Author's Note: Inspired by the song The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy. This fic has taken me more than a year to get out, and I really hope the time wasn't wasted. I have to thank cpneb and Pharaoh Rutin Tutin for giving feedback on the early drafts of the story, and cpneb again for doing the final beta.
This fic is somewhat AU. Like myself, it ignores most of Season 4.
Disclaimer: Characters used and abused in this fic are the product and property of people way smarter - and cooler - than I. I have my way with them for my own twisted amusement - and hopefully yours.
Kim Possible © Disney
THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
a Kim Possible fanfic, by Sir Sebastian
≈O≈
All around me, the Rockies rose above the forest lining the road. It had been an hour since I'd entered the 'rocky' side of Colorado. The day was drawing towards the evening and the sun had gotten so low I had to adjust the visor to keep the glare from my eyes. In passing, I flicked at the cheap air freshener dangling from the rear-view mirror. The 'Wonder Tree' had long since lost any wonder it may once have had, adding nothing to the faint smell of detergent in the overzealously cleaned rental.
For the nth time I glanced at the invitation that lay on the seat next to me. "Welcome to the Middleton High School Reunion, Class of 2007," it said. A resigned sigh escaped my lips. Knowing better made no difference; I still had to come. I couldn't resist, no more than a moth can resist a flame.
The whole idea of landing in Last Chance and driving the rest of the way to clear my head, seemed pointless now. All the drive did was it gave me too much time to think and overthink the situation. This being a huge mistake was beginning to seem like a real possibility. I should have just stayed home.
It was a little late for that, since I was already here.
The sign on the side of the road welcomed me to Middleton, "Where abnormal is normal." My lips curled into a wistful smile. Middleton really was weird central. From supervillains trying to take over the world, to toxic zombie snowmen, the place had seen it all. And I had been a part of that - once. Maybe that's why I had adopted the 'Never be normal' attitude.
The clock on the dashboard read 6:02pm. There was plenty of time to visit the folks before the reunion. We didn't see each other often, since I tried to avoid coming here at all cost. Usually we'd communicate by phone, and they had visited me in Go City a few times. The only time I had visited them was when Dad had a heart attack. I guess it was high time for a proper return visit.
The one thing that caught my attention as I drove through town, was how very little had changed since I had left. The buildings weren't nearly as new as I had expected. Back in the day the only town that got rebuilt more was South Park. But then again, the villainous activity had significantly decreased after the... incident. It still creeped me out that she could...
I shook the thought out of my head and continued on.
It wasn't long before my house - kinda funny that I still thought of it as my house - came into view. It was a little worse for wear but didn't look all that different. Seeing the driveway was empty, I pulled in and turned the car off. The first thing I saw getting out of the car was the tree. Our tree. Even the old tree house was still up there. Looking at the rickety structure, I wondered if it would still hold my weight.
Deciding to give it a go, I went to the tree and felt out the boards nailed to the trunk. They were a little rotten, but felt sturdy enough. With a few disconcerting creeks, I climbed up and emerged from the hole in the floor of the tree house. Someone had been taking care of it, as it looked clean and like it was still being used. Even the picture was still on the crate that served as a sidetable.
Aw, man. I thought I put that away. Mom...
The flame. I was drawn to it. The springs creaked, some of them giving up entirely, as I sat on the old couch next to the crate and picked up the picture. Every detail registered with crystal clarity, bombarding me with vivid images from better days as I let my finger travel across the picture, tracing her features: the flippy auburn mane, those vibrant pools of green I could drown in, and her lips curled in a smile. That smile...
It hurt. The embers of the old flame flared up and ignited with soul-shattering force. As hard as I've tried suppressing it, the flame still burned, deep down, unrelenting.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" came a cautious voice from outside, bringing me out of my wallowing.
Mom.
The picture went back on the crate, face down.
Having to support myself on the wall, I struggled off the couch and went to the other side, sticking my head out the small window. Mom was standing next to the car, looking around. She was wearing jeans and a pink sweater. Since when did she wear jeans?
"It's me, mom," I called out.
She startled and looked around before finally noticing me in the tree. Her face brightened up immediately. "Ronnie! What are you doing up there? Come down and give your mother a hug."
As soon as I got down, I was crushed in a motherly hug. It may not be the manliest thing to admit to, but it felt good.
She smelled of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, autumnal apples, and of.. home.
I was home.
