Love Me ~ Like That (16 page)

“Don’t give me that bullshit. Have you forgotten who you’re talking to? Need I remind you of our freshman and sophomore year at college?”

She is laughing at me. I don’t need reminding of my indiscretions.

“Lizzie, one day you’ll have to remind me why I put up with you. You never let me get away with shit. You were right there with me every step of the way, sister.” Sigh, those were the days, not a care in the world. Then I started dating Hendrix.

“That’s the reason why you love me, I’m the only one who calls you on your shit. You have everyone else fooled by this good girl act, which is quite funny.”

She’s right again. My moral compass didn’t always point north, well my sexually active moral compass.

I pull into the restaurant parking lot. “Bye bitch!” I say and hang up before she can come up with a retort.

I thought I really screwed up and scared the shit out of Bailey when I texted her that mom wanted to meet her. I didn’t think that through very well. I wanted an excuse to see her and Mom did want to check on Mrs. Jackson. The kiss I gave her last night made me come alive. I’ve never believed in love at first sight, and I’m still not saying that’s what’s between us, but there is certainly something about this girl. She has a magnetism, and I want to see where our attraction goes. This could be a turning point.

If I ever have a daughter, I wouldn’t want her going out with a guy like me because I know the kind of thoughts running through my mind. I woke up this morning from a dream about her that would put any porn flick to shame. It gave me some ideas that I really want to try with Bailey. But that’s not all I want with her.

I drop mom off and head over to the only restaurant there is here in Mt. Hope, The Steakhouse. The name is as good as any other. The food is excellent and that’s all that matters. The place is family owned and the staff is friendly. The atmosphere is comfortable and laid back. The décor is antique theme and some of the walls have corrugated steel on them, while others have wooden planks, and the salad bar looks like an old chuck wagon. The entrance is made from a silo and has wooden benches with wagon wheels on the end. This place gets crowded on the weekends and Sundays after church.

I walk in and look around to see where Bailey and Lizzie are seated. I see Lizzie over at the salad bar. I walk over to ask where we are seated.

“Just follow me, I’m on my way there,” Lizzie says.

She gives me an amused look. She always looks amused. I think she is always up to something. She will make a great friend.

At our table, she takes the booth opposite of Bailey. I slide in beside Bailey, brushing her thigh with my hand accidentally on purpose. I just want to touch her, to caress that smooth golden skin and suck on those lips....
baseball, football, Chandler Bing
. Shit, I need to think about something else. I need to get my mind into the conversation they’re having and off of wanting to show her the difference between a boy and a man.

“What have you ladies been up to today? Do you have a big week planned?” I ask.

Lizzie gives me a big smile before answering, “I was trying to get Bailey to go out Friday night with me since she is all free and single now. Why don’t we at least catch a movie or something? We could even catch a movie tomorrow night.”

“Oh, what movie are you going to see? My friend wants to see the new Quentin Tarantino film.” I say.

“I can’t go tomorrow night,” Bailey says.

No excuse or reason. Bailey leaves me questioning if I’ve read her body language wrong. She is running hot and cold. Last night she was all into me, and now she acts like she doesn’t want to be seen with me. Have I lost my swagger? She was all over me last night, and now she’s not sure. Maybe I can coerce her into going. “What about you, Lizzie? Do you want to go with me and my friend, Dylan?”

Lizzie looks a tad confused, but she catches on quick. She is a sharp girl.

“That does sound like fun. Bailey, what do you have to do anyway? I will help you get whatever it is done. Don’t leave me alone to go out with two boys. Bay, you owe me, remember?” Lizzie says.

Lizzie gives Bailey a pointed look. They are having some kind of telepathic exchange again. All I can do is look back and forth between them. I don’t have a chance of deciphering their code.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go out with you, Cash. This isn’t a good time for me right now. I hope you understand that I can’t make it tomorrow night, maybe some other time.”

Her demeanor has changed from resolute to apologetic. What is this about? Does her moodiness have something to do with her and that prick? I’m changing the subject to get her mind onto other things. I don’t want to piss her off. “Hey, no problem.” I say lightly, with a smile that I hope doesn’t look fake. I’m not sure what is going on here, but I’m backing off for now.

Our food comes to the table and we dig in.

“This is the best steak I’ve had in a long time.” So lame, but I’m at a loss.

“They do have the best steaks, don’t they?” Lizzie pipes up.

Her voice is always happy.

“I am working in Granny’s rose garden tomorrow and getting the house ready for when she comes home,” Bailey says.

“I saw a few little things that needed repairing while I was mowing. I thought I could do those tomorrow.”

Bailey looks surprised and I add, “I noticed how bad your grandfather’s health is. He can barely get around with that cane, and no one should be out in this humidity. If you need any help with the roses after I’m done, I’d be glad to help. Your granny told me how much she loves her roses.” I hope to spend time with her this way.

“I’m not working on the roses until early evening because of the heat. I’m cleaning the house and doing the laundry first. She doesn’t like for you to mess with her roses in the heat of the day.”

Everyone laughs. Mrs. Jackson must be a lot like mom. They get you to do exactly what they want done, the way they want it done, and don’t even ask for it to be done.

We finish up our meal with idle conversation, nothing too deep. The waitress brings us our ticket and I pick it up to pay.

“Oh no you don’t, Cash, you paid last night, tonight it is on me,” Bailey says.

