Save Me From Myself (Nashville Nights)

by Stacey Mosteller

  After the first band comes on stage and plays their set, they announce there will be a short break before Twisted Destiny comes on. It’s now closing in on ten, and still no David. I’m feeling pretty dejected, even though the bar is packed, I thought he would have at least stopped by to say hi. I’ve seen him a couple of times behind the bar across the room, but he’s never so much as looked my way.

  Suddenly, Anna grabs my arm, pulling me towards her. “Who’s that?” she shouts in my ear over the loud music. Looking over at the bar, I see the tiny blonde girl with pink highlights bending over it, holding herself up by her arms talking to David. He is smiling down, listening intently to her. When he replies to her, her entire face lights up and she kisses his cheek before dropping back down to the floor.

  I turn back to Anna and snort, “That’s the same girl I saw him with at the mall and at Ruby’s yesterday. He’s no different than any other jackass we’ve met.”

  Anna watches the blonde head back to her table. “I don’t know Lyr, she didn’t exactly kiss him like a girlfriend would.” We watch as David walks out from behind the bar. Clapping the bartender that just arrived on the shoulder, he says something that makes the bartender laugh, and moves past him.

  Once he's lost in the crowd, Anna continues, "Maybe they're just friends or-" she cuts herself off looking at something behind me. I knew exactly what she was looking at. My entire body buzzes as I feel the heat of his body get closer.

  I turned slowly in my seat and raise an eyebrow at David, “Can I help you?” I ask snidely.

  He grins at me, “I just wanted to come over and say hi. It’s been busy in here tonight.”

  “I’m sure being a player is pretty time-consuming.” I glare at him, wanting nothing more than to slap that smile off his face. God, how could I have been stupid enough to fall for the “good guy” routine? Again!

  He frowns, looking confused, “I’m sorry?”

  Scoffing, I reply, “Yeah, you’re definitely sorry.”

  His eyes narrow dangerously. ”Look, I really don't understand what your problem is. I like you, you seemed to like me. Now you're just acting like a bitch. Excuse me if I don't get what you think I did."

  Unbelievable. When will I ever meet a guy who isn't a liar or a cheater? "You don't get it? Really? Well, let me spell it out for you. I don't date cheaters. I refuse to be 'that' girl, and I refuse to do that to someone else."

  "What the hell are you talking about?" He asks, his voice hard.

  I sigh, “I saw you with your girlfriend. I've seen you together a few times now." Is he really going to continue to deny it? I caught him with her!

  "How can you possibly see me with someone who doesn't exist? I am many things princess, but a cheater or a liar isn’t one of them." His voice is glacial.

  My mouth drops open, “You asshole! She was JUST here! Remember, she’s a short, skinny blonde with pink highlights?"

  Jeremy, who’s sitting next to us at the bar spits out his beer laughing, "Shit Dave, she thinks SB is your girlfriend? Now, that's disgusting. She'll love that!"

  "SB? What kind of name is SB?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I look back at David.

  "SB is my sister SarahBeth's nickname. My baby sister. Not my girlfriend. She's practically my kid." David responds, glaring at me.

  Oh great. Now I really feel like a moron. Talk about jumping to the wrong conclusion. "Oh."

  "Yeah, oh. Princess, you really need to stop making snap judgments about me." He says sharply.

  The look on his face makes me feel about two inches tall. But, this wasn’t my fault. If he’d told me about her, this never would have happened.

  God! This thoughts make me sound even bitchier. But that realization doesn’t stop me from saying, “Well, maybe you should be a little more forthcoming. You never said you had a sister."

  "Right, because that should be my intro. ‘Hi, I'm David, I own a bar, and have a sister I've been raising for the past 5 years.’ That's not going to raise any questions at all,” he says sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

  "Raising?" I can't hide my confusion. She's his sister, why is he raising her? And how old is she?

  He sighs, "See what I mean? Yes, raising. Our parents died when she was 16 and I was 27. Jeremy" he nods at the guy next to us, "and I moved back to Nashville to take care of her. Our grandparents are in Florida and North Carolina, so to be with them she would have had to leave her whole life behind. After everything she'd lost, I couldn't take that away too, so I came back and have been taking care of her ever since."