When we separated, I could see her eyes were already starting to tear up, making me feel a little guilty for not visiting more often. Was it an innate ability all mothers had, or did they take courses? 'A plus', mom, 'A plus'.
"You look good, mom," I grinned as I looked her over. She did look good; the years had been kind to her. Part of it was probably just me seeing her through a son's eyes, but to me, she hadn't aged a day. And if those jeans would have been any tighter, she'd have given dad another heart attack.
"Thanks. So do you," she said, wrapping an arm around me as she began leading me to the house.
"Where's dad?" I asked.
"He's on the treadmill," she said as she wiped away a tear. "He's really taking the doctor's orders seriously."
Dad had the heart attack six months ago and had been prescribed a healthier diet and exercise. For some reason he'd taken the advice to heart, even the rabbit food diet. Maybe he'd just gotten scared.
When we got inside, mom left to make some coffee. She offered to make dinner, but I declined as they'd probably have a buffet table at the reunion.
It was weird. Even though most of the furniture was new and I hadn't been in this house for ten years and it still felt like home. Well, I did spend a few days after dad was released from the hospital, but I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings as most of my time went to keeping dad from going crazy as mom kept fussing over him.
Pulling myself out of the nostalgia, I made my way down to the basement, which dad had converted into a home gym and rec room. I found him jumping rope, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, watching the ceiling-mounted flat screen TV. He had really lost weight. He still wasn't thin, but not anywhere near his old measurements. Dad actually looked like he could run a lap without getting winded. He really was serious. Being curious as to why that was, I made a mental note to ask about it later.
"Dad," I called him.
He startled and stepped on the rope, sending the handles flying out of his hands. He turned around and smiled.
"You scared me, son. You should know better than to scare a heart patient," he said, though his smile told me he wasn't serious.
"Sorry, dad. I seem to be doing that a lot today."
"Don't worry about it. I'm not about to flatline anytime soon," he said and hugged me. He was a little sweaty, but it was a light manly hug so I didn't get too badly soaked.
"Good to see you, son," he said as he patted me on the back.
"You too, dad."
We separated and dad held me by the shoulders, giving me an appraising look. "You look good."
"Hey, that's my line. I can't believe how fit you are."
"Thanks, son. A healthy diet and exercise can do that."
Before I was able to make use of the mental note, dad spoke up again. "Go help your mother. She's really missed you. I'll be up after I shower."
"Sure, Dad."
With a final glance back, I went back up the stairs. It was great to see dad in such great shape. Seeing him in that hospital bed had really scared me. I came too close to losing another person I loved. I don't know if I could have handled it.
The delicious aroma of fresh coffee lured me into the kitchen, where the coffee maker gurgled in the corner on the counter. Mom was standing next to the sink, staring out the window. From the reflection in the glass, I saw the far-away look in her eyes.
"Mom?"
She snapped back and turned to me. "Oh, hi, Ron. I was just thinking."
"About what? You looked a little... out there."
She sighed. "I just thought how nice it would be if you found a nice girl and settled down. Carried on the Stoppable name."
"Not this again. It'll happen when it happens," I said with a fair amount of frustration. This came up every time we talked. Even more so after dad's attack.
"I know, I know. But the thing with your father.. I just want him to live to see his grandchildren."
"If he keeps up his new lifestyle, he'll probably outlive me."
"You're trying to change the subject. Why haven't you been in a serious relationship yet?" she asked and got that patented worried mother expression on her face. "Is it because of Kimberly?"
Ouch. That hit a little too close to home, but I tried to convince her otherwise. "Come on, mom. KP is so history. I just haven't found the right one yet."
Mom saw I wasn't being totally honest but she didn't say anything. She got that sad look in her eyes and went to get the coffee cups from the cupboard. Why was it that mom could always see through me like I was a top on a Hollywood starlet? As astute as she was, she seemed to have no idea how much talking about her hurt.
I didn't want to break down in front of mom, so I excused myself and stepped outside for a smoke - a nervous habit I picked up a few years ago, I guess right about the time Rufus died. It wasn't a regular thing, just when things got a little too... real.
The backyard was mostly empty, aside from the miscellaneous plants and flowers planted along the sides. A folded deck chair leaned on the wall. With the cigarette hanging between my lips, I unfolded the chair and sat on it, trying to clear my mind. For a few minutes the world seemed distant in the silence. Trees rustled in the gentle breeze. Somewhere in the distance, a bird sang happily. Just for a moment... I was free.
