Heartbreaker (6 page)

NiNe

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“Bennett, you don’t need to do that.”

Bennett’s been talking to me for the past half an hour. He wants to come
visit this weekend and wants to take ... no, drag me out, for a night of fun.

“Oh come on Bales, you can’t stay locked up in that tiny house forever. Let me, please. Pleeasse. I really miss you.”

I hate it when he uses that whiny voice. I know he won’t stop, and even if I end the call he’ll turn up on my doorstep and force me to do it.

“I’m still not feeling well,” I say in an attempt to garner his sympathy, knowing it’s his weak spot.

“Bullshit.”

What the heck?

“It’s not bullshit. I still feel light headed and dizzy. Keep getting headaches too.”

“You’ve finished your second course of antibiotics, you should be feeling better. It’s been nearly three weeks. Dr Richards said you were doing well on your last visit.”

He's such a snooper. He must have been talking to Dad. “Yeah. But these things take time, you know.”

“Yeah, I guess. Sorry Bales. I should be more sensitive.” He chuckles, “Must be the anatomy.”

I scoff about to give a quick goodbye, when he cuts in again.

“Oh, and I told your dad I’d ring him later. He wants some stock advice. I might mention you still don’t feel well. “

“Don’t you dare.”

“Sore point, Miss Taddle tale.”

Grrr, he is so infuriating. He knows my Dad's my weak point and once again he trumps me.

“Bennett,” I growl.

“Bales,” he growls back, and I actually stamp my foot.

“Did, you just
stamp your foot at me?”

I stamp my foot again. “No.”

He laughs. “That’s more like it.”

“Dinner,
and only dinner!”

“And dancing.”

“Dancing? Are you nuts? Where do you think I live? We don’t do dancing in Hicksville.”

“You do when I’m in town.”

I clench my teeth. “Dinner, Bennett. That’s it or no deal.”

“Dinner. My treat. Then you can buy me a drink when we’re dancing.”

Oh, I could kick him right now. “No dancing. I mean it Bennett.”

“Of course you do. I’ll see you Friday, pretty girl. Wear something nice.”

“Sure," I say picturing my worn black denim jeans, old boots and oversized Metallica t-shirt, I usually wear to bed. Childish I know, but he needs to learn a lesson.

He can’t boss me around.

Well maybe he can.

Friday night rolls round quicker than I thought it would. I haven’t had another session with Gerry. She’s been swamped with tourists flocking to their shop and I’ve been studying, so we said we’d meet up this weekend.

I decide since I ran from my job, and from my life in Chicago, that not all of it had to be a waste. I did finish a year at night school, and I discover I can continue by correspondence. I will have to go to a couple of weekend study groups in Chicago, but that’s not for months, and I hope I’m okay to return by then.

I put on my Metallica t-shirt ready to make a stance, but dad tells me to go change and to stop acting like a three year old. I haven’t been scolded like that in years. I'm so shocked Dad actually cares, that I do as he says and go put on a white blouse and a nicer pair of jeans.

I wonder if Bennett warned him I might be difficult.

I still have on my old boots though, I’m not changing them.

Bennett arrives just after six. He must have left work early. I wonder when his car drives up if the Double A knew where he was heading for the weekend. Like he’d care. I’m sure he breathed a sigh of relief when he read my resignation letter and hasn’t looked back since. I bite my lip hard and force all thoughts of him out of my head. It hurts when I picture him. And not in the heartbreaking, lovesick, painful way, more like it gives me a headache that stabs at my head and makes my stomach churn.

Bennett looks like he just stepped out of the shower and dressed. He’s got on a cr
isp light green shirt, pulled tight enough, to show off his pecks, but not too tight, to make him look like he’s wanting attention. His dark blue denim jeans hang perfectly on his perfect body. He really should be photographed for the world to drool over. Not that he’d ever be into that. He hates me mentioning his hotness and certainly wouldn’t agree for someone to plaster his pretty face on billboards all over the city.

He looks me up and down, and I glare at him.

“Good, you dressed nice.”

“Like I had a choice, “I grumble, and he grins.

“Great boots. You’ll need those.”

I narrow my eyes.
“What? What for?”

My boots meeting his approval was not the reaction I was hoping for.

“Boot scooting. You can stamp your feet as much as you want.” He laughs now and I put my hands on my hips and glare at him some more.

“Boot Scooting! Are you for real? I’m not doing that.”

“When in Rome.”

“Contrary to popular belief not all small towns are stuck back in time, or full of hillbillies.”

“I love that show. And yes you are. Here.” He hands me a leaflet.

It’s a promo from our
local bar, and they're having a boot scooting night, tonight, for one night only, and guess what? The Wild Hillbillies are playing.

Oh give me a break.

I roll my eyes, then stare daggers at him. “No.”

He raises his eyes. “No?”