  I can't believe he did that. He was a single guy, living on his own, and he chose to move back to his hometown and take care of his sister? "I'm so sorry. That must've been such a difficult choice to make."

  He shrugs, then glares at me again. "There was never a choice. She's my baby sister."

  After that statement, he turns on his heel and walks off. I'm beginning to think I've completely misjudged this guy.

  ***

  After the most embarrassing moment of my night, I avoid David like the plague. That is, until Twisted Destiny takes their break.

  Hoping I can finish the night without another confrontation, I look around for him. Anna went to the bathroom and now, I feel like a sitting duck.

  While I search the two bar areas for David, a hand lands on my shoulder making me jump. Twisting my head around, I see David looking at me warily.

  “Hey,” he says gently, “Are you still mad at me?”

  I cringe, “No, I’m not mad at you. I have no reason to be mad at you. I’m just mortified at my behavior.” I mean really, what kind of person assumes the worst of everyone? Oh yeah, me, the one girl who feels betrayed by damn near everyone close to her.

  “Ah princess, don’t be mortified. You’ve just got to give me a chance. If you automatically assume the worst, you’re never going to trust me, and this is never going to go anywhere.”

  He’s absolutely right. I do need to give him a chance and let him earn my trust, but I’m not sure I know how to anymore. Every time I think I’m moving on from what happened 18 months ago, I find something that shoves me right back into that “no trust” zone.

  “I’m so sorry David. You’re right. I need to let you prove that I can trust you, but it’s hard.” I can’t even look at him now. I don’t know why he’s even still talking to me. If the situation was reversed, I likely wouldn’t give him a second chance.

  He sits down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. When he gets no reaction from me, he puts his finger under my chin and forces me to meet his eyes. When I focus on him, his eyes are soft and warm, and all I want is to lose myself in them.

  “I told you, it’s alright. I’m not the kind of guy who holds a grudge. Eventually though, you’re gonna have to let me in and tell me why you’re so quick to make assumptions.” I can feel my face pale. I don’t want to have that conversation tonight. He must have noticed the expression on my face even in the dimly lit bar, because he says quickly, “Not right now Lyric, but soon.” I nod.

  “Come on darlin', let’s dance.”

  ***

  He leads me out to the dance floor, where generic bar music is playing since the band isn’t back on stage yet. Twisted Destiny is a cross between Rock and Country music, but the stuff playing right now is a mix of a little of everything. The thought of dancing with him has my palms damp, and all of my senses on high alert.

  Looking around, everyone is doing a similar dance, not quite a line dance, but all the couples are making the same movements. I’ve never danced like this before, and David can tell. He takes me in his arms, placing one arm around my waist, and holding up his left hand for me to put mine in his. Grinning, he starts moving me around the dance floor. Well, he’s trying to move me around the dance floor. I’m spending so much time concentrating on not stepping on his feet, that I’m stiff and failing to follow his lead.

  Suddenly, he spins me out and around so that my back is facing him. Placin
g his hands on my hips, he pulls me back against him and starts swaying us both to the music. Now, we’re closer than we’ve ever been before, and I don’t even notice when the song changes to something with more upbeat, instead of a twang.

  As we begin to move, I start to relax. Contrary to the past five minutes, dancing is something I’m pretty confident about. I took lessons for years growing up. When I start moving my body against his, his right hand moves from my hip to splay across my stomach, leaving a trail of goosebumps along my side. I’m so lost in the movement and the beat of the song, that his mouth at my ear startles me, and he chuckles, “I definitely prefer you dancing with me.” His voice is low and gravely, and his breath on the side of my neck makes me shiver.

  His mouth is so close to the sensitive skin on my neck that I’m literally holding my breath waiting to see what he’s going to do next. After a few tension-filled seconds, his mouth lands softly on the skin below my ear. As he starts trailing kisses down to where my neck meets my shoulder, I feel boneless. My head drops to the side giving him better access, and a soft breathy moan leaves my mouth.