Then mom's words came crashing down. Why hadn't I been in a serious relationship? I guess that was a matter of opinion. I've had what could be considered as loving, fulfilling relationships, but all of them, one way or another, I ruined because I couldn't get over that one girl.
I never really bought into that "one true love" thing. I mean, I believe in true love and that some people are better for each other than others, but there being that one person for someone in the whole world? That just didn't make sense to me. Though you'd never know it from my love life. I was still hanging on to the past, never moved on, never gave myself the chance to find new happiness.
Maybe that's why I was here: to get closure. To convince myself once and for all that it could never be and then put it behind me.
I heard mom calling me, so I put out the cigarette on the bottom of the armrest, and jumped up from the chair, flicking the cigarette butt into some shrubs. After getting inside I washed my hands in the bathroom and gargled with some of dad's mouthwash. I knew it wouldn't fool mom, but I felt better just knowing I'd made an effort to hide it.
For the next hour or so, we spent talking over coffee, mostly about dad's condition. Thankfully, mom didn't bring up the relationship stuff again. After coffee, dad and I went to his study. It still looked the same as it did when I was a kid: the mahogany table, the bookcases filled to the brim, and his favorite leather chair, now worn. Looked like dad hadn't even moved the furniture. There was always something intriguing about this room when I was growing up. Maybe it was the lure of the forbidden, since I was rarely allowed in. The years had stripped the room of its mystique, and now I saw it as just a study, nothing more. It was a little sad, actually.
Dad pulled out a bottle of Cognac from the bar-globe - the one he thought mom didn't know about - and poured us two drinks. I could smell the traces of cigar smoke and the air freshener used to, unsuccessfully, get rid of it.
He handed me a glass. "The doctor said no alcohol, but since I'm doing so well otherwise, I think I can indulge every once in a while, don't you think?"
"A drop never killed anyone," I said and clinked glasses with dad. "You know, dad, an ionizer would clear out the smoke a lot better. And they're not that expensive."
He chuckled. "I know, son."
"So why the cheap spray?"
"Well, I guess you can call it a kind of courtship ritual."
That didn't make much sense to me. "A what?"
"Well, it's like this: your mother complains about the smoke, we argue, we make up… I think you can guess the rest."
Okay, too much info.
After a big sip, more of a gulp really, I decided to ask the question. "I've been meaning to ask you: why have you been so eager to take the doctor's advice? Usually men your age don't exactly change life-long habits over-night."
Dad put the glass down. "Because of your mother, son." He saw my confused expression and continued. "I love Helen more than words can say. I don't want her to have to bury her husband prematurely. And I want to spend as many years as I can with the beauty who, for some unfathomable reason, chose me."
"Did I ever tell you the story of how we met?" he asked.
"Yes, but you can tell it again." I loved to hear that story.
"The first time we met was in high school. Oh man, she was gorgeous. For some reason she wasn't aware of just how beautiful she was. And she was serious about her studies. Did you know she wanted to be an astro-physicist?"
I nodded. God, my parents were such nerds.
We both took a drink and dad continued. "Well, we were in some study groups together, math mostly. We became friends and hung out every now and then. Then when we both got into MIST, things changed. You see, before she wasn't too interested in boys, but now she was being hit on constantly. So she went on a few dates. And it Pissed. Me. Off. That's when I knew: I wanted to her to be my wife. So when she had broken up with Jerk #3, I asked her out. And the rest is history."
For a moment, my thoughts went back to the girl I had been friends with. At one time, I had also been upset about someone else asking her out. Like father, like son, I guess. But I didn't get the girl. Instead I befriended the guy she'd gone out with. Life's little ironies…
Dad may have been a mathematician, but he could read me like a statistic.
"You know, son, life is short. A cliché, I know, but true, nonetheless. The love of your life doesn't come around very often. When it comes near, you should do everything possible," he emphasized the word, "to hold on to it. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Not him, too.
"Dad," I said, trying with my tone to make it as clear as possible - DAMN! - not to go there.
He took the hint and it wasn't brought up again, by him or mom. The three of us talked a bit more, and mom almost didn't let me go until I promised her I'd come back after the reunion ended.
It was still pretty warm out and weather was nice, so I decided to walk and see the old neighborhood.