“I am not going to a local bar. I am not boot scooting. And I am not listening to some stupid band called the Wild Hillbillies.”

“Okay, but your dad’s going to be so disappointed. I told him you agreed to go out after dinner for a bit of fun. He was so happy, said he might meet us and have a drink and a dance as well.”

“He did not.”

Bennett reaches up and scratches his head. “Yeah, pretty sure, his exact words, were,
I haven’t been to one of those in years, I’ll look forward to having a dance with my baby girl
.”

I stamp my foot. I wish I could explode.

“Ready to go, Thumper girl," Bennett says and grins again. I am so far from ready, but he’s pushed me into a corner. If I don’t go, Dad will get all concerned and be even more annoying, fussing over me, making sure I eat three meals a day and wanting to talk all the time. Maybe if I do this one night, he might chill out a bit, and might start to think I’m getting over everything and we can all go back to normal.

Whatever that is.

Not sure I know anymore.

Dinner was nice. We went to a steak house out on the highway. It’s new and I hadn’t been there before. Bennett did most of the talking during dinner, I kept scowling at him, but I broke eventually. Bennett has that way about him. I can’t stay mad at him for long. He never mentions work, which is a good thing, and I chill out a bit.

Now we’re back in town and Bennett’s pulls into the car park outside The Brew, the local bar and popular young hangout. Judging from the number of cars, boot scooting looks like it’s got more takers than I thought.

I grab my denim jacket from the backseat and put it on, the temperatures dropped a bit, and I’m cold. Or nervous. Or both.

Bennett gives me a smile and pats my leg. “Its fine, Bales, it’ll be fine.”

Easy for him to say, not so easy for me to do. This is my first time going out, and there will be people here who know me, and know about me and what I did. I just hope Cam isn’t here. I haven’t seen him since I went to his house. Dad never mentions him, or mentions my visit, and I try to block him out, but I know if I see him, that might not be so easy. Particularly if he’s with Jennifer. That will be hard to swallow, and I’m not sure I can do it.

Bennett picks up my shaking hand and squeezes tight. “I’m right here, Bales. I won’t leave you all night. Okay? And your dad, text and said he’d be here soon.”

“Dad text!”

Bennett chuckles. “Yep, he’s all hip now. Even gave me an LOL the other day.”

My mouth gapes open. “Dad so did not use LOL.”

Bennett arches a brow and pulls his cell from his pocket and scrolls through his messages. I realize there's a lot.

“How often do you talk to my dad?”

Bennett shrugs. “Not that much.”

“Bennett…”

He puts his cell away and looks at me, blowing out a big breath. “Okay, don’t freak, but I text him most days.”

“Most days?”

“Okay, well every day.”

“Bennett!”

“I told you not to freak, it’s not that big of a deal. I just like to hear you’re okay.”

I’m not sure whether to kiss or punch him.

I shake my head. “I’m okay Bennett. Really.”

“It’s just that after last time, I want to make sure. I need to be a better friend. I can’t find you like that ever again. And I certainly don’t want your dad to find you like that. It’d kill him Bales.”

I bite my lip hard. I hate hearing him talk about it. “I know. And I’m sorry you had to find me. It really was a mistake. I didn’t mean to …”

A tear escapes and I quickly wipe it away. I hate talking about this.

“Hey, hey, there, Thumper Girl. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Bennett leans across and puts his arm around me, pulling me into him. He’s so warm and I snuggle into his shoulder.

I need this. It calms me.

Bennett kisses my head and I breathe again saying, “Well, I guess if we’re going to do this, we should get it over and done with.”

“That’s music to my ears. Having my best girl wanting to get it over and done with. So romantic.” He laughs at his joke.

I punch him in the chest and he groans. Then gets out of the car and runs around to open my door.

He doesn’t normally do this, but must have decided to be all gallant tonight.

“Why thank you, kind sir," I say, getting out and shutting the car door.

He takes my hand in his and loops it through his arm. “Shall we, pretty girl.”

“We shall,” I say with mock confidence, quietly sucking in a silent breath and praying that Cam still hates dancing.

The bar is jumping and stamping, literally. There are swarms of people, some at the bar, but most of them on the dance floor. The Wild Hillbillies are living up to their name as they thump out country music dressed in ripped flannel shirts, their hair long and wild, tattoos covering their arms, multiple piercings in their ears and
nose. I’m wondering if this is just a paid gig, and they’re more into heavy metal. A funny contradiction. I’d be laughing if I wasn’t so nervous.

I shiver and Bennett pulls me close to him. We push our way through to the bar and I spy my girl Gerry. She must have picked up a shift here tonight. She often tends bar on the weekends to earn extra cash.

She winks at me, and Bennett waves, giving her a big smile, which she returns.

Interesting.

I nudge him and he looks at me. “What?” he asks.

Gerry
, I mouth.

He shakes his head. “No. I told you the deal.”