So, this is another idea given to me by Othfangirl. I can't take any credit for this idea. I only put it into words ;) It was fun to write, and I hope you enjoy reading it.
I'm finally done with finals so you'll (hopefully) be seeing a lot more from me. I have been working on more one-shots also suggested to me by othfangirl, and of course, I will be updating Halo and Path We Follow very soon. So be on the look-out for that.
Anyway, enough of my rant. Here's the story. Thanks for reading!
. . . . . . . . . .
I glance anxiously at the clock, awaiting her arrival. At least, I hope she's arriving. For the past three nights, Haley James has walked into the bar at precisely 8:03 P.M., and every night, I have the same reaction. My jaw nearly splits in half as gravity pulls it to the floor. Breathing is a foreign concept when Haley is around. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Just thinking about her has my heart racing.
"It's almost time to see your girl," my buddy, and bar manager, Chase Adams, grins as he playfully nudges my side.
I shrug it off, pretending not to have any idea what he's talking about. To try and occupy my eager mind, I pick up a glass from beneath the bar and start to rinse it under the sink.
It's only a Tuesday, so it's a fairly quiet night. I don't mind. It only means I get to spend time with Haley. If she comes, that is.
Chase laughs, but thankfully, he walks away and helps an older customer at the end of the bar. I inhale deeply, trying to calm my fraying nerves.
Checking my watch for probably the thirtieth time in the past five minutes, I see it is 8:08 P.M. and immediately deduce she's not coming.
I should have known better. I mean, it's Haley James- rock star Haley James, who has way better things to do than spend her nights in a hole-in-the-wall bar in the middle of some small town. Afterall, she was only passing through North Carolina on her 'Halo' tour. She never planned on staying. I feel foolish for ever thinking - …. My thoughts trail when I look up.
There she is.
A breath hitches in my throat, and it's like I'm watching a scene in a movie where everything is in slow motion. Cheesy, I know. The glass in my hand slips, shattering on the floor, but I'm in a trance and don't even realize.
She smiles at me and I gasp softly but try to play it cool, and smirk softly.
"I didn't think I'd see you tonight," I say, already grabbing her favorite bottle of Merlot.
Her large brown eyes sparkle under the pale light, focusing on my bulging biceps. My smirk widens. She has been not so subtly checking me out since the first night, and I've got to admit, it's definitely an ego booster.
"Um, what?" She asks, slightly shaking her head to snap back into reality.
I chuckle softly, "I didn't think you were coming, but I'm glad you're here."
A soft blush, one I've come to find both seductive and adorable, seizes her cheeks.
"Well, where else would I get a Merlot?" She teases.
"And to think you were coming here just to see me," I attempt to flirt, hoping she'll bite the bait.
"I suppose part of me coming here was to see the hottest bartender again," she playfully licks her lips and I almost swallow my tongue.
"Hottest bartender, huh?"
"Yep," she smiles wickedly, "Chase."
My eyes peel into horizontal slits. I think she's joking but I'm not sure. Oh God, what if she's serious? My smirk falls into a frown.
"I'm kidding," she sees my apprehension and reaches across the bar to touch my hand. Fire ignites through my veins, and ironically, my whole body freezes, even though I feel like melting.
"It's you Nathan. I wanted to see you."
I exhale with relief. We both smile.
Our eyes have a hard time breaking contact, and once again, I'm in a trance. Words are apparently tipping off of my tongue, but my brain is not registering them in coherent order.
"Beautiful, you, uh, tonight, look."
Haley laughs softly, "What?"
My eyes snap shut. I'm an idiot.
"You look beautiful tonight," I mumble shyly.
The blush returns, this time on both our cheeks. "Thank you, Nathan."
Needing a distraction before I say something else stupid, I grab a wine glass and start pouring. I feel her eyes on me, but I don't look up because if I did, I know I'd spill it on myself.
"So, when's your next show?"
"Tomorrow," she sighs, gratefully accepting the class I hand her. "It's in Virginia."
My shoulders slump. I guess that means I won't be seeing her again. "Oh."
"Yeah," Haley swallows a small sip. "I'll be back in North Carolina for a show in Charlotte in a few weeks, though. Maybe you should come."
"Maybe I will," I smile. Oh, I definitely will.
Our conversation is rudely interrupted when a smug bastard sits on the stool next to her, as if there weren't ten other stools open.
Haley smiles politely, then continues sipping her Merlot.
I clench my jaw, "Can I help you?"
"I'll have what she's having," the sleeze-bag motions towards Haley.
"You want a Merlot?" She laughs, and I bite my cheek.
"That among other things," he winks.
"Sorry. We ran out of that." I grumble.
The guy peels his eyes off of Haley's chest and stares at me, "No you didn't. There's an entire bottle right there."