≈O≈
Like so many times before, my walk from home to MHS took me to the source of all things spicy and delicious: Bueno Nacho. You can't get a decent Naco outside Middleton, so I took the opportunity to taste one made properly. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that the place had changed, all the others had, but I guess I expected more from the birthplace of the Naco. The basic layout was the same, but the furniture was all steel and sterile. Damn regulations.
Nevertheless, the overpowering smell of grease and beans still remained. It was almost as good as burped pizza.
As I was looking for a place to sit, a wheelchair caught my eye. It sat empty next to a table, which I couldn't see in because of the high backs in the seats. Trying to be inconspicuous about it, in case it wasn't who I thought was and I didn't want to look like I was staring, I walked closer for a better look. Luckily enough, it was who I thought it was: Felix Renton. And opposite to him sat Josh Mankey.
Felix and Josh, my posse. Barkin was so going to have a nervous breakdown when he saw us walking in together.
"J-man! Wheels!" I greeted them as I set my tray down on the end of the table.
"Ron?" Josh asked looking like he couldn't quite believe I was there.
"The one and only."
"Dude," Felix said, and we tapped fists.
Josh rose and we shook hands and exchanged hugs.
"Felix, what's with the chair? I thought you had some kind of cybernetic leg braces or something."
"Yeah, I do, but I like to take the chair out on occasion. Especially when I know I might need an autopilot."
The last part made me grin. Back in the day, we had gotten so wasted at times, the only one who found his way home was Felix, thanks to his chair driving, or flying, him there; which, maybe, wasn't the best thing, since it usually got him grounded.
Josh sat down and scooted over, making room for me.
"So, Ron, what have you been up to?" Josh asked.
"Nothing much: I've been working as a chef in a restaurant in Go City."
"We always figured you'd end up with a hair net," Felix said.
Josh examined my forehead. "I think I can see the rubber band imprint."
"Hey! At least I don't dress up slobs on national television," I shot back, referring to the reality show he was in. "I still can't believe they brought back that show."
"Speaking of dressing up: what the hell are you wearing?" Felix asked waving his hand at my clothes.
"What? Something wrong with looking like a grown-up?" I said, glancing at the blue jeans and tan suede blazer I was wearing. "We can't all look like we just stepped off the catwalk," I said, waving at Josh. He was wearing a tailored black suit, probably Armoney.
"Hey, I gotta look good, or they might take away my Gay Club membership card."
"They have those?" I voiced my surprise.
Josh burst into laughter. "No. You're so gullible, Ron."
"Now, now, don't be so hasty, Josh. You could start one yourself."
Felix set me up...
"Yeah, but I think they already have a Club Banana."
...and I knocked it down. Just like the old days. Felix laughed and put his fist out and I tapped it with mine.
"Nice," Josh said, nodding appreciatively. He was always a good sport. "Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, Stoppable."
"But I still can't get over how... normal you look. What happened to 'Never be normal'?" Felix asked.
"I guess I left it behind when I left Middleton."
"Why'd you leave, anyway? You never really explained it to us, you pretty much vanished after Graduation," Josh asked.
He brought up the subject I had so been trying to avoid, and I went silent. The guys exchanged looks and spoke up in unison: "Kim?"
"Kim," I sighed. Well, it was out, so I might as well tell the full story.
"You guys remember the Diablos Night?"
They nodded.
"In the days leading up to that, I finally realized that I loved Kim. That I was actually in love with her."
"Well you've always been a little slow," Felix ribbed.
He was right. If I'd been smart, I would have made my move after the thing with the Moodulators. Though it probably wouldn't have made any difference, because:
"Anyway, that night, I told her how I felt, and she blew me off. That was just..."
Even after all those years, talking about it hurt. I took a calming breath and continued.
"And after that she was constantly getting more media attention, and a never ending line of suitors. She got so into the fame, I felt like there wasn't room for me anymore. So I quit the team and when I got done with high school, I left."
"Sorry, man," Felix said.
"Whatever happened to her? I haven't heard about her in a long time," Josh wondered.
And that drew another sigh from me. "I guess she didn't feel like keeping up the world saving after her dad died."
"What!?" Josh exclaimed, shocked.
"You didn't hear?" Felix asked Josh, looking surprised that he hadn't heard about it.
"No," Josh replied, still looking a bit shaken.
"Yeah, happened five years ago," I told Josh. "Ironic, really. After coming face to face with all kinds of super villains and weirdos dozens of times, he gets hit by a drunk driver."
