An Unexpected Challenge

Bobbie sat in the truck outside The Cannery for a few minutes before getting out. It looked crowded already, even though it was just after eight. Sliding her ID, some cash, and a tube of lip gloss into her pocket, along with the key to the spare car Sparky was letting her drive while she was here, she took a deep breath. Then, just to stall a few more seconds, checked her hair in the rearview before getting out.

"Bob, you made it!" a voice cried out almost as soon as she walked in. The place was pretty full, louder and smokier than she was used to. It was mostly locals mostly, by the looks of it. Bobbie had to squint to see who it was who called out to her, even though she recognized Jimmy's voice. He was weaving his way through the tables, grinning and holding a beer.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he reached her. He put one hand on her back and leaned down to her ear. "You want something to drink?" he asked loudly, leading her through the crowd to the far end of the bar, where Shane sat. Two other guys and a nervous-looking dark-haired girl, who was talking to the bartender, rounded out the small group.

"Sure...a rum and coke please!" she responded. He nodded and grinned.

"Hey, Nikki, a rum and coke, on my tab," Jimmy said to the bartender. She nodded and turned to get it. "This is Bobbie, everybody...Bobbie, everybody," he continued with a grin. "Hey, I'll be right back, I need to uh..." he thumbed behind him, which, a sign told Bobbie, was where the restrooms were located. "Introduce her, Shane," he said, shooting him a look of warning, to which Shane rolled his eyes.

"Summer kid," Shane said by way of greeting. "You're in good company tonight," he added, motioning vaguely to the other two guys. Both of them ignored the comment.

"Island boy," she retorted, barely even looking at him. The others exchanged confused glances.

The tough-looking blonde girl behind the bar rolled her eyes and handed Bobbie her drink, obviously used to this sort of behavior from Shane. "Hey, I'm Nikki, manager of the place," she said, smiling. "Apparently you and Shane have met, so this is Kelly," she said, motioning to the dark-haired girl, who smiled shyly and looked back at her drink. "And Henry and Sully. They're summer kids too," she continued with a friendly wink, pointing to a skinny guy with brown hair, and a very good-looking guy with longish blond hair, gelled up artfully. Henry gave her a friendly grin and a sort of salute, which Bobbie returned. Sully, however, stood to reach across Henry and offered his hand. When she took it, he covered her hand with his other and shook it slowly.

"It is very nice to meet you," he said, catching her eyes and smiling flirtatiously. Luckily, she was saved from answering by Jimmy, who had returned.

"Hey, sorry about that. You meet everybody?" he asked.

"Yeah, I introduced her, since your friend seems to have run out of polite," Nikki answered, looking at Shane pointedly.

"I didn't know he ever had any," Jimmy replied with a laugh. Everyone else followed suit.

"Oh, ha ha ha," Shane replied dryly, getting up and walking away. Henry rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, you get used to Shane's particular brand of charm," he told Bobbie with a smile.

"Oh, she already did. Told him off good this afternoon," Jimmy replied, before regaling them with the story. Nikki looked at her with something akin to pride.

"That's right, tell him how it is right from the get-go," she said, grinning. The others nodded their agreement.

As she sat down where Shane had been and started chatting easily with the group, something told Bobbie she would really like it here.

--

Two rum and cokes later, Bobbie stood at the jukebox, feeling a bit fuzzy, but content. She flipped through the paltry music selections, taking surreptitious glances at Jimmy, who was playing darts with Henry, every few minutes.

"Forget it, Princess," someone murmured in her ear. Bobbie turned with a start to see Shane standing uncomfortably close, one hand on the jukebox beside her, a beer in his other hand and a smart-ass grin on his face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, scooting away from him a bit and trying to seem casual by taking an extra-long swig of her own drink. But she could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks, so she looked back at the jukebox and shook her hair a bit to make it fall over her face, concealing it from him. Damn the Irish blood in her! The last thing she needed was Shane giving her grief about her crush on Jimmy.

"Don't play coy, I've seen it often enough; you were eying Jimmy. Don't waste your time, though—he's spoken for," he replied, taking a pull off of his beer. Bobbie looked up.

"Oh...he's seeing someone on the island?" she asked, still trying for casual...and still failing dismally.

"You could say that." He didn't elaborate.

"So...what, she's away, visiting family?" she pressed, knowing she sounded desperate but not really caring at the moment; Jimmy had a girlfriend? She hated the way she wanted to cry, hearing this news.

"In a manner of speaking." Another swig of beer. She looked at him for a few seconds after that, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she rolled her eyes and took a frustrated sip of her drink, then continued flipping through the jukebox. She waited for him to walk away, but he kept standing there, just as he was, uncomfortably close to her. She scooted another couple of inches and ignored him, but still very much aware that he was there.

"So. Bobbie," he said suddenly. It wasn't a question.

"Yes?"

"No...Bobbie. That is your name, isn't it?"

"That's what the state of Maryland says." She didn't say anything more, unsure of where this line of questioning, for lack of a better word, was going.

"That's a guy's name," he pointed out.

"Except when it's not. Is there a point here?" she replied curtly, looking up at him. She could swear she saw a corner of his mouth twitch up, but she couldn't be sure.

He shrugged and took another swig of beer. "Just an unusual name for a chick, that's all. So, what, your mother didn't like you?" he asked, grinning.

"What's it to you?"

Shane shrugged again. "Nothing. Just curious."

"My mom named me after her mother, Roberta," Bobbie replied shortly, looking back at the jukebox.

"Oh."

"Mmm," she responded, hoping he'd go away. But he didn't; he just kept standing there, swigging his beer and gazing around the bar. Bobbie looked around, too, searching for an escape route. Sully was busily chatting up a giggling girl at the bar, while Nikki stood a few feet away, serving a new group of customers and rolling her eyes in Sully's direction occasionally. Kelly was nowhere to be seen. Bobbie bit her lip and looked back toward Jimmy and Henry. She could probably go chat with them, but she didn't want to disrupt their game...

Her inner struggle was interrupted by Shane clearing his throat and snapping his fingers in her face. "Hello? Earth to Summer Kid, come in Summer Kid," he was saying.

She shook her head a bit. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you want another one," he replied, tapping his bottle against her glass. She blinked, not quite comprehending the sudden change in demeanor. When she didn't answer, he grinned.

"Or maybe you don't need another one." Bobbie couldn't help but bristle at the implication.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked. Shane's grin widened.

"I'm not trying to say anything," was his reply. "I'm saying, flat out, that you probably don't need another if just the two you've had are affecting you that much. No shame in being a lightweight." His brown eyes twinkled mischievously. That, more than anything else, set off the hugely-unnecessary overreaction that followed.

"I am not a lightweight! I was just...lost in thought. Something I highly doubt you're burdened with very often," she shot back, unsure of why this observation rubbed her the way it did. Probably because of the person doing the observing. Shane's eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch, obviously taken aback by this pronouncement. He studied her for a moment, then nodded and smirked again.

"All right, Ms. Heavyweight, let's see."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's see you out-drink me." His eyes locked onto hers, the challenge clear as a bell.

Never one to back down, Bobbie met his gaze and raised her chin defiantly. "You're on."