"It's not for you, asshole."
"Whoa, what's your problem?" He stands up and leans over the bar.
I fold my arms over my chest, "You. Go find somewhere else to sit."
"Nah," he smirks sloppily, then sits down next to Haley again. This time, he puts his hand on her thigh, "I'm Kyle."
"I'm not interested," she bites back.
I smile smugly but the jerk doesn't move. "Back off buddy. She said she's not interested." I growl.
He rolls his eyes, then smirks again, running his grimy hands over her waist.
"For now," he laughs darkly, and this time, I don't hesitate to reach across the bar and grab him by his t-shirt.
"Listen, you little shit. Get the fuck away from her before I beat your ass to a pulp. Understand?"
He blanches momentarily, then looks back at Haley, who is watching me intently.
Kyle grumbles silently, then walks away as if his tail was caught between his legs. I smirk proudly.
"You okay?" My voice is softer when I look at Haley. She seems nervous.
"Yeah, that guy was a jerk. Thank you."
"Anytime," I wink, then pour myself a beer, holding it out to clink against her glass.
"Drinking on the job?" She raises an eyebrow, silently provoking me.
I shrug, letting my eyes sweep over her again. She's dressed in a simple black dress, and damn, does she look sexy.
"Just don't tell my boss."
"Secret is safe with me," she smiles flirtatiously and I choke on the beer.
"Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh," I sputter, trying to discreetly clear my throat.
Chase calls out my name, saving me from my fraying nerves. I crane my neck slightly, looking over my shoulder as my hands rest on top of the bar, not so discreetly trying to get my biceps in Haley's line of sight. From my corner perception, it seems to be working. She licks her lips, zoning in on the bulging vein just beneath where my black fitted t-shirt ends.
I smirk, but silently groan when Chase calls out my name again.
"I'll be right back," I tell Haley, hoping she'll stay put. She smiles softly, nodding.
Rubbing my slightly sweaty hands on the back of my jeans, I playfully nudge Chase, who was currently on the other end of the bar, mixing a drink.
"This better be good," I grumble.
Chase grins, but his lips are laced with regret. "I really need you to do me a favor."
"What?"
"Can you unstock the boxes in the back? We're running low on some bottles."
"What?" I seeth, "Now?"
"Yeah," he shrugs. "Unless you're too busy with Superstar."
I cut my eyes tersely, and he mockingly smirks, pointing to Haley. My eyes quickly catch hers. She's slumped in her barstool, smiling and waving at me.
I wave back, looking like a lovesick dork. I'm sure there's a dopey smile on my lips, too.
Chase jabs me in the stomach with a towel, "You've got it bad, Scott."
I scowl, "No I don't."
He snorts, shaking his head playfully. "You and Haley James."
"I know. Hard to believe, huh?" Dejection seeps into my tone. I know she's too good for me - Chase certainly doesn't have to remind me of that.
Chase shakes his head again, chuckling under his breath. "Alright, you don't have to stock tonight. But you owe me, man. Go get your girl."
Boldly, I nod, then make my way back to Haley is waiting for me with a patient smile. My heart leaps. Chase is right. I do have it bad.
"Everything okay?" She asks.
I smile besides myself, "Yeah. You want some more wine?"
She bites her lip, "I probably shouldn't. I've got an early morning tomorrow."
"Right."
Her eyes are sparkling, almost mischievously, and I grin. "What?"
"Wanna dance?"
I look out onto the dance floor. It's empty. A slow country song is playing, much to my chagrin, but Chase thinks Tuesday's should be country nights. Maybe that's why this place is dead.
The Kyle guy left. Maybe 'cos there are no girls left for him to harass. Either way, good. There's only one other guy in here, and I recognize him as a regular. He's at the corner of the bar, watching a hockey game, sipping on his third cold brew. He seems content, and Chase is cleaning the bar. There's not much else for me to do, so I make my way around the bar and extend my hand to Haley.
"Sure. Let's dance," my smirk widens at her child-like grin. She leads me onto the wooden floor. Sometimes we have bands play on the weekends and this floor gets pretty crowded, but tonight, it's just me and Haley, swaying to the sound of the country song coming from the speaker.
I don't know it, but Haley does, because she starts singing along. I'm enraptured by the softness of her voice. Those doe brown eyes are wide and drawing me in. Our hands are intertwined, igniting a spark of fire between our flesh. We sway in time to the beat, and I follow Haley's lead, as I was never much of a dancer. She smiles softly when I accidentally step on her toes.
"Tell me what you're thinking," she whispers.
I inhale a steady breath, studying her eyes as if they hold the answers to the universe. "I'm thinking how lucky I am to be holding you right now. You're beautiful, Haley James."
She gasps slightly, "Nathan-"
"I know, I know. You hear that all the time. I just had to tell you."