"That's messed up."
Not as messed up as the driver was after KP got done with him, if the story was true. It was only a rumor, but I heard that with some help from the officer guarding the prisoners, she had gotten into the driver's cell and worked him over. At first, I hadn't put much stock into it, until the whole Killigan incident. I thought it was best not to mention the rumor to Felix and Josh.
"Was that why she went all postal on Killigan?" Felix asked.
"Probably," I replied. At the time I still had enough contacts that had kept me posted on Kim's exploits, even though I hadn't been too clear on the specifics. She had apparently snapped on one of her missions and beaten Killigan into a bloody pulp with his own golf clubs. The news had just told us she'd used "excessive" force, and that she'd be under special surveillance from then on. After that, even though she took on less missions, the villanous activities had decreased. Probably out of fear. After Kim had stopped going completely, Global Justice figured they'd be better off using force as a deterrant. Since then, they've become nothing more than thugs.
After a few minutes of nibbling on our food in uncomfortable silence, Felix spoke up. "Let's go grab a beer before the reunion," he suggested.
Josh perked up. "I think O'Malley's is still open. And we don't even need the fake Ids anymore."
"Sure, sounds good," I said. A beer sounded real good right about now.
We finished our meals and left the restaurant. Wanting to keep the group together, we decided to take Felix's car, leaving Josh's Ducati at BN. Man, that guy knew how to ride in style. We found O'Malley's in its old spot. The quaint pub ambiance was still as inviting as ever; only, this time, we could enjoy it without the fear of getting caught for using phony identification. I did feel kinda bad about extorting Wade into making those for us, but at the time I was mad at him for peeping on KP through the Kimmunicator.
We ordered beers and found an empty table in the corner. As soon as we sat down, we heard a familiar voice.
"Well, well: if it isn't the delinquents."
Realizing who the voice belonged to, I cringed. The last time I heard it, it left me and the guys with ringing ears from all the yelling. We turned to the voice and saw the bar owner, Mr. Shaughnessy.
"Hey there, Mr. Shaughnessy. Long time no see," I said nervously.
"Two things," he said seriously, "One: you have a lot of nerve showing your faces around here after almost costing me my liquor license."
There were worried faces around the table, as we were all afraid he was going to throw us out. He took a lot of heat when our little "misrepresentation" was discovered. But then he smiled.
"Two: I told you to call me Robert."
There was a collective sigh of relief.
"Good to see you guys. The first round's on me," he said and signaled for the waitress to bring over three pints. Instead of returning to the bar, he went for the old cd jukebox in the corner. He pressed a few buttons, flashed us a smile, and went to the bar.
After only a few power chords, I recognized the song, and looked like Felix and Josh did too. Knowing smiles grew on our lips, and I gave Mr. Shaughnessy a big thumbs up.
Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed, haven't much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy
The beers arrived at the table and we raised our glasses. As the chorus started, three glasses collided in a foam-spilling clink. Mothers, lock up your daughters: the boys were back in town.
As I lowered the glass from my lips, I let out an appreciative exhale. The first drink always tasted the best.
"So, Felix. What do you do for a living?" I asked.
"I work at the same cybertronics lab as my mom. The leg braces were actually our invention."
"That's gotta be weird: working with your mom."
"Not really. It's not that different from working with anyone else, other than the embarrassing childhood stories."
Josh and I grimaced.
"That's so wrong," Josh commented.
"Seriously," I said, thinking of how I wouldn't be able to show my face anymore if mom told some of the stories she had about me.
Leaning back on my seat, I took a long drink from my beer. Then, for the first time, I noticed the ring on Felix's finger.
"So, Felix, who's the lucky girl?" I asked.
He began thumbing the ring. This had to be good: the guy looked like the cat that swallowed the whole aviary.
"Vivian Porter."
I almost choked on my beer.
"You hooked up with Viv?!"
Josh looked confused. "Who's Vivian Porter?"
"Only the hottest piece of brain, ever, to get a Ph.D. Though, Mrs. Dr. P. is a close second."
"I heard that," Felix said reaching out his glass, and I touched it with mine.
Josh chuckled and took a drink, and then he turned to me.
"So, what about you, Ron? Seeing anyone special?" he asked.
"Not really," I answered. It was true that I wasn't seeing anyone at the moment, but through the years I'd been in a few relationships. All of them were special in their own way, and I considered myself lucky to have known each of them.