She’s sounding all authoritative, but she should know from last night that this isn’t going to work. Still, she looks so damn cute trying to be in charge.

“Do you not remember our conversation from last night? I told you that I pay for meals of pretty ladies. Besides, it’s the gentlemanly thing to do since I was the one who did the inviting.” I stand up with the bill in my hand.

She slides out of the booth, too, then looks up at me sweetly as she pats my arm. With the other hand, she snatches the bill, and turns toward Lizzie. “One point for the pretty lady, zero for the incredibility sweet man!”

Oh, she is hot when she goes sassy like that. Her attitude makes me want to spank her bottom then make it feel all better, but that’s not appropriate behavior for a public place. I do know a suitable way to even this score, though. Let’s see what little miss sassy does then.

We walk up to the cashier. Bailey is smiling big, and she thinks she has gotten one over on me. She lays the bill down on the counter and reaches into her purse for her wallet.

I lay my credit card on top of the bill then say to the older gentleman running the cash register, “I don’t know what to think about a lady not letting you buy her dinner, do you?” He gives me an all knowing grin.

“I’m glad to see you were brought up right, that’s how we used to do it back in my day,” says the older gentleman. “These days, you never know who is going to pay. I don’t like it, I think the man should pay, that’s just the respectable thing to do.”

I like him. I nod in thanks for backing me up then I leave a good tip on my card.

We walk outside. Lizzie heads on to her car and waves goodbye. I walk Bailey to her Jeep.

“Lizzie is something to be reckoned with, isn’t she?” I say.

Bailey smiles. “Lizzie thinks she can always fix everything. Even when there isn’t anything to fix.”

So, she is accustomed to Lizzie messing in her business.

“I really want to take you out, I want to get to know you better.” I kiss her softly then put my arms around her and hug her. When I let her go, I see she has a tear running down her cheek. I wipe it away with my thumb. “What’s wrong, Bailey? Why are you crying, Sweet Cheeks?”

I get upset when women cry and I want to correct the wrong. Bailey is a kind-hearted woman who doesn’t deserve to be hurt.

“It’s nothing, Cash, really.”

I wish she would open up to me, but we are still basically strangers. She doesn’t know if she can trust me or not.

“Are you ready to call it a night or would you like to go for a ride? Find a dirt road to get lost on?” Her face brightens a little.

“That sounds nice, I could go for a ride,” she says.

We drop her Jeep off at her house and head on out from there.

Sometimes taking a drive on back roads is all you need to make everything right in the world. Some of my best memories come from country roads. Maybe I can change this night into a better one for her.

I turn the radio on low.

“I love riding out here in the country. It’s relaxing and helps leave all of your worries behind,” she tells me. “I ended things with Hendrix today. I finally realized he wasn’t treating me with respect. I decided to say goodbye to that chapter in my life, and you know what they say. If God closes one door, he’ll open another.”

She smiles meekly.

“It takes a lot of courage to stand up for yourself like that. It takes some people their whole life to see that they deserve respect. This is your journey in life and you’re the only one who should decide what path to take,” I say.

“What I think really attracted me to him, and this is going to sound horrible, is that I thought he could take me away and give me a better life. I wanted more than this simple life.”

She looks so sad.

“Not to disagree with you but, truthfully, I’ve found living as simple as possible can make you unbelievably happy.”

“I guess it’s really all about who you’re with and not about where you are anyway. I don’t think I’d be very happy too far away from my family.”

I lean my head toward her, “I like to come out here and watch the sun go down, and dance under the stars. Have you ever danced under the stars? Just pulled over on a whim and been held close while swaying to whatever song happens to be on the radio?” This is probably the sappiest shit I’ve ever spouted.

“I can’t say I have, but that sounds sweet.”

I pull over and turn up the radio. She looks puzzled. I get out and walk around to her side of the truck then open the door and help her down. I lead her to the front of the truck and take her in my arms, holding her close. George Strait is on the radio, making my job easier. We sway to the music and I sing along. George is singing the perfect song: “Give It All We Got Tonight.”

Her eyes are glistening with tears and she lays her head on my chest.

She just looks too damn sweet for tears.

“You know, I’m a really good listener. Just lay it all on me. It always helps me when I talk about things with friends.”

She looks up and I brush her lips with mine.

“There isn’t anything to talk about, Cash.” She sighs and shakes her head. “Why can’t all guys be as sweet as you are? I’ve been hurt so many times, Cash, and I don’t think I can start anything else right now. I don’t think my heart can take anymore.”

I really like kissing her, every kiss with her makes me want more. I want to kiss away all the hurt I see in her.

“I need to get back to being me. Have you ever lost who you were so much that you don’t even recognize yourself anymore? Do you know what I mean? I’m tired of being the one who gets damaged and trampled on.” Bailey’s eyes burn and her jaw is set.

I hug her tight. “I know all about being hurt. It’s been my life. I promise you, though, I’m not out to hurt you. I never want to hurt you.” I rub her back, then I cradle the back of her head. “I don’t think we are meant to stay the same after intimate connections. If our bonds with other people don’t make us grow and change who we are a little, were they really worth our time? You should always learn and grow and then move on. I get that you just got out of a relationship, but painful endings are really just disguises for new beginning. Bailey, I dare you to take a chance on us.”