his attention back on the game at hand. Lizzie narrowed her eyes and determined that Payton absolutely was not going to get the upper hand. This was a game, she knew it now, and although she was certain that Payton wouldn’t take defeat lightly, she was going to show him how it felt.

  She didn’t have many tools to use to her advantage since she wasn’t wearing an ounce of make-up and she was sporting the same Ann Taylor sweat-suit she’d worn to the masseuse, but she was determined to do something. Tossing her hair in similar manner to the sex goddesses on TV, she stomped over to the opposite side of the pool table and bent down so her not so ample breasts were on eye level with pool man’s gaze. She hoped that at least some of her cleavage was showing, though she doubted it. Regardless, she flicked her gaze over to the bar just to make sure Payton was watching then jutted out her chest to gain the other man’s full attention.

  When he didn’t look up she was only slightly offended, but she cleared her throat and waggled her eyebrows at him when he glanced her way. She licked her lips and smiled what she felt confident was her best come-on smile. He blinked at her then turned to look behind him. He looked confused when he turned back, pointing slowly to himself with an obvious question mark over his head.

  “I’m sorry… are you coming on to me?”

  Lizzie felt like the jaw-dropping routine was getting a little old, but she did it again for what had to be at least the fifth time that night. “I-I was trying.”

  “Yeah, sweetheart…” He put down his stick and rounded the table, taking her by the arm and pulling her to the side. He leaned in to her and whispered, “I was just being nice. I’m… gay.”

  She really hoped that her face didn’t register the shock she felt because she certainly had Payton’s full attention now. “What,” She hissed back at him. “You’re gay! I’ve don’t believe you, I’ve got gaydar on a ten mile radius and you don’t even show a little blip.”

  He gave her a pitying smile and whispered back, “Sorry sweets. That’s my boyfriend over there.”

  “But, I’m trying to” she blushed, “… well, make that guy over there jealous. Can’t you at least help me with that?”

  Lizzie waited as he slowly turned and checked out Payton and whistled softly before saying, “Yeah, I can see why. Mmm-mmm, I’d like to get me a piece of that.”

  Lizzie forced his head back around to focus in on her. “Nope, sorry, he’s definitely not gay, and besides, I had him first. Now, can you help me or not?”

  “For that? Honey, I’ll help anyone if it means getting a chance at that man.” Abruptly, he pushed her back so she was against the wall and braced a hand on either side of her head. He leaned into her so his hips were touching hers and began to nuzzle her neck. For a gay man he was definitely doing one heck of a job putting the make-out moves on a woman. She was just starting to enjoy the way he was kissing her when he pulled back and smiled.

  “Well, my dear, either it’s my lucky night or you were really enjoying yourself.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, it’s called acting.” She pushed past him then turned back. “Thanks, by the way. That should help a bunch.”

  She worked her way through the thickening crowd in the pub to where Grace sat. She mustered up all the energy she had just to eek out what she hoped would have been a bigger yawn, praying that Payton would think she was bored to tears with his cat and mouse games.

  “Well, it’s been fun and all, Grace, but I think I’m going to call it a day.”

  “Oh? You’re leaving so soon? I thought we’d do tequila shooters next and have a round of pool, although, I must say, you weren’t doing so bad yourself over at those pool tables a few minutes ago.” Grace ribbed Lizzie and gave her a wink before leaning in and saying just loud enough for the two of them to hear, “but was it just me or did he act a little gay?”

  Lizzie’s face contorted into a spasm of unspoken threats. “Shh! Are you insane? Speak any louder and Payton will hear you! He was already playing kissy-face with a rebounding Lou Ann, so I don’t want him to know I was just trying to make him jealous.”

  “So you picked a gay man to make out with? I mean, I’m not one to question his sexuality or anything, but do you really think Payton would go for someone like that?”

  Lizzie felt like smacking her head. “No, no, no. You’re misunderstanding. I didn’t know he was straight, I thought he was gay- I mean… strike that and reverse it.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Look, stay if you want to, but I’ve had all the fun and games I can stand for one night. I’m going home to get some sleep.”

  Grace patted her friend on the shoulder. “Ever
ything’s going to be okay, Lizzie. Trust me.” She opened Lizzie’s hand and dropped her set of keys into her palm. “Here, take my car. I’m pretty sure I can find a ride home.”

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Lizzie lay in bed staring at the blades of the ceiling fan whirling around in a lazy whoosh-whoosh. Lizzie had been trying to fall asleep for two hours, but despite how sleep deprived she’d been lately, she wasn’t finding much success. Memories seemed her best choice for companionship these days since they were the only things that refused to leave her alone. She closed her eyes and tried to focus in on all the little details of the latest bombardment: her memories from college.

  She could hear the roar of the crowd, feel it vibrating the concrete beneath her feet, as she climbed the stairs of Sanford Stadium to her seat in the student section. The game was nearly over, and she watched with a sense of exhilaration as red and black jersey’s slammed ruthlessly into orange and blue.

  In the years since that tragic night in high school she still hadn’t been able to forget his last words: I never want to see your face again, Lizzie. It had taken her the first two quarters of the game just to convince herself he would never know if she showed up to the game with that many thousands of people sitting in the stands. Then it had taken another quarter just to make her body calm enough to walk across the campus and through the gates. Lizzie was glad that everyone else was so worked up over the game that they were standing to watch- she didn’t think she could make herself sit if she tried.

  Number thirty-four. In the four years she had been here at UGA not until today had she dared to watch a single play from its history making football team, and yet she knew his number. She would hear that number as she walked through the halls Monday morning, hear it at fraternity parties as guy’s discussed their theories on his playing, and knew from too many painful memories just how well those muscles underneath that jersey could bunch and ripple and work.