I remember Julie: a lively girl, always smiling. She sang in the shower. I would sometimes listen to her from the bathroom door, especially when she sang Moon River. I could almost see her sitting on a window sill, playing a guitar.
And Kristen: one look from her made you feel like a man. She liked attention. But she always made it clear I was number one. When other guys stared at her, she would pull me in a passionate kiss, ignoring their looks. She didn't look back to see the reaction; she kept her eyes on me. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what she saw in me.
Nicole... I loved her snorting laugh. And the way she kept tucking her hair behind her ear. Sometimes I flipped the locks with my finger, just so she would have to tuck them in again.
In a way, I had loved them all, but none of them were… her.
"Oh, come on. I remember you going through almost the entire cheer squad your senior year," Felix said, "and you claim you haven't found anyone?"
"How'd you pull that off anyway? Before that you were basically a social leper," Josh asked.
"Well, it wasn't exactly the whole team. I only went out with Tara, Liz, and Crystal."
"Only? That's, like, third of the team."
"If you want to think about it that way..."
"Spill it: what was your secret?"
"I guess they listened to old wives' tales," I smiled.
When the guys didn't seem to get it, I opened my hand and tilted it from side to side slowly. They seemed to get it shortly afterwards.
"That still doesn't explain everything."
"Well it helped that I got into the football team. And, after Tara, the rest just lined up," I told them. It was a half-truth, but I didn't feel like going into the specifics right then.
"Tara... I really liked her," Josh said.
"Didn't you go out with her?" Felix asked.
"Yeah. That was before I admitted to myself I was gay. She was so sweet, she didn't even get mad at me when I told her. She was nothing but supportive, and she was pretty much the reason I came out."
"I know. I've never felt worse about breaking up with someone, than I did with her," I said and meant every word. Breaking up with Tara was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. But it had to be done; I couldn't string her along when I knew I wasn't in it with my heart.
Josh leaned on the table. "Did anyone else get the feeling she was smarter than she appeared?"
Knowing the truth, I couldn't help but smile.
"Kinda," Felix said. "There was something about the eyes."
I decided to tell the guys. "Remember the time we broke into the principal's office to find out if there really was a permanent record?"
"Sure," Josh said. Felix just went: "Uh-huh."
"Well, I happened to stumble on the SAT scores for the entire school. I checked out my score, and Tara's just happened to be under mine and… let's just say I was the dumb blonde."
"You make it so easy, Stoppable. I have like a hundred zingers to choose from," Josh said.
"Come on, don't leave us hanging. What did she get?" Felix asked.
"2390."
Our table overflowed with spat out beer.
"No way. Mine was only twenty-one forty," Felix said incredulously.
"It's true. Underneath that ditzy blonde exterior was one smart mama," I said. Oddly enough, I felt proud saying that. Don't know why, I wasn't her dad or boyfriend or anything.
"To Tara," I said, raising my glass.
"To Tara," the guys said, and we clinked glasses.
After taking a drink, Josh looked at his glass that was almost empty, like the rest of ours. He motioned for the waitress.
"Why don't we get one more round of beers," he said. We agreed. The waitress appeared next to him: a pretty long-haired brunette. She was wearing a classic barmaid outfit that really brought out her... eyes.
"Three beers, please." She nodded and went to the bar. The short skirt really showed off her killer legs, which I couldn't help but watch as she went, and I noticed Felix doing the same thing.
"You're a married man, remember?" I told him.
"Married, but not dead," he said as he slowly tore his eyes from the leggy brunette.
She returned shortly with three full glasses on the tray. She set them down on the table and Josh put his credit card on the tray. "Put it on this. This round's on me, guys."
Thinking I might as well try to have some fun tonight, I decided take a shot at the waitress. "Hey, Gorgeous: if you're not too busy tonight, there's this shindig we're going to. Wanna tag along?"
"Sorry, I have to work all night," she said as she collected our empty glasses. She was just about to leave when she turned back. "But if you can, look me up after - cutie," she said, smiling at me, before she continued walking away.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Felix jabbed me in the arm. "Stoppable's unstoppable."
The night was definitely looking up.
After a few more toasts and catching up, we left the pub and headed for the Reunion.
to be continued...
AN: I'm aware that Last Chance, CO, doesn't have an airport. I chose the town by the name and decided to go with it despite the lack of said facility.