  At the sound, the hand on my hip tenses, and David pulls me back further against him so that I can feel how much he wants me. Feeling his hardness against my backside makes my stomach tighten, and I can feel my panties become damp. When I push back against him, he growls and turns me around to face him. Placing one hand on the small of my back, he uses the other to grip the hair at the base of my neck to pull my head back so that he can seal his mouth to mine.

  David’s lips are soft and coaxing, a complete contrast to his hand on the nape of my neck. He’s doesn’t push to deepen the kiss, only resting his lips on mine, as he lets me dictate what happens. My tongue darts out and licks the seam of his lips until his mouth opens to let me inside. As soon as our tongues touch, he takes over the kiss. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of the way he tastes. There’s just a hint of whiskey on his breath, and a taste that’s uniquely him. We kiss for what seems like forever, and he never tries to take it further. He just kisses me like I”m his reason for breathing, like he’ll never get enough of me, and it’s an exhilarating feeling.

  Suddenly, he pulls back and places a gentle kiss on my mouth. As he lifts his head, he murmurs, “I’ve been wanting to do that all week,” making me tingle. I look up at him questioningly, not understanding why he stopped. He must know what I’m thinking, because he says, “The band is getting ready to come back on, and you have a review to finish. I also need to go check on the bartenders and make sure everything is running smoothly. I’ll be back when the band’s done and we can talk some more, okay?”

  I just nod, I can’t think of anything else to say.

  ***

  It’s late, and the band finally wrapped up their set. The bar is starting to clear out, and I’m finishing the notes for my review, although I can’t really remember much of what I heard tonight because I’ve been replaying dancing with David since I sat down.

  I’m so engrossed in the mental images of us dancing, and the remembrance of his front against my back, that I don’t notice Jeremy sit beside me until he speaks, “Don’t fuck with his head Lyric. He doesn’t need or deserve that kind of shit.”

  I’m startled, and don’t really know what to say, so I just respond with, “I’m not trying to fuck with his head. I really like him Jeremy.” My voice is soft, like I’m afraid to admit just how much I do like him.

  He nods, “He likes you too. I’ve never seen him into a girl this much before. Especially one with trust problems, and what looks like a shit ton of baggage. I know I don’t really know you, but I just don’t want to see him be hurt by you again.”

  My chest clenches painfully at the reminder of the fight we had earlier. Before I can say anything else to try to reassure Jeremy, David approaches with who I now know is his sister. As they get closer, you can see the family resemblance between them. If I hadn’t been so convinced he was no better than Matt, I would have seen it sooner.

  “Lyric, this is my sister SarahBeth. SB, this is Lyric.” David introduces us. SarahBeth grins widely, and responds with, “Fancy running into you again Lyric.” I feel my face burn at the reminder. David is looking between us, brows furrowed like he’s trying to figure out what she means, so I place my hand in hers and shake it. She grins, knowing exactly what I’m trying to avoid, and whispers, “I’ll tell you later.”

  The four of us, and Anna, sit chatting for a few minutes. I discover that Jeremy is an architect, and SarahBeth is a graphic design major at NOSSI with her best friend Olivia, one of the girls who was with her last night at the mall. After we talk about her school, and her plans for after graduation, she turns and asks Jeremy to take her home.

  Once they’re gone, David turns to me and asks what I’m doing the following night. When I say nothing, he invites me to his house for dinner, and I accept, wanting to learn more about this man who makes me feel for the first time in a very long time.

  Before Anna and I leave, David kisses me deeply again, and I swear my knees almost buckle. When he finally lets me go, Anna’s giggling. I don’t remember getting in the car, or walking into my apartment. I don’t even wash off my makeup before falling into bed with a huge smile on my face.

  David texted directions to his house earlier this afternoon, and I’ve spent most of the day talking myself into and back out of showing up for dinner at his house. Yes, I like him, a lot, but I didn’t come to Nashville to get right back into a relationship. I came to start over, to concentrate on me, and he’s messing up all my plans. When I told Anna this, she told me that “the best things in life are unexpected” which didn’t exactly make everything okay. She told me to put my big girl panties on, and deal with it. So, here I am, in a gated community on the outskirts of Nashville. How on earth does a bar owner own a house here?