Haley blushes, but hides her cheeks when she buries her face in the crux of my neck. We continue to sway, letting the song fill the silence.
The joke's on me and it ain't funny
Everybody but me could see the punch line coming a mile away
I've heard it so many times I can tell it to the T
Believe me I could sell it all day
It goes
A guy walks into a bar, orders a drink
Sees a girl that catches his eye
Asks her if she wants another
They fall for each other and end up lovers
My hands soon find her waist, pulling her tightly against me. Haley looks up, our eyes finding and locking onto each other. We share a soft smile.
They laugh, cry, hold on tight, make it work for a little while
Then one night her taillights fade out into the dark
And a guy walks into a bar
"I really should go," she whispers regretfully, and with those four words, my heart starts crumbling.
"Do you have to?"
"Yeah. I- I'm sorry. I had a nice time tonight, Nathan."
A lump begins to form in my throat. I can't find the words; only letters pooling at the tip of my tongue.
So I nod, sadly.
The song ends, and she starts leaning closer to me. My eyes snap shut, almost on instinct, and I feel her hot breath on my lips.
She kisses me softly at first, then it grows with intensity. I feel her nails start gently raking through my hair, sending a row of shivers down my spine.
My tongue dances between Haley's lips. She moans quietly in response.
I don't want to let go, so I hold her tighter. My head is spinning, and I think I'm about to pass out, so I pull away, in dire need of air.
"Bye, Nathan." My eyes are still closed, but I feel her lips press against my cheek. When my eyes open again, she's gone.
Sadly, I shuffle back to the bar. There's no use in running after her.
Chase approaches me, gently slapping my back. "Where's Haley?"
"She had to leave. Her tour bus is headed to the next city."
He frowns, "Aw man. I know you wanted to spend more time with her. I'm sorry."
"Me too."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I spent the past week thinking of Haley, trying to remember the taste of her lips and countlessly revisualizing the scene on the dancefloor. She's officially taken hold of every thought.
My eyes always lock on the door of the bar, hoping she'll come walking in. I'm let down every single time.
It's Tuesday again. I'm stuck working the bar wondering what Haley is doing. She's probably at a show right now, maybe in New York.
Below the sink is a half empty bottle of Merlot. I reach down and grab it. I don't even like the stuff but it makes me think of the taste of her lips, so I take a glass and start pouring.
The bald guy at the end of the bar stares at me. I shrug and swallow the wine.
"Since when do you drink Merlot?"
I turn, thinking I'm hallucinating. Her voice is smooth, like silk. She can't be real. She can't be here. Can she?
"Haley!" My voice isn't of surprise, but pure elation. I don't even think, I just jump over the counter of the bar, and wrap my arms around her.
She laughs, a little caught off guard, but instantly melts in my embrace.
I put my hands on her cheeks, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. She smiles, molding her lips against mine, and just like the last time, I have trouble letting go.
"What're you doing here? I thought the tour doesn't end for another two weeks?" I mumble, in between kisses.
She giggles, running her hands up and down the front of my black t-shirt. "We ended early. Now kiss me again,"
I don't hesitate, and do as she requests. I don't even care if the bald guy is staring. Hell, I'll give him a free show.
Haley's tongue traces my lips, and I willingly give her access. She mumbles something, but I don't hear her, too busy getting swept away from our kiss.
"You're really home for good?" I ask, partially in disbelief.
She nods, smiling widely. "Yep. Hopefully for the rest of the year, too."
I sigh in relief, hugging her waist tightly. "It's so good to hear that."
"How were the kids?" Haley asks.
"Good. They really missed their Mom though," I grin.
"And what about their Dad? Did he miss their Mom?" She runs her finger up and down my chest.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Haley James Scott."
"God, I missed you too, babe." She kisses me again, softer this time. I revel in the moment.
"It's hard being married to a sexy rock-star," I pout playfully.
"Yeah, well…" she drawls, "It's hard being married to an equally sexy sports bar owner. Did any girls hit on you?"
"Nah, just this one chick last week. She was some singer or something. She kissed me then ran off."
She playfully rolls her eyes, "I'll kick her ass."
I laugh, "Don't worry. I only have eyes for you."
Just then, the familiar tune of a country song started to play and Haley smiles, grabbing my hand. "Come on handsome, I owe you a dance."
We start spinning on the dance floor to the same song as last week. I smile knowing Haley is home for good. I hate waking up without her. Like I said, it's not easy being married to a famous singer, but we certainly make it work. And we definitely make it interesting. Plus, I love when she surprises me unannounced. Seeing her tonight makes my heart race - just like always.
I feel her fingers running over my cheek. She knows I'm deep in thought.
"Hey, you never have to worry about me leaving you, Nathan Scott. I love you."
I smirk, "I know. I love you, too."