  When I pull up outside of the house, I’m very intimidated. The house is all brick, with ivory trim around the windows. The roof looks almost blue in the setting sun, and the lawn is beautifully manicured. It looks like the kind of house you’d see in landscaping or architecture magazines.

  There’s a circular driveway, passing a walkway to the front door that has three steps up from the actual driveway. In the distance, to the left side of the house, I can see a two-story three car garage which is separate from the house. I stop my car in front of the house, and just sit. I’m trying to convince myself to get out. It’s not that I think David is too good for me, because my family isn’t exactly in the poor house, but I really didn’t think he was this well off. He definitely doesn’t act like the wealthy guys I know back in New York. He’s friendly, outgoing, and down to earth.

  I continue to sit and stare at the yard around me, when all of a sudden, there’s a knock on my window that startles me so much a small scream escapes my mouth. I place my hand on my chest, and look towards the door. David’s standing there with a half-smile on his face, and that one eyebrow raised, like he’s daring me to get out of the car. I unlock the door, and he pulls it open. “Hey darlin',” he greets me warmly, his smile widening.

  “Hi,” I respond softly. The butterflies are back, and I’m not sure how to act with him now that we’re completely alone. David doesn’t let me wonder long though, and holds his hand out for mine. When I place my hand in his, he pulls me out of the car and into his embrace. He smells wonderful! I don’t what cologne he wears, but he smells clean, and a little woodsy. I just want to burrow further into his chest when he hugs me. He pulls away all too soon, and lays a soft kiss on my cheek.

  “Were you planning to stay out here in your car all night? Or were you going to come in for dinner?” He asks me.

  “Of course I was coming in, I was just admiring the view.” I reply indignantly. Jeez, you’d think I’d been out there for hours, instead of just a few minutes. Laughing, he pulls me into his side and leads me into the house.

  ***

  When we enter the foyer, I s
ee a table with fresh flowers, and a staircase leading up to the second floor. The floor looks like old wood, and there’s a small rug just inside the door. Looking down the hallway, I can see two doorways on each side leading into rooms and the hallway stretches the entire width of the house.

  David’s leading me towards the end of the hallway, and when he turns to look at me, he smiles and uses his finger to push my chin up, closing my mouth. “You’re going to catch flies if you’re not careful,” he says with a wink. I can’t help it. This house is amazing. I must be looking at him funny, because he stops, and gesturing at the house, tells me, “This was my parent’s house. When they died, it became mine. SB was still in school so Jeremy and I moved in here. Since we moved back to avoid her changing schools, we couldn’t exactly sell the house. Plus, she would have been pretty upset about leaving all the memories.”

  “It’s a beautiful house,”

  We haven’t ventured very far in, but what I’ve seen so far it’s homey and welcoming, even though the house is huge and opulent. It’s the kind of place where you instantly feel at home.

  His smile turns a little sad, “Thanks, the decorating is all my mom. Sarah wouldn’t let me change anything.” I’m sure she wouldn’t. He’d said last night that he’s been raising her for five years, and since she’s not yet 21, she would have been fifteen when their parents died. He didn’t tell me what happened, but it must have been sudden. My mother and I don’t really get along, but I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost her at that age.

  We reach the kitchen, and I feel my mouth drop open again. The room is huge, open and airy. The walls are a pinky/beige color, with cream cabinets and dark granite countertops. There’s a huge fireplace standing by itself separating the kitchen from a den. The fireplace is open on both sides, able to be used from both the kitchen and den, and there’s open space on each side. In the middle of the room is a huge island with a bar, and a sink on the opposite side. There is a double oven in one corner of the room, and instead of a regular wall, it’s encased in the same brick as the fireplace. The fridge is made to look the same as the cabinets so that it blends into the room. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the planning of this room, and David tells me that his mother was an interior designer. She was obviously very talented